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FAQs about Horseshoe Crabs, Selection
Related FAQs: Horseshoe Crabs 1, Horseshoe
Crabs 2, & FAQs on: Horseshoe Crab ID,
Horseshoe Crab Behavior, Horseshoe Crab
Compatibility, Horseshoe Crab Systems,
Horseshoe Crab Feeding, Horseshoe Crab
Disease, Horseshoe Crab Reproduction,
& Crustaceans 1,
Micro-Crustaceans, Amphipods,
Copepods, Mysids,
Hermit Crabs,
Shrimps,
Cleaner Shrimps,
Banded Coral Shrimp,
Mantis Shrimp,
Anemone Eating Shrimp, Related
Articles: Horseshoe Crabs: Latter Day
Trilobites for Some Systems &
Crustaceans, Micro-Crustaceans,
Amphipods, Copepods,
Mysids, Isopods,
Shrimps,
Coral Banded Shrimp,
Cleaner Shrimp, P. holthuisi Pix,
Mantis "Shrimp",
Lobsters,
Slipper Lobsters,
Hermit Crabs, Squat Lobsters,
Crabs,
Arthropods, Pycnogonids (Sea Spiders), | 
About the only thing not likely eaten
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Horseshoe crab, leave at the beach 8/9/09
Hello,
<Hi>
I have questions because of a very stupid situation, as probably
evidenced by the title, that I need to resolve.
<Ok>
Recently my family brought home a live horseshoe crab this past Friday
(along with about a dozen horseshoe crabs which died upon the touch of
chlorinated water-- the horseshoe crab I managed to get some spring
water for which I added salt).
<They are very sensitive to water chemistry, unless the salt levels are
at the appropriate level, 35PPM, pH, and composition (marine salt not
table salt) then they will quickly die.>
He is literally surviving in a clear plastic storage tub over this
weekend, and we attempted to dump some sardine in there and now a piece
of chicken, as well as one of the dead hermit crabs.
<I would not try to feed him, more likely to just foul the water.>
There is no sand of which to speak and I have changed the water twice
since then. We are hoping to get him back to the beach today but we are
wondering if we will end up shocking the crab, as many marine animals
get easily shocked by temperature changes.
<Getting him back to the beach is his best and probably only chance, a
difficult species to keep even or dedicated hobbyists.>
I've put the crab out on the fire escape in the hope that the water will
more closely match the outside (I realize this is unrealistic but I
still feel it's better than my guesswork).
<Temperature is probably the least of his concerns to be honest.>
Since I am assuming he ate neither the sardine or the chicken, we are
also wondering how long he can go without food, and have we
inadvertently debilitated him too long to survive upon his return.
<He can go several days at least without food, best to just get him back
to the ocean as quickly as possible.>
Regards,
Joseph
<Chris>
Re: Horseshoe crab, 8/10/09
Thank you very much for your advice. He was returned today, and very
quickly burrowed himself into the sand of the wet shore, which I assume
means he is healthy enough to recover speedily.
<A good sign.>
<Chris>
Horseshoe crab 7/4/08
This is for Bob Fenner, or if Bob is
not there, then hello to whomever is helping me today. I have had my
horseshoe crab, "Dozer", short for bull dozer, for several years
now. He is getting kinda big for my 55 gallon salt water aquarium.
He is about 4 inches wide. I only have one rock and some barnacle
shells in the bottom. The bottom is mostly sand. I have been
thinking about letting him go in the wild where I have seen several
adult horseshoe crabs. Is this a good idea?
<Mmm, no>
The
last time I returned a fish to my LFS it died there so I don't want
dozer to have the same fate. I figure he would have a better chance
in the wild. What do you think?
<That in all (not just the
majority) cases, returning any life to the wild is a poor idea>
Secondly, I am wondering what is the best creature to get to stir up
my sand substrate?
I have three percula clown fish, two of them
are breeding. I have two light blue damsel fish, a cleaner shrimp, a
Brownbarred / Banded Goby, a small crab not sure what type, and some
feather dusters.
Thank you, and I look forward to your response.
