# Rainbow Land Crabs



## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

Am I right in thinking they need to be kept on their own? I read somewhere that as they mature they become very aggressive.

Anyone got any pictures of their rainbow crab habitats? I know they're a terrestrial crab but still need access to water.

I'm hoping to get hermit crabs but they seem to be hard to get hold of right now, or at a decent price anyway so a rainbow crab is my backup option.


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## blackbat67 (Jul 1, 2008)

my friend's mum has two of these and they get along fine, just in a normal fish tank. i think it's about 60cm long by 40cm wide (i think!), just with sand and, like, a plastic tub of water with a ramp, if you get what i mean lol

they're very cool, IMO


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## Toeboe (Dec 28, 2006)

I'm sure I saw a "paddock" full of them at the BTS show


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Get a tank, fill it half full of water. Get a heater, and filter, and cycle the tank like you would for fish. 

Put some big rocks in there so they can climb onto land, and feed meaty foods, but crab pellets as a staple. They dont live long, they are crabs, but are very amusing to keep. Also, seal the tank VERY well. They WILL escape, and go "crunch" under your feet. 

Oh, and lastly, put some pics up! : victory:


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

I've read that quite a few people set up the majority of the habitat with land and then supply a container of water large enough for the crab to submerge in which is just treated with a tap safe product.


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Well, I dunno. Thats how I set up mine, and they did great.


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

How many did you keep together and how was their behaviour? I've read as they mature they will fight to the death but then I've also read that people have kept them together until they died of old age. 

I'm not sure I could keep more than one to be honest, the viv measures 36"x15"x15" I had read that each crab needs a floor space of 30cm but that seems a bit small?


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

I had 11, in a 2ft tank. This was years ago, when I was like 13. They fought a bit, and lived a year or two in total. They had a habit of falling on their backs and dying. 

Also, depends what species you mean. Do you mean the big ones, or these ones:










Those are the ones I kept. Keeping is pretty much the same, but the bigger ones need more space oviously.


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

Sorry I mean the big ones Cardisoma armatum. They grow 6 - 8".


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

_simon_ said:


> Sorry I mean the big ones Cardisoma armatum. They grow 6 - 8".


Fair do's. Same keeping requirements though I believe: tropical water, some land, some water etc.


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## Scaley (Sep 25, 2007)

now i know what ones they are, i used to have one of these in my old fish tank, i only lowered the water a bit with some tall logs and a few platforms for it. that done really well and got quite big! but that was because he loved eating fish!!! i should have some videos of it somewhere on old phones? but the fish got their own back in the end, they ate it when the crab popped its shell for molting! :lol2:


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## joeyboy (Jul 19, 2008)

_simon_ said:


> Sorry I mean the big ones Cardisoma armatum. They grow 6 - 8".


do they not usually grow a little smaller in captivity generally? More then 4-6", that's what I've read before anyway.

So can these guys kept in a glass tank or LARGE RUB with say 2/3 land and a big icecream tub or something full of water with rocks so they can climb out? Ive always been tempted to get one or maybe two of these but i don't want an actual aquarium set-up.


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## arthur cooke (Jan 22, 2008)

You'd need to be a bit careful re containers for water as they are quite destructive.
cheers arthur


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## Berber King (Dec 29, 2007)

Those are the ones I kept. Keeping is pretty much the same, but the bigger ones need more space oviously.[/quote]
*Those are asian red crabs,a brackish species requiring well filtered water with some salt.(although they will survive some time in fresh)*


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## benjo (Oct 31, 2007)

i had one of these, i got told to have it in full water, with protuding rocks ect for them to emerge as they wish, lived for around a year then died ( was an adult ) and i had her in a 5ft fish tank, with around 1/4 of water and lots of rocks and stuff above water level. here my baby i use for my ebay account pic:









i did go all out on her, and did the under gravel filter, moon lights ect and tryed my best to make it as natural as possible.

also made a gravel island opposite side so the cave/rocks/trees (had fake trees in loved to climb)

also just read other posts, she kept attacking the heater/wire for filter all night, banging about and moving the slate lol


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## gizzard (May 5, 2008)

ash, the ones you had are more commonly known as red clawed crabs...


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## Colosseum (Aug 8, 2008)

Ive kept crabs for years and have had 2 Rainbows for 3 and a half years as well as the Haloween crab which are stunning, basically i keep my Rainbows in a 2ft aquaruim but a large critter keep would suffice and be cheaper for you, i have a full filtration system running half full wit water with loads of rocks and sticks they love it, now regarding food i feed Crab pelletts, Halibut pelletts, Chicken breast, lettuce you can put some feeder fish in as well they wont last long though as they will demolish anything you give them, I have a heater to heat the water thats about it.


