# Freshwater crab? really?



## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

So tabatha, kat and I went out yesterday and happened by the local big als. 

I folded and picked up a neat little purple crab. It was listed as a Peruvian rainbow crab but of course i cant locate any information on this.

I always wonder about the crab being fully freshwater. Would it be smart to add some marine salt to it? 

The set up also makes me wonder. I am unsure if this is a fully aquatic crab. I gave it a tank with some rocks but i haven't seen it up on them as of yet.

I will get some photos very soon, I am going to see if i can snag my sisters spare exo terra :3


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

I know they have fully freshwater crabs in mountain streams in Japan, so there are fully freshwater crabs out there.

Post some pics!!


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

you ight want to take a look at www.crusta10.de and see if you can at least find the latin name for more information


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## gunnerx (Mar 20, 2008)

Is it the Cardisoma Armatum?

There seems to be various names for it.
http://www.shrimpcrabsandcrayfish.co.uk/Shrimp.htm?landcrabs.htm~mainFrame
http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Bugs, Patriot Crab.htm


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

its actually all over purple. As soon as i can get onto my own computer i'll get some photos up.

Thank you so much for the help guys, ross that link rocks!


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Here are some photos. I did up the tank with playsand and a water bowl. I am unsure if i should add salt till i know what kinda guy this is.

Its actually a really neat crab and easy to hold... it blew some bubbles when i was trying to get it out for a photo.


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

OMG Ciddian in the next to the last photo he looks like he's smiling ROFL! What a cute little fella!

Does Bob like him?


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Yea bob does like him a lot  I had a name but it seems i forgot to post it. I'll have to go through all the crab photos again LOL


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

You must have the crab mojo because your friend really had to chase him to get him in a bag for you! He really is a cutie!


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

Any luck on an id? I checked my Aqualog Inverts/Crustaceans and Crab and nada. I hate that!


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

awee thanks for looking! I havent had any luck yet myself.


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

Ciddian said:


> awee thanks for looking! I havent had any luck yet myself.


I looked until 4 this morning I became so obsessed lol.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

gah me too....

This is somthing i gathered for now. Just trying to narrow it down... There are very clear hookish looking bits on his forearms.. I am trying to find that instead of by colour alone but its very hard.

http://zipcodezoo.com/Key/Potamidae_Family.asp


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

*potamon fluviatile?*










Potamon fluviatile (Herbst, 1785)

Edit: never mind, the color is right, and possibly the size, but the carapace shape just doesn't match.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

*Potamon tauricum*

This looks much more like yours. Even has the mottling in the purple.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

I think they are both extreamly close. Thank you amee!

The top one has the forearm hooks and a bit of razoring around the main body...


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

http://www.isopoda.net/galleries/river_crab.html

if he is that.. nice shot of what they like to live in.. n_n

Here is the other one, seems the care is the same 
http://www.grid.unep.ch/bsein/redbook/txt/potamon.htm?%20CRUSTACEA

Its a shame that thier numbers are getting low


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

Is he hanging out of his tank yet for dinner like everyone else at your house does? lol


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Hehehe not yet!!! I gotta rescape the tank again. I'll upgrade it as soon as we move to fit his natural setting :3


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

So... I have to ask... where did you get it? There are VERY few stores in the city that will stock freshwater crabs


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Well this was the thing. He was from the whitby bigals. He wasnt in the peruvian rainbow crabs, he was in a tank with turtles. I wanted that exact one and they had been nice enough to give it to me


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

I miss my crabs 

I used to have a tank that was set up for community fish and crabs with a shelf for them to crawl out on... I even trained them to take their food from my fingers


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

How's Mr. Crabby Pants settling into his new home? Can we see pics of his new diggs?


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

sure! i'll get everything figured out soon for photos 

You should get more Ross... I miss my fiddler dude whenever i see them <3 Crayfish are so neat too...

The crab is fixated on hanging out in its hole under this root decor. I put food out for it and it dissapears the next day. Hehe


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

His temp set up.










He loves to tuck himself away in the back there, under the roots. He comes out when i bring shrimp or other goodies. 
I am going totally revamp the set up when we move. I was thinking of a 20 long with a gradient from land to water.

I read somewhere that they usually hang out in the water a lot when little but when they get bigger they go exploring. So i will try to match that.

Anywho.. Thats the boring last minute set up for now LOL


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## Tabatha (Dec 29, 2007)

Ciddian said:


> His temp set up.Anywho.. Thats the boring last minute set up for now LOL


Are you kidding? That's awesome!!!


