# For all w/ Moon Crabs!



## Tarangela (Jan 18, 2007)

I am getting some of these guys in today, and am really excited!!!  I already have their tank set up, and can't wait to get them home!

Just want to know any other members that have these, and how they have been doing?  Or any suggestions?

I know they need fresh water to be able to soak in, but would they like a pool of salt water as well??

I can't wait until they get here


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## Kevin_Davies (Jan 18, 2007)

What are Moon Crabs? do you mean Gecarcinus quadratus, Cardisoma armatum, or another species? 

I guess they are land crabs though?  Land Crabs need a lot of care, and very specific conditions, otherwise they wont live that long, many are sold over here in petshops, garden centres etc.. and new owners given the wrong care advice, which is a shame, because they make very good captives if given the correct conditions.  I keep 3 Cardisoma armatum, ive had my ones for a few years now.  They need to be heated, so a bulb usually used for Reptiles can be used, the water (that needs to be several inches deep) also needs to be heated, to around 24-26c, and filtered, its also a good idea to use an air stone.  They need deep (at least 6 inches) of substrate, which can be aquarium sand, gravel, coir, or a mixture of the three, personally I use mostly sand and some gravel.  They will create burrows, the base of the burrows needs to be kept wet, so allowing some of the water to flow into the base of the substrate is a good idea, or using a system (like a small pipe positioned so its upright, going into the subtrate) can be used.  They sometimes shed theyre skin in theyre burrows, but will also shed in the water, the water also needs to be dechloronated, you can use a water conditioner thats used for fish.  They eat almost everything I feed my ones fruit, vegetables, some fish, and commericial crab pellets, they also eat the moss that I decorate the substrate with.

This is a very good site for information, on the Tank Set ups section theres some good idea's for setting a tank up for them.

http://www.shrimpcrabsandcrayfish.co.uk


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## Tarangela (Jan 18, 2007)

Kevin_Davies said:


> What are Moon Crabs? do you mean Gecarcinus quadratus, Cardisoma armatum, or another species?
> 
> I guess they are land crabs though?  Land Crabs need a lot of care, and very specific conditions, otherwise they wont live that long, many are sold over here in petshops, garden centres etc.. and new owners given the wrong care advice, which is a shame, because they make very good captives if given the correct conditions.  I keep 3 Cardisoma armatum, ive had my ones for a few years now.  They need to be heated, so a bulb usually used for Reptiles can be used, the water (that needs to be several inches deep) also needs to be heated, to around 24-26c, and filtered, its also a good idea to use an air stone.  They need deep (at least 6 inches) of substrate, which can be aquarium sand, gravel, coir, or a mixture of the three, personally I use mostly sand and some gravel.  They will create burrows, the base of the burrows needs to be kept wet, so allowing some of the water to flow into the base of the substrate is a good idea, or using a system (like a small pipe positioned so its upright, going into the subtrate) can be used.  They sometimes shed theyre skin in theyre burrows, but will also shed in the water, the water also needs to be dechloronated, you can use a water conditioner thats used for fish.  They eat almost everything I feed my ones fruit, vegetables, some fish, and commericial crab pellets, they also eat the moss that I decorate the substrate with.
> 
> ...



This is the Gecarcinus quadratus species.  The one that is commonly sold.  News on this, I just received them, and 2 were dead.  1 is still alive.  Can 1 live on its own and be ok?  Or are they like hermit crabs.

Everything you mentioned I have....except I have a UTH on the bottom of the tank.  Should I unplug that so I can make the bottom wet for the crab?

I do have bulbs.  I have a 60w spot light and a 100w bulb.  I figured I would use whichever one worked the best.  I also have a 60w night glo, and I was going to leave it on 24/7???

I am worried about this guy being on his own.  As a keeper of hermit crabs, I know they need friends...does this one?

Thanks for that link, I am going to check it out.

BTW, will he try to eat plastic plants??  I bought some for decoration, and for him to hide in....should I remove them before putting him in there?

I brought a heat lamp to work w/ me, and I have it over him now, just until I get home to put him in the tat.

