Do Fiddler Crabs need a Shell ?

freckles · 03-09-2010, 03:04 PM

I see on Tv where little Crabs have a Coke Can and are dragging it around as their shell

Do Fiddler Crabs need a Shell like that ?

ZeroSystem · 03-09-2010, 03:48 PM

No Fiddler crabs have their own shell and do not need any other shells. The crabs you are thinking of are called hermit crabs and they use the discarded shells of snails for their homes.

freckles · 03-11-2010, 05:09 PM

One of thems shell came off

And they Ate it !

Now do they need Calcium ?

If so what / where to get it to put in there ?

freckles · 05-07-2010, 05:31 PM

I can open thewater filter top

And they are in there on top of the water filter

ZeroSystem · 05-07-2010, 06:08 PM

The shell that fell off was likely it's exoskeleton, which it's sheds every now and then as it grows bigger. It's good for it to eat it, as it helps the crab get some of it's calcium back.

Most hermit crabs benefit from some source of calcium, but I don't know about Fiddlers specifically. You could possibly use egg shells or cuttle bone (found in the bird section of your local pet store) as a calcium source.

Fiddler crabs are not fully aquatic, (and I believe the water they prefer is brackish - a mix of both fresh water and salt water) they require a place to climb up and out of the water to breathe. Usually people will only fill their tank half full or so and put a large rock or other structure for the crabs to climb on, away from the water. I'd try to keep them out of the filter, simply because these guys are very well known escape artists! An internal filter might be a better option then a hang on the back style power filter.

freckles · 05-09-2010, 03:06 PM

I tried to dump it out of the Filter

Took the filter out and dumped it upside down into the aquarium.

Put a new filter in

Looked in the aquarium and could not see the fiddler crabs

Opened the filter top

And it was sitting on top of the new filter, with the water running

freckles · 05-13-2010, 05:25 PM

My Fiddler Crabs have died

I dont know if I should get more or not

I have 1 big Algi Fish

2 dinky Algi Fish

and 2 Bottom Feeders

freckles · 05-14-2010, 04:54 PM

Now I see the Female Fiddler Crab moving around !

It 's Alive

I dont know where the Male Fiddler Crab is

It is not on top of the Filter ?