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

Is this any good for 1 Rainbow crab? Tank is 24"x18"x24" (LxWxH) I haven't put any water in yet. The food bowl will be siliconed to the slate to stop it falling off. I put the plant in for the crab to hide under, there's also a cave below where the water level would be.

I know some people keep more than 2 but I don't really want to risk having fights to the death.


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

Got the thumbs up from a very helpful member so here's the finished result.


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Thats wicked simon! Update us when the crab(s) are in!


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

I rang around today and found somewhere that says they've got some in so I'll go and look tomorrow. I've decided to only get one so that there's no fighting.

Hopefully I'll have some crabby pics tomorrow.


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

Right!

The guy where I went today seemed reasonably knowledgeable. They had young rainbows in a tank mostly filled with water with the odd stone poking out so at least they had some land access. I asked him about aggression etc to see what he said and he agreed that as they mature they may fight one another but he also told me something I hadn't checked on that was the fatality rate was quite high when young. I don't know if this was true or just a way to sell more but I ended up buying 3. They're about 1" across at the moment. I made sure I got crabs with all their limbs still attached, one he pulled out had no claws so I made him swap it.

They also sold some crabs labelled as "Spider Crabs" but he couldn't tell me anything about them. They were the same kind of shape as a rainbow. Anyone know anything about those?

Anyway here's a few crappy pics, the sunlight messed most of my pics up and I was only left with a few semi decent. Will try again tonight.

I hadn't seen young rainbows before and at first glance wasn't sure they were rainbows because of the colour of the shell but I was assured they were. I guess they change colour as they grow?


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## Comador (Jan 8, 2009)

looks ace


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## gizzard (May 5, 2008)

the shell looks weird but it is definately a rainbow!


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

I read somewhere that the shell changes colour pre-moult, could that be why maybe?


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## Colosseum (Aug 8, 2008)

Never seen one like that totally wrong colour but hey lol! Are you going to get some kind of filter system as your water will cloud up and smell bad, like the setup though its nice :thumb:


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

Yes mate just looking for a suitable one.


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Very very cool!

So, what is the water in the end? Fresh, brackish or marine?


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

Stuck a Fluval 1+ in today. It's freshwater, the guy in the shop said that's what they were keeping them in and I'd read that you should continue to keep them in the water they're living in when you buy them.


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

_simon_ said:


> Stuck a Fluval 1+ in today. It's freshwater, the guy in the shop said that's what they were keeping them in and I'd read that you should continue to keep them in the water they're living in when you buy them.


Fair enough. More than one place says they need bracksih water. I would think about maybe very very slowly going about raising the salinity. You'll need proper marine salt (not the medication salt), and a hydrometer. Easy stuff though. 

Keep us updated with pics 

You feeding them the crabs pelleted diet you can buy?


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

I haven't bought specific crab food. I'm giving them fruit, veg, dried brineshrimp and tortoise food which is something I've already got. I may buy specific food when the tortoise stuff runs out.


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

I would recommend a proper diet, rather than trying to make it up, tbh.


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

I doubt very much in the wild they get manufactured foods. Just because you can buy them doesn't mean they're the best option. They're a different species of crab but I know that hermit crab keepers stay away from manufactured foods. Thanks for the recommendation but I'll feed then my own way. I've liquidised various fruit, veg, krill, mealworms and prawns and frozen them into blocks. 

Few more pics, sorry they're not great. I can't master the art of taking pics of things under water.


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## benjo (Oct 31, 2007)

i used the crab food from hikari or someone. i no longer have my crab but i still have the food lol


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Fair enough. The hikari one was the one I am on about. How much calcium and protein does your mixed diet contain? :whistling2:

Anyways, nice pics : victory: Keep us updated.


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

I have no way of measuring but there is calcium in the veg, in the tortoise food and they get cuttlefish bone. I was thinking about mixing calcium supplement into the frozen blocks instead of using cuttlefish bone.


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

_simon_ said:


> I have no way of measuring but there is calcium in the veg, in the tortoise food and they get cuttlefish bone. I was thinking about mixing calcium supplement into the frozen blocks instead of using cuttlefish bone.


That would be best as cuttle bone calcium is broken down with freezing and thawing. : victory:


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## Kevin_D (Oct 16, 2007)

gizzard said:


> the shell looks weird but it is definately a rainbow!


I know this is a fairly old thread, but that isnt a rainbow crab, or even the same family, it looks like a Sesarmidae species.


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## Colosseum (Aug 8, 2008)

I knew it wasnt a rainbow crab didnt what to say totally differant in appearence as well as colour.


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