# Gecarcinus quadratus Care



## ShredderEmp (Nov 17, 2012)

I am planning on getting some Halloween Crabs (Gecarcinus quadratus) for my birthday soon but I still have a few unanswered questions I can't seem to find anywhere. 

1) What level of pH do they need?

2) What level of salinity do they need?

3) Should I have a lid to prevent them from climbing the filter and escaping?


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## ccole93 (Nov 17, 2012)

I own one of these! He lives in a plastic bin with a dish of salt water and a dish of fresh to drink. The salt water dish is big enough for him to submerse himself in. Otherwise, it's all sand. I keep it very humid and warm and he seems pretty happy to me. They LOVE digging. I hear him scratching around all the time. Idk about the specifics like that but I just keep mine humid, hot and full. I add a pinch of aquarium salt to his container. It would be way too much of a pain to have a filter so I just change his water every day. He eats squash and papaya. 

Oh definitely do a lid. They can and do climb.


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## ShredderEmp (Nov 17, 2012)

ccole93 said:


> I own one of these! He lives in a plastic bin with a dish of salt water and a dish of fresh to drink. The salt water dish is big enough for him to submerse himself in. Otherwise, it's all sand. I keep it very humid and warm and he seems pretty happy to me. They LOVE digging. I hear him scratching around all the time. Idk about the specifics like that but I just keep mine humid, hot and full. I add a pinch of aquarium salt to his container. It would be way too much of a pain to have a filter so I just change his water every day. He eats squash and papaya.
> 
> Oh definitely do a lid. They can and do climb.


For the salt water, what type of salt do you use? I know table salt is a no, but I'm not sure if the consumable sea salt is ok.

And for the lid, what do you use for it?


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## spydrhunter1 (Nov 17, 2012)

Aquarium sea salt mixed to specific gravity of sea water 1.021. Substrate needs to be deep enough for burrowing and  creating a molting chamber.


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## ShredderEmp (Nov 17, 2012)

spydrhunter1 said:


> Aquarium sea salt mixed to specific gravity of sea water 1.021. Substrae needs to be deep enough for burrowing and  creating a molting chamber.


I've never dealt with saltwater crustaceans so I don't know what that means, or how to do that. Could you explain like how many pinches per ounce that would be?


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## spydrhunter1 (Nov 17, 2012)

With instant ocean sea salt mix it comes out to be about 1/4 cup per half gallon of water. It's usually the same for other brands of sea water mixes. A five pond bag of IO costs about $8.00


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## ShredderEmp (Nov 17, 2012)

All right thanks.

Do you have any idea if pH is important?

Also, I plan on doing the beachside setup. Should the filtered water be freshwater or saltwater?


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## spydrhunter1 (Nov 18, 2012)

Don't know about pH but you'll need both a fresh and seawater source just like ccole93 said.


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## ShredderEmp (Nov 18, 2012)

I got that but should I filter the fresh water or saltwater?


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## spydrhunter1 (Nov 18, 2012)

Just supply them in bowls deep enogh for the crabs to submerge and change every other day, don't mess with filtering


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## Entomancer (Nov 18, 2012)

Good luck with these. I hear that they can be tough to take care of.

Personally, I would make a filtered pool of fresh water (if you're using a fishtank, silicone a piece of glass in to make a barrier, and test the seal with some water before putting everything else together). With the marine/brackish water in a dish. If you had a big pool of marine water and a little dish of fresh water, it would be harder to maintain because the salt could damage the filter, and saline buildup would occur wherever the water splashes. If you had a dish (large enough for more than one crab to enter at once), then it might be easier to control. I would use a mixture of playsand (well-washed) and coco fiber for the substrate. If you pack it in hard enough and keep it moist, it should be easier for them to make burrows. 

The only downside to this is that you'd need a big tank...probably at least a 20 long. Also, these crabs are pretty big. One of the brick-and-mortar pet stores in town has one, and it's gotta be at least 4 or 5 inches across the carapace, maybe 6. You'd need a big tank for that many.


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## ShredderEmp (Nov 18, 2012)

Ok, so here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna use a heater to heat the filtered freshwater, with room temperature saltwater in a little bin that I will change every other day. I have to filter it because the heater wouldn't fit in the water. That's my heat source for them. My aquarium is 24*12*15 (in.). The half sand will be around 10 inches at it's highest. There will be hides, driftwood, and Halloween Crab themed colored stones. The rocks will keep the sand from evening out. Under all of that will be 2 inches of gravel. 

Should I change anything?


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## ccole93 (Nov 18, 2012)

Sounds good to me. I don't specifically measure out pH and salinity; I literally add a pinch or two to the dish and he's been doing pretty well for a few months now. Eats, digs, y'know. They're really cute but don't try to hold them. They do not let go when they pinch lol.

EDIT: The salt is aquarium salt from Petsmart. It was $14 for a pretty big bag that will probably last a year. The lid is just the clip on lid for the shoebox. I'm a huge fan of plastic, especially with the crab because it needs high humidity. WAY easier to deal with over a tank.


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## ShredderEmp (Nov 18, 2012)

Thank you. If anyone else has some good advice I'll take it as there isn't much info about them. 

Also, what should the temperature be? I've had some conflicting info on that.


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## ShredderEmp (Nov 30, 2012)

I'm getting the stuff they need tonight, and they should arrive Tuesday, so last minute things I need I will take note of.


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