Kathy
<Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/maintenance/index.htm
the third
tray down. Bob Fenner>
Nature is like a spider web - if you pull
on one string, you affect everything else in it
P Please consider
the environment before printing this e-mail
<Good spiels... I'd
add, "think about the environment before you reproduce">
Re: horseshoe crab 7/4/08
Ok, I am wondering then what
can I do with dozer, he is disturbing my clownfish, knocking
everything over in the tank. I, like many other people, was told
that dozer would only grow to a certain size and then stop growing
(probably they meant that he would just die, but did not want to
tell me that).
<Mmm, yes... a fallacy that seems to be
perpetuated forever>
Now the poor guy is stuck in a 55 gallon
tank, and I am sure that he is going to shed again soon, and that is
when the real trouble will begin. Should I find a LFS that will take
him, I know of one about an hour away that has some very big tanks.
I am sure that he would be happy for awhile there, if they feed him.
<Yes... Craigslist as well is worth listing this animal in>
I
donated one horseshoe crab that got large, like this one, to the
Miami sea aquarium. But they kept him in the same size tank and used
him for educating children about sealife. Does not sound like the
kind of life I want for this guy.
<Alternatives?>
I realize
now that buying a horseshoe crab was a mistake, but I need to find a
better place for dozer and need advice on what is the best thing to
do for Dozer.
Thank you for your help.
Kathy
<Thank you for
sharing. It's not just/only non-indigenous species that I and others
are and should be concerned with... even returning native species to
environments they hail from entails risks... principally of
introduction of pathogens, vectors. Bob Fenner>
Re: horseshoe crab
7/4/08
Well we
will see, I have posted Dozer on Craig's list, I have no idea if
anyone serious will be interested, so we will see. I will only give
him to someone who has a large established tank, and who knows how
to care for him.
<Good>
If I don't get anyone interested I
will take my chances and try to find a suitable place in the wild
for him
<Please... don't do this... see my prev. email>
as I
think that would be better than being cooped up and starving in a
small tank. If I did not have any fish I would keep him, but I am
afraid that he will eat my fish one day. He eats my snails that I
get to control the algae, so I don't buy them anymore.
He is just
too big for me to keep. I certainly will not get another, even
though I love to watch him and find the species very interesting.
Kathy
<Ah yes. B> |
Horseshoe Crab selection, systems 1/17/06
Ok, first off I have to say I did not do an extensive amount
of research on horseshoe crabs before I bought one (and now I regret
that very much). I went to one site that said they were easy to keep and
ate matter in the substrate. With this lazy-man information I went to
my local fish store and picked one up. In my obsession with my new
horseshoe crab I decided to do more research and came upon this site
(which I might add is very helpful). I feel really bad for my horseshoe
crab, I fear he will starve.
<Most do>
I have only a 55 gallon
tank, and about half the sand bed is covered with rock. The temp is
usually kept at 78 degrees Fahrenheit, I'm aiming to lower it (would
75-76 degrees be good or still too warm?).
<If this is a/the
(typical) coldwater species, (the Atlantic U.S....) yes>
His tank
mates are one scooter blenny, one royal Gramma, two peppermint shrimp,
one emerald crab, and about a dozen types of snails and maybe ten
scarlet reef hermits. As I now see I believe I cannot support one of
these creatures with my sand bed alone like the site said (oh yeah, my
sand is sugar fine and about 2"-3" deep, as of now the horseshoe crab is
about 1.5" across and .5" tall) I'm also worried about his health in
the present, let alone starvation in the future. When I first
introduced him he had trouble getting under the sand, he would go in
half way, and then come out again.
<Good description>
He was
also very clumsy, crashing into walls and the rock and sometimes flips
himself over. I woke up this morning, watched him a bit, and he was
finally able to get under the sand, but he's not moving, I can see the
lump where he is and he hasn't moved for about 2 hours. Is this normal?
<Do have periods of long senescence>
Any way, if he does survive
*fingers crossed*, is there a way I can possibly feed him manually by
putting food under his shell?
<Can be tried>
Any other
suggestions on feeding are welcome, and what can I feed him to
supplement his diet of worms other things in the sand that will be
healthy? Thanks for your help!
<What little I know re the captive
husbandry of these ancient arthropods is posted on WWM. Bob Fenner>
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