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

awee thanks tabatha... The pothos clippings are mad at me cause i dont have any soil in that decoration. LOL just some fiber... I hope it will be okay.


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

The pothos and bamboo will live in just plain water for a while.  Misting helps as well. So would liquid fertilizers but I wouldn't try it with Mr.Crabbs about.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

I love it. I want me a crab like that. So this was a one-off? No more like him at BA-Whitby?

W


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

They had ones with the same-ish body shape. But not the same colour.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Today! 


























Her favorite things are chasing fingers, eating worms, hide and seek... and tearing apart the aquatic moss i brought all the way back from up north. But at least she likes it

Thanks for looking


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## Cory_Dad (Apr 18, 2008)

Nice Rubbermaid commercial.

Oh, and the freshwater crab is pretty cool too.

Can these be bred in captivity? I've noticed lots of posts on this forum about breding shrimp but this is the first one on crabs. Very refreshing.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

LOL thats my general fish/herp bin...thing. 

i've had my fiddlers breed for me before but the male made a snack of the female before i could get her to drop her eggs into the SW tank i had started up. 

I am pretty sure you could do this with these guys too.. just not much reading out there. I havent checked the sex of this crab yet either, i wouldnt know where to get another.

these guys are very fun


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

awww so cute looks like he she has grown since you found him or her I love crabs my fiddlers are so funny with so much personalty. Iam glad he or she found such a good home.Pets mart had some crabs in the other day not sure what they were though didnt look that close if you like i could check when I go back up Pat


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Sure let me know pat  Prolly red claw crabs? I do like them too...


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Ok Cid will do wont be going till tues. night they get their new stock in then. Thats what Iam researching right now I just love crabs. I have 5 crays and 6 fiddlers right now Ill try to get some pics up tonight.


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## Shattered (Feb 13, 2008)

Wow, that is an amazing little guy/gal. I really like the color.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Thanks shattered!

She actually went brown but thats just fine  She is a very funny crab. The smell of food brings out the bravery in her heh.

She is a bit larger than a toonie now. I am hoping to see a molt soon, and maybe some arm regrowth. I have been adding some liquid cal. and iodine with every other water change.



































Thank you for looking


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

Yummy....crab legs!!!  

So cute, and completely fresh water? what about predation?


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Yup freshwater, and I would assume she could eat some smaller versions of herself but I think in a group they would be okay. That is.. with enough hiding spots and such.

She is an excellent fish catcher and goes bonkers for earthworm I will tell you that. LOL


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

OOp forgot the update on her tank!  Everything is growing in well.. and omg.. I can keep bamboo alive for once O_O lol


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Bizzare!

She had another good molt and is now purple again! lol She's also getting big...


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

She is getting big! I just saw teeny tiny freshwater crabs at big al's and was promptly dragged away from them.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

awee what kinds??

I really want to turn into a crazy crab lady.. O_O in...the best sense.. lol


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Cid she is so cute I love crabs heres a pic of one of mine I have like 5


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

I used to have crabs....hermit crabs... that sounded wrong.


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

Ciddian said:


> awee what kinds??
> 
> I really want to turn into a crazy crab lady.. O_O in...the best sense.. lol


No label and Ron was really busy the last time I was there. I drive him crazy with scientific names and can sometimes be found ripping off labels and rewriting what the fish really are.


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## xxprudencexx (Sep 3, 2008)

Wow cool i didn't know there's a purple crab. The set up is nice too.


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## JamesG (Feb 27, 2007)

Ciddian, is that crab mostly aquatic or mostly terrestrial? Your tank seems to be about 25% water volume, at least from the most recent photo? 

I have considered getting one of these guys or some sort of hermit crab as my girlfriend loves these little guys. To be correct, she loves to pick them up and look right at them, which they tend to not care for.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Thank you all.  

Ya kat when I get sorted out and moved gunna go crab crazy i think LOL

Pat! Adorable! I wish I had hermits!

James, apparently from what I have been reading the babies start out pretty aquatic but as they grow older the will start to come up on land and root through leaf litter. I hope to get a long tank set up with half water and half planted to actually see her do this. ATM she does not do any climbing out of the water.

Hermits are a bit easier to handle and if she holds them just spray them down really well with some treated water. That usually brings them out. Stay small so she doesnt get pinched to much 

My crab likes to run sideways so its kinda easy to hold them but as she gets older she is getting a lot faster. lol


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

Turns out they are fiddlers and loved the seaweed I brought them lol.


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## Meathead (Jan 3, 2009)

There are canopy crabs that are quite cool! Live in trees of south america..


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