Need Advice

[Cryptocorynus]

I didn't want to say this at the beginning because I was really embarrassed (and the person who sold them to me is a friend of mine), but all my crabs ended up dying on me within a few day. It may have been to do with transit (as about half were dead on arrival) but most likely I had a role to play in the deaths of those that got to me alive. So I guess I'm just wondering what I can do this time around (because the person who sold them to me was nice enough to agree to replace them!) to give them the best possible chance this time. I'm probably going to put them in a spa (straight rainwater) and inside in a non-shrimp tank. What are the paras people are keeping them in? Would you advise I do a drip acclimatisation? Is there any temperature-range I should specifically aim for in the inside tank? Should I keep the water a tad salty?

Edited June 30, 2016 by Cryptocorynus

[jayc]

I'm no expert on crabs, but the same advice can be given be it crabs, fish or shrimp ....

"always ask the supplier what water parameters they have in their tank."

 

If that person is nice enough to replace them, I'm sure he/she would want you to succeed, and would help by giving you water parameters and tips.

 

 

Edited June 30, 2016 by jayc

[KeenShrimp]

@waffle has 2 types of FW crabs in his tanks now and his seem to be really happy- I would recommend chatting to him as I know one of his types is the same as yours...?

[waffle]

Quick post now, longer one later, have like 5 mins haha

My Amarinus Laevis live happily in a Fluval Spec 5 tank. It's massively over-filtered (biologically with aLift sponge and tons of seachem matrix in the built-in filter compartment, very high flow rate) with coarse mechanical filtering as well. P.h. ~7.5. TDS ~300-350 (although I am gradually lowering it). Haven't taken gh/kh reading recently but the water is pretty hard. Tank is planted to the max with moss, java fern, subwassertang, and a chaotic anubias that has spread it's roots all around a goldvine driftwood in the centre. Also plenty of cholla wood and alder cones. No Co2, no ferts, Up Aqua Shrimp soil that has lost buffering capability. Temp ~25-26C.

Foodwise: Sinking blackworm pellets (1 per crab every 2-3 days) are their fave. They share barley straw, soy hulls, algae wafers (LFS special brew), kale powder, mulberry leaves, boss baby powder, etc, with the shrimp. Tank is FULL of biofilm and I leave plenty of algae growth. They sift through soil eating stuff, occasionally breaking apart the soil pellets for minerals, and eat ramshorn snails too (sparingly). 

On the advice of the guy I bought from, I just temperature acclimatised with no fatalities. 

As an experiment I put them in an unheated tank where I keep choc cherries and they did fine! 

They actually seem really tough so I think maybe it could be some kind of chemical they're sensitive to in your tank? Got any more info about the tank they died in? 

[waffle]

To be honest I'd say if you keep cherry shrimp alive in a tank these guys should survive fine because they are at -least- as tough as cherry shrimp - if they don't then there's something weird going on. 

[Vadnappa]

They are very tough, however your not the first person I've heard of who has lost them in transit. Seems the males are particularly sensitive from what I've heard

[zn30]

No expert however ask your friend for his parameters before shipping and test the water when you get them home and compare your tank parameters and do as you do with your shrimp.

When I got my CRS home, not crabs sorry, I tested the water it was close to liquid rock so I had to slowly acclimatise them to my tank before introducing them, lost 7 out of 20, mainly the smaller ones.  The others have all survived and have produced their first shrimplets and on to their second lot. 

Good luck!