# Livestock from Seafood store ;-)



## MichaelAngelo (Jul 6, 2009)

I'm tinkering around nowadays on a tight budget. Not interested in keeping anything too fancy, just good hardy things hahaha.

So yesterday I thought about just buying livestock (prawns, horseshoe crab) from a live seafood store. I noticed they keep the water very cold (must have a chlller)... would that be a problem?

Anybody tried this or have any feedback (bad idea / maybe it would work?). 

I'll update on how it goes.


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## MichaelAngelo (Jul 6, 2009)

Alright so not sure if anybody cares, but here's an update.

Last night I went to a new chinese supermarket just south of Warden and Steeles (not T&T, just south of that). They had very very alive "BC crab" so I got one of those and 2 nice "BC prawns" all for $5.70.

The shrimps were in bad shape when they got home, and didn't survive my cup-at-a-time acclimation, _but the crab did_. Now after a few cup-at-a-time acclimation steps over several hours he's moving around healthily in my 15G.

The crab seems very hardy.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

I was all over these blue swimmer crabs... I really wish i could keep one but they had been too big.

I like looking at the snails and things too


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## MichaelAngelo (Jul 6, 2009)

oh you should see the BC spotted prawns, they're gorgeous and less than $2 each.

Now if I could figure a way to get them into my tank without dying, that'd be a huge accomplishment. Imagine the livestock savings


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

I had periwinkles until my hermits evicted them. I have a clam somewhere...


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

I have to admit that is one nice looking prawn, however know nothing about cold water SW species


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Wow... it must be kinda hard to get them to come back from being at the food shop. They are fantastic looking


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## MichaelAngelo (Jul 6, 2009)

Ciddian said:


> Wow... it must be kinda hard to get them to come back from being at the food shop. They are fantastic looking


To add to the beauty, they are quite large around 4" big.

OK tried again today buying 6 of them prawns for $10... then realized that 6 animals in a small bag of water always leads to death from suffocation XD lol.

I raced home to get them into a bucket with an airstone (turbo-powered on a big air pump all to itself lol).

Unfortunately all 6 died. I noticed when I did dump them into my tank they improved.

I think it's either they can't handle water that isn't cold, or they weren't healthy to start with (yes they were half dead at the fish store). I've seen some very alive ones at other fish stores so I'll try those.


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## bigfishy (Jun 19, 2009)

MichaelAngelo said:


> I'm tinkering around nowadays on a tight budget. Not interested in keeping anything too fancy, just good hardy things hahaha.
> 
> So yesterday I thought about just buying livestock (prawns, horseshoe crab) from a live seafood store. I noticed they keep the water very cold (must have a chlller)... would that be a problem?
> 
> ...


got an address?

I want to see / buy some too (horseshoe crab)

^^

NOW do a DIY Chiller

SAVES money $$$$$

http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48798


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## MichaelAngelo (Jul 6, 2009)

bigfishy said:


> got an address?
> 
> I want to see / buy some too (horseshoe crab)


Oh man you're the best, I was going to buy the horseshoe crab today but he won't be able to turn around in a 15G LOL!!!

OK So there's a really good condition horseshoe crab at Market Village, the grocery store in there (the plaza with Lucky aquarium).

I saw a bunch of them at another grocery store a few weeks ago, half dead in a Styrofoam jar.

Run over to Market Village and grab that one I saw today. I think there's no set place/time and they get pretty random orders.

The prawns are at the asian grocery just south of Steeles on Warden.


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## MichaelAngelo (Jul 6, 2009)

MichaelAngelo said:


> I saw a bunch of them at another grocery store a few weeks ago, half dead in a Styrofoam jar.


I can't remember where this was XO


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## Reef_Aquatica (Apr 3, 2009)

I had manila clams that lived for > a year within the sand bed, some people say they will absorb nitrate, I can't say if they do or not. But they seems to live okay inside the sandbed eating whatever... 

tried oyster also, you have to slowly acclimate them back into warm water though


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