[mepling]

Hey. I just bought a fiddler crab for my tropical tank. The store I got it from kept them in a tank where they were under the water all the time. Then I look it up and I read that you have to have some land for them to get out once in a while. How can the pet shop do this without killing them? And would a floating island be good enough if the crab can get on to it?

 

[DKRST]

Speaking as a biologist and not a fiddler-crab keeper, pet shops do lot of things that work, but may work well only on a short-term basis. Example: Some turtles need to be able to dry out periodically (bask), but stores often don't provide a basking area. Why? The turtles simple don't stay in the store long enough for it to be a problem.

We need more information. Is this a freshwater or saltwater tank? You said "tropical", which doesn't tell us much! If you have the traditional salt-water fiddler crab, remember they are under water a couple of times a day as the tide goes in-out.

In your case, the crab will likely be ok 100% under water (physiologically anyway), but may (depending on the species), do better and behave more normally if there is some land. Some crabs burrow, so if you can manage it and this is a crab species that burrows, making a species-only tank could be your best bet. You could silicone in a divider and have a sandy area available. Try the floating island and see what the crab does. I'm sure someone else here can give you more info.

 

[mepling]

Yes, this is a fresh water tank. I have one male Betta, three Zebra Danios, a handful of Ramshorn snails and some spiral type snails. It is a 10 gallon.

 

[Mikaila31]

Fiddler crabs are not recommended with fish as they may eat them. If it is a true fiddler crab it will need land as well as a source of brackish water for it. They are not freshwater crabs. They are usually sold as freshwater but being kept in a fully aquatic freshwater tank they will not last more then a couple months.