Shame the other 2 died, they were really cute...


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## Kevin_Davies (Jan 18, 2007)

Tarangela said:


> This is the Gecarcinus quadratus species.  The one that is commonly sold.  News on this, I just received them, and 2 were dead.  1 is still alive.  Can 1 live on its own and be ok?  Or are they like hermit crabs.


One should be ok on its own, if theyre anything like C. armatum they would be a little bit terratorial, not much though, they will tolerate each other, but fighting can sometimes break out, even with 3 med/large crabs in a 5.5ft tank....



> Everything you mentioned I have....except I have a UTH on the bottom of the tank.  Should I unplug that so I can make the bottom wet for the crab?


I wouldnt recommend an under tank heater, as it would heat them from underneath, and potentially dry the part of the tank that needs to be kept wet, a spot light would be ok, and maybe a heatmat positioned on the side of the tank. 



> I do have bulbs.  I have a 60w spot light and a 100w bulb.  I figured I would use whichever one worked the best.  I also have a 60w night glo, and I was going to leave it on 24/7???


My ones have a 100w light on 24hours a day, they can escape from it in the water, which is cooler, but still heated, or in theyre burrows.



> I am worried about this guy being on his own.  As a keeper of hermit crabs, I know they need friends...does this one?


I keep two species of Hermit Crabs, i would think Hermit Crabs need company much more than Land Crabs, ive never noticed any fighting with my Hermit Crabs, even the large ones with the small ones get on fine, if I put a small crab of the same species with my Land Crabs they'd probably eat it.



> BTW, will he try to eat plastic plants??  I bought some for decoration, and for him to hide in....should I remove them before putting him in there?


My ones has a large plastic plant which they like to hide in, they do sometimes pick at it, but they dont actually eat it, plastic plants should be ok, any live plants or living material would be eaten eventually though.


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## Tarangela (Jan 18, 2007)

Thank you so much for your reply!

I do have some Flukers moss I can put in there, and I will get a hidey for him to hide away from the light.  I will unplug the UTH, and let the light do the work.  I will use the 100w since that is what you suggested.  Although, I must
admit, this is the warmest room in the house   So, he will be well heated.  

I really hope he does ok on his own.  He is a REAL cutie.  He is dancing around
in his little container right now, and cleaning his claws and legs   I put a piece of pineapple in there, but I think he may be too stressed to eat it right now.

How humid do you have your cage?  I have a screen top on the aquarium right now.  It is a 10 gallon.  Can he get the humidity he needs by soaking in the water or digging???

Thanks so much for your responses...


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## Kevin_Davies (Jan 18, 2007)

Tarangela said:


> How humid do you have your cage?  I have a screen top on the aquarium right now.  It is a 10 gallon.  Can he get the humidity he needs by soaking in the water or digging???


My ones are kept quite humid, I spray them every few days, but it usually stays quite humid in their tank, higher humidity may help them shed their skin, Im not sure? and there isnt a lot of information on the long term keeping of Land Crabs, but i think it may do.  I dont know if he'll get enough humidity though soaking in the water and digging? maybe just spray his housing every couple of days with dechloronated water.

Heres my ones setup, the picture is quite old, the setup in their tank has changed a little bit now, but its roughly the same.







Also, I didnt mention, my ones also have UV light, I dont think its vital to them at all, but it doesnt harm them either, and seems to bring out theyre colours better, i wouldnt suggest its vital that they need UV lighting though.


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## Tarangela (Jan 18, 2007)

Thanks for the pic of your tank, looks great!

I hope I can set mine up suitable enough for this little guy.  He is a real cutie.
If it's about the same as hermit crabs, I should be able to do it w/ my eyes closed....

Thanks for the note on the humidity.  I will keep him sprayed well.

OH, btw...how can I sex this crab?  I know how w/ hermits...but how w/ this one???

BTW, it has a name...Pinchy!

