Is it safe to collect crabs from the beach?

[LuckyPhil]

Hi guys,
I'm fortunate enough to live close to a beach (not the greatest beach) and there are some rocky areas with plenty of small crabs.
Do you think collecting will pose any threats? (parasites and diseases)
If it is safe then it will make for a fun family activity to catch food for Wreck-It Ralph

Thanks guys

 

[Tommy's Reef]

Yeah pick one up and you will see parasites crawling on them. Same thing with star fish on the beach.

 

[LuckyPhil]

How about dipping the crabs in coral rx or revive?
I know i know its all at my own risk but do you think it is anything severe that would kill the mantis shrimp?

 

[cracker]

I think Ralph would love a small crab or 2 from the beach. I suppose there is a chance of disease but minimal .Where does food you feed wreck it come from? the article below talks about shell rot as the main disease.
http://www.aquariumwelfare.org/crustaceans2.html

 

[Gareth elliott]

The crabs you see on the beach are usually ghost or fiddler crabs. Both require different setup, intertidal, where the tide regularly increases and decreases exposing more beach with deposited detritus for them to feed on.

 

[Theo15]

How about dipping the crabs in coral rx or revive?
I know i know its all at my own risk but do you think it is anything severe that would kill the mantis shrimp?

Coral dips are suppose to kill inverts and other pests on corals. Crabs are inverts you will most likely kill it if you use coral dip. I would give it a bath in low salinity water any parasites will fall off because of the change. A lot of major distributors keep their fish and other animals in lower salinity because it lowers the chance of disease. The parasite can't live in lower salinity levels.

 

[LuckyPhil]

Where does food you feed wreck it come from?

I feed it a mix of different food, mussels, ghost shrimp (that I breed) but more often bristle worms that comes from my main 5ft display tank.

the article below talks about shell rot as the main disease

Thanks I have read a lot about shell rot and it's one of the scary things about keeping this crazy cool creature

Both require different setup

My intention was to feed the crabs to Wreck-It Ralph, so it wouldn't last long

The parasite can't live in lower salinity levels.

I'll definitely consider this! May be a 5 min RO dip. Thanks!

 

[cracker]

An Ro dip sounds like a good idea. It's not like the crabs gonna be around for long any way. Phil, what time is it in melbourne? It's 9;00am here

 

[LuckyPhil]

An Ro dip sounds like a good idea. It's not like the crabs gonna be around for long any way. Phil, what time is it in melbourne? It's 9;00am here

its 12am (Friday 13th) right now.
thanks everyone for the replies

 

[cracker]

He's a day ahead of me ! LOL
Tell us about shell rot in Mantis shrimp. they are truly cool animals.

 

[LuckyPhil]

He's a day ahead of me ! LOL
Tell us about shell rot in Mantis shrimp. they are truly cool animals.

Just that I am trying to avoid it at all cost! I'm testing the parameters every 3 days to keep an eye on the PO4 and NO3.

Thanks everyone for the help, so I completed a Coral RX dip for 10 mins then a RO dip for 5 mins.
Crabs seemed perfectly fine.

 

[cracker]

Love it ! Great clip!

 

[Dan Cyr]

I had grabbed some crabs form the beach here in CT because the kids thought they were cute, got them home, dipped in RO, then chucked em in the tank. Marbled wrasse grabbed a small one as it was sinking, smashed it on the back of the tank and ate it. Come to find out, all the crabs I put in were an invasive species. What a chore that was getting them back out! :mad:

 

[samnaz]

Also be sure it’s legal to collect there. Make sure it’s not a marine protected area.

 

[TheMantisman]

It depends on your system and personal quarantine levels.