Horseshoe crab

CrazySaltwater Lady

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
May 29, 2017
Messages
29
Reaction score
3
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
im looking to possibly buy a horseshoe crab but would like to know the pros and cons and what are they really for? Thanks
 

Shep

Acan Connoisseur
View Badges
Joined
Aug 27, 2014
Messages
6,864
Reaction score
7,171
Location
Maryland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Short answer is, don't get one. Long answer is that they require enormous tanks, can be very destructive in tank (knocking things over and such), will almost always out grow your tank and can be somewhat troublesome to feed. They are best left in nature
 
OP
OP
CrazySaltwater Lady

CrazySaltwater Lady

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
May 29, 2017
Messages
29
Reaction score
3
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Short answer is, don't get one. Long answer is that they require enormous tanks, can be very destructive in tank (knocking things over and such), will almost always out grow your tank and can be somewhat troublesome to feed. They are best left in nature
Excellent thanks for the info .....ill leave him where he is then he just looked cool ...oh well
 

Shep

Acan Connoisseur
View Badges
Joined
Aug 27, 2014
Messages
6,864
Reaction score
7,171
Location
Maryland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Excellent thanks for the info .....ill leave him where he is then he just looked cool ...oh well
haha that can the hardest part of this hobby sometimes! There are so many amazing looking fish/corals/inverts but some of them just do not do well in our tanks and are best left in nature. You were smart to do research first!
 
OP
OP
CrazySaltwater Lady

CrazySaltwater Lady

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
May 29, 2017
Messages
29
Reaction score
3
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I
haha that can the hardest part of this hobby sometimes! There are so many amazing looking fish/corals/inverts but some of them just do not do well in our tanks and are best left in nature. You were smart to do research first!
I try my very best to research and read about anything I want but could not really find anything on them ....I appreciate it very much
 

Fishhands

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 24, 2017
Messages
267
Reaction score
209
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I had one that did great. It was a tall tank not a long one. It ate crap and leftovers like most inverts. They like to bury themselves and stir the sand. Also love to float/swim in the water column. Up and down loops and twirls. Probably would do great in a low flow seahorse tank for a few yrs. They do get big though.
 

Tautog

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 23, 2016
Messages
1,707
Reaction score
1,614
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have them, their slow growers, shed like most crabs, eat small stuff in the sand bed. It's very cool to have a living dinosaur in your DT, but I've heard their protected by federal law, but see Vendors like LA selling them. I've collected small ones, 2-4 inch in diameter, and their survival rate is great.
Just a very cool, active crab, doesn't hurt or bother my corals, but will plow over or push corals in the sand bed. You need to " fence in " corals with larger shells, rocks, or racks to prevent them from plowing. I've had mine for over a year, and they have been around for millions of years, just another good reason to keep one!
 

taf78944

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 26, 2017
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I just bought one of these. I have to admit, it was kind of an impulse buy. They just look so cool it was hard to pass up, i may end up giving him away to someone with a more suitable tank. I have too much live rock for it, it's like watching a bumper car.
 

Tautog

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 23, 2016
Messages
1,707
Reaction score
1,614
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I just bought one of these. I have to admit, it was kind of an impulse buy. They just look so cool it was hard to pass up, i may end up giving him away to someone with a more suitable tank. I have too much live rock for it, it's like watching a bumper car.
Don't give him, or her away! Wait till you see them swim! Upside-down! And it's the only living Dinosaur you can get!
 

chipmunkofdoom2

Always Making Something
View Badges
Joined
Jun 6, 2017
Messages
2,417
Reaction score
4,498
Location
Baltimore, MD
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I take care of our horseshoe crabs at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. The care is relatively straightforward. We basically give them good water quality and target feed them makrel and shrimp. They really don't need anything else. The only trouble is they plow through things. The Living Seashore touch pool has no rockwork whatsoever. We also keep the water around 67*, which would be troubling for reef conditions. We also keep them in salinity slightly lower than reef ranges, usually around 31ppt. They actually do best between 20ppt and 30ppt, but we keep the salinity slightly higher than 30ppt for the sake of the rays, skates and whelks. If you can afford the space and can provide a colder water environment, they are really cool animals.

Our main touch pool is about 3,600 gallons total:

IMG_20170611_084007.jpg

IMG_20170611_082231.jpg
 

Shep

Acan Connoisseur
View Badges
Joined
Aug 27, 2014
Messages
6,864
Reaction score
7,171
Location
Maryland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I take care of our horseshoe crabs at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. The care is relatively straightforward. We basically give them good water quality and target feed them makrel and shrimp. They really don't need anything else. The only trouble is they plow through things. The Living Seashore touch pool has no rockwork whatsoever. We also keep the water around 67*, which would be troubling for reef conditions. We also keep them in salinity slightly lower than reef ranges, usually around 31ppt. They actually do best between 20ppt and 30ppt, but we keep the salinity slightly higher than 30ppt for the sake of the rays, skates and whelks. If you can afford the space and can provide a colder water environment, they are really cool animals.

Our main touch pool is about 3,600 gallons total:

IMG_20170611_084007.jpg

IMG_20170611_082231.jpg
Love the National Aquarium, one of the best parts of living in Baltimore!
 

Tautog

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 23, 2016
Messages
1,707
Reaction score
1,614
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have them in my reef tank and my cold water local tank, they do fine in both The local tank has no heat or skimmer, and temperatures range from 55 - 80 degrees
 

Mrsrich

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 28, 2021
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Location
Orting
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I take care of our horseshoe crabs at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. The care is relatively straightforward. We basically give them good water quality and target feed them makrel and shrimp. They really don't need anything else. The only trouble is they plow through things. The Living Seashore touch pool has no rockwork whatsoever. We also keep the water around 67*, which would be troubling for reef conditions. We also keep them in salinity slightly lower than reef ranges, usually around 31ppt. They actually do best between 20ppt and 30ppt, but we keep the salinity slightly higher than 30ppt for the sake of the rays, skates and whelks. If you can afford the space and can provide a colder water environment, they are really cool animals.

Our main touch pool is about 3,600 gallons total:

IMG_20170611_084007.jpg

IMG_20170611_082231.jpg
I have a horseshoe for several months now. His tail tip got broke at some point, and I'm worried about it . What would you recommend to treat?

20210430_113242.jpg
 

Going off the ledge: Would you be interested in a drop off aquarium?

  • I currently have a drop off style aquarium

    Votes: 2 1.1%
  • I don’t currently have a drop off style aquarium, but I have in the past.

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • I haven’t had a drop off style aquarium, but I plan to in the future.

    Votes: 26 14.7%
  • I am interested in a drop off style aquarium, but have no plans to add one in the future.

    Votes: 87 49.2%
  • I am not interested in a drop off style aquarium.

    Votes: 54 30.5%
  • Other.

    Votes: 5 2.8%
Back
Top