I also posted some pics of my hermit crab setups


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## Kevin_Davies (Jan 18, 2007)

Tarangela said:


> OH, btw...how can I sex this crab?  I know how w/ hermits...but how w/ this one???
> 
> BTW, it has a name...Pinchy!
> 
> I also posted some pics of my hermit crab setups


Your set ups look good as well, your Land Crab will probably need a lot more water than your Hermit Crabs, but apart from that the rest of the setups are similar, Ive seen people keeping them with just a small pool of water, but its much better for them to have an whole area of water, as they spend quite a lot of time submerged, or sitting on the side of the water.

Im not sure how to sex them? with larger crabs males will probably have one claw that is much larger than the other, apart from that im not sure though? breeding them in captivity would be very difficult, as they's need sea water etc.. like Hermit Crabs


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## Tarangela (Jan 18, 2007)

Kevin_Davies said:


> Your set ups look good as well, your Land Crab will probably need a lot more water than your Hermit Crabs, but apart from that the rest of the setups are similar, Ive seen people keeping them with just a small pool of water, but its much better for them to have an whole area of water, as they spend quite a lot of time submerged, or sitting on the side of the water.
> 
> Im not sure how to sex them? with larger crabs males will probably have one claw that is much larger than the other, apart from that im not sure though? breeding them in captivity would be very difficult, as they's need sea water etc.. like Hermit Crabs


Thanks 

I figured it would need a lot more water, and I will make that available.  Now that I know how to take care of this tank.  At least I have it basically ready to put it in when I get home today.  I know the shipping had to be rough on it.

The claws on this one are both the same size.  Maybe it is a female?  I don't care about breeding them, I just wanted to know if I should call it a he or a she   But Pinchy is a unisex name!

When I get the tank setup w/ Pinchy in it, I will post a pic on this same thread.  You have been most helpful


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## Tarangela (Jan 23, 2007)

So I have been lazy and haven't taken a pic of the moon crab's set up yet!

But I will tell you, I put a lot of the Zoo Med moss in there, and he has now made a little burrow he can go in and out of!  It is really cute!  I can barely see him though    I hoped he would be more visual.  Unless he could be preparing for a molt?

He hasn't touched any food yet, and tomorrow will be a week.  Is that alright?  I am worried about him.  And he is staying in the burrow, and I
haven't really seen him in the water dish 

Lemme know if you have any ideas   Thanks!!


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## Kevin_Davies (Jan 24, 2007)

Tarangela said:


> So I have been lazy and haven't taken a pic of the moon crab's set up yet!
> 
> But I will tell you, I put a lot of the Zoo Med moss in there, and he has now made a little burrow he can go in and out of!  It is really cute!  I can barely see him though    I hoped he would be more visual.  Unless he could be preparing for a molt?
> 
> ...


Thats good that he's made a burrow, if he's spending a lot of time down there it could explain that he's about to moult, and maybe thats why he's also refusing food?  What have you tried him on so far? my crabs eat grapes, tomato, apple, etc.. so you could try him on some fruit if you havent already.

Does he have a pool of water or a dish? a section of the tank made into a pool would be best, so he can completly submerge himself if he likes, sometimes my crabs carry food into the water, and eat it while completly submerged.


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## Tarangela (Jan 25, 2007)

Kevin_Davies said:


> Thats good that he's made a burrow, if he's spending a lot of time down there it could explain that he's about to moult, and maybe thats why he's also refusing food?  What have you tried him on so far? my crabs eat grapes, tomato, apple, etc.. so you could try him on some fruit if you havent already.
> 
> Does he have a pool of water or a dish? a section of the tank made into a pool would be best, so he can completly submerge himself if he likes, sometimes my crabs carry food into the water, and eat it while completly submerged.


Thank you for your reply.....somtimes I can see him through a small window he makes in the sand, next to the tank....but barely.

I have tried to feed him chicken, fish, hermit crab food, coconut, different veggies and fruits.  Maybe he is about to molt??  Or could he be destressing?
I know my hermit crabs, when I first get them, will dig down for a few weeks to chill out before they come back to the top.  It is either that, or he is going to molt.  Just hard not knowing what to expect.  His carapace didn't look ashy or anything when I got him.....

That is awesome about them eating while submerged!  I need to try to do that somehow....

I am going to post some pics of what I have set up for this little guy.  You can't see him though, he is burrowed under that moss.  I will note that after the first day I got him, he was hanging out a lot in the water bowls....haven't seen him in them since!


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## Kevin_Davies (Jan 25, 2007)

Ive never kept Gecarcinus quadratus, but being Land Crabs, and from a similar habitat to Cardisoma armatum I assume theyre very similar to care for, for C. armatum (and I assume G. quadratus) the water area it has at the moment isnt suitable, it may live for months in that setup, but its lifespan wont be as long as crabs kept in the correct environment, they should have a water area described like on that site I linked to, the water should be heated to around 24c, the land should be warmer, around 26c or so, its also a very good idea to have a filter in the water area, as these crabs can sometimes make a lot of mess, oxygenating the water area is also a good idea, like with an airstone.

It may still be getting used to its environment, once its settled it may start eating, its best to set its housing up like the more complex set up is described on that site though.


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## Tarangela (Jan 26, 2007)

Kevin_Davies said:


> Ive never kept Gecarcinus quadratus, but being Land Crabs, and from a similar habitat to Cardisoma armatum I assume theyre very similar to care for, for C. armatum (and I assume G. quadratus) the water area it has at the moment isnt suitable, it may live for months in that setup, but its lifespan wont be as long as crabs kept in the correct environment, they should have a water area described like on that site I linked to, the water should be heated to around 24c, the land should be warmer, around 26c or so, its also a very good idea to have a filter in the water area, as these crabs can sometimes make a lot of mess, oxygenating the water area is also a good idea, like with an airstone.
> 
> It may still be getting used to its environment, once its settled it may start eating, its best to set its housing up like the more complex set up is described on that site though.



I agree.  I know I need to work on that tank design.  I do have an under tank heater, but water is not supposed to touch it, it could crack the glass.  It is currently NOT plugged in right now.  I didn't want it to be too hot for him.

How does the water stay pooled up w/ gravel and sand in there?  Doesn't it seep into the sand and dry out?  

What is 26c converted into F?  Around 70F or so?

I really don't want the little guy to be miserable.

He will not come up from his little burrow though.  He is way down there, and I can see him through a little window.  So do I mess w/ it this weekend, and rearrange it?  Or do you think I should leave him be for a little while and let him destress?

The gauge in the tank says 77F and 60 for humidity.  I keep the 50w moon glo on at all times, and that is a warm room.

I put some smelt in there yesterday, and he didn't touch it.  And I know crabs have an excellent sense of smell.  Smelt are small fish that look like silversides.  I found them frozen individually in the grocer's freezer.  My hermit crabs went crazy over some dethawed pieces.  I figure the moon crab would like it.

Thanks SO MUCH for your help on this....I really appreciate you responding.  I could email you directly if you could PM me your email addy  

Thank you!


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## Kevin_Davies (Jan 26, 2007)

Tarangela said:


> I agree.  I know I need to work on that tank design.  I do have an under tank heater, but water is not supposed to touch it, it could crack the glass.  It is currently NOT plugged in right now.  I didn't want it to be too hot for him.


You could use a heatmat positioned over the side of its tank, a heatbulb should be ok on its own though, and a small tropical aquarium heater for its water.



> How does the water stay pooled up w/ gravel and sand in there?  Doesn't it seep into the sand and dry out?


With my tank, I used aquarium sealent to seal a piece of plastic into the tank to create their pool, it holds the water in place, you have to make sure its very firmly inplace though. 



> What is 26c converted into F?  Around 70F or so?


Its around 78-79F



> He will not come up from his little burrow though.  He is way down there, and I can see him through a little window.  So do I mess w/ it this weekend, and rearrange it?  Or do you think I should leave him be for a little while and let him destress?


I would leave him a few days, then rearrange his tank, it may stress him out a lot more to move him around now.



> Thanks SO MUCH for your help on this....I really appreciate you responding.  I could email you directly if you could PM me your email addy


I'll pm you my email address now.


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