Feeding a Horseshoe crab

[William Dennis Lang]

I just got a horseshoe crab. I've been doing some reading on them and see they are scavengers who eat off of the bottom of a tank. I've also read that they can quickly eat all the food in a smaller aquarium. Is there something I can put in the tank from time to time to make sure that Mr. Horseshoe doesn't starve from eating up all of the food on the bottom of the tank? Thanks

[Original Fin]

IMO, horseshoe crabs do not make for good captive specimens as far as home aquaria goes.

How big is your tank? You do realize they get as big as dinner plates, right?

These guys really need a wide open sandy bottom, and if you're going to have any rock in the display, you'd better find some way to permanently anchor it all down. Wost case is it causes a rockfall that cracks your tank.
I don't know anything about their feeding requirements, other than it's a crab, (and a big one at that) so it will probably eat anything and everything it can catch. My biggest concern would be the destruction it will bring to your aquascape...it even looks like a bulldozer.

[leebca]

Horseshoe Crabs are not for captive marine keeping. You want to return the crab to where you acquired it and refuse to buy or acquire such creatures.

[simn22]

I just got a horseshoe crab. I've been doing some reading on them and see they are scavengers who eat off of the bottom of a tank. I've also read that they can quickly eat all the food in a smaller aquarium. Is there something I can put in the tank from time to time to make sure that Mr. Horseshoe doesn't starve from eating up all of the food on the bottom of the tank? Thanks

William,

I too have a horseshoe crab. I had a sand sifting starfish first but after that got eaten, i decided on the horseshoe crab due to its ability to move large amounts of substrate around helping to aerate the sand bed. From time to time when i see it out (only at night) i put a small piece of clam in the sand. Mine is a little larger than the size of a quarter dollar

[Original Fin]

There was just a program on PBS's Nature about horseshoe crabs...did you know that big Pharma has been milking them for their blood for years?
Another interesting note, their blood does not contain hemoglobin like ours, instead, it's copper based, so their blood is blue, and it has natural antibiotic properties because of it. I wonder if it's enough to poison a tank if bled out?

Horseshoe crab

[simn22]

yes i've also heard that horseshoe crabs are being studied for research. here in nj, they are protected too.

"The harvest of horseshoe crabs is prohibited. Possesion of horseshoe crabs is also prohibited except for those individuals holding a scientific collection permit for research and education and those fisherman that can provide suitable documentation that the horseshoe crabs in their possession were harvested outside the state of New Jersey."

[Baytib13]

Horseshoe Crabs are not for captive marine keeping. You want to return the crab to where you acquired it and refuse to buy or acquire such creatures.

Why would they want to return it? If they return it, someone else will either buy it, or it will sit in the fist store, either way. Wouldn't it be better for someone to get it that cares enough to look up what they need to flourish?

[leebca]

It is the buyer which drives the hobby. If people buy it, it is then perceived to be okay to trade. Buyers who learn that their choice is wrong, should always return the marine life with the information on why they should return it. Everyone who doesn't buy it, also sends a message. But if the person doesn't return it, the seller thinks it was an okay sale.

The acquisition of these animals should be against the law, in my opinion. The point is in fact that the tropical marine hobbyist CAN'T care for this life form properly. These crabs can't handle tropical temperatures -- they are NOT tropical marine lifeforms -- In the tropical aquarium, they are cooking!

http://www.reefland.com/forum/saltwa...tml#post235244

[William Dennis Lang]

It is the buyer which drives the hobby. If people buy it, it is then perceived to be okay to trade. Buyers who learn that their choice is wrong, should always return the marine life with the information on why they should return it. Everyone who doesn't buy it, also sends a message. But if the person doesn't return it, the seller thinks it was an okay sale.

The acquisition of these animals should be against the law, in my opinion. The point is in fact that the tropical marine hobbyist CAN'T care for this life form properly. These crabs can't handle tropical temperatures -- they are NOT tropical marine lifeforms -- In the tropical aquarium, they are cooking!

http://www.reefland.com/forum/saltwa...tml#post235244

I believe that the Pet store that I got him from won't take live animals back because of the risk of people bringing infected animals into the Pet Stores water systems. When I saw him for sale I thought if horseshoe crabs were not suppose to be sold then he wouldn't be for sale. So I didn't think anything of it. Just like when you see all the other fish for sale...thats what he was, just another pet for sale. So since they won't take him back what am I suppose to do, flush him down the toilet??? Or try to be as good to Mr. Horseshoe as possible??? Cause I don't live anywhere near a beach so I can't go set him free.

[Original Fin]

If it were me, and my LFS tried to BS me like that, I'd give em what for and never return. They should be equipped with enough quarantine systems to handle the occasional return. Besides, there aren't and communicable diseases or parasites that I know of that crabs transmit. Especially a crab with copper based blood.
HS crabs aren't protected everywhere (yet) which is why places like that will continue to sell them, as long as there are people that want to buy them.

If you feel your only option is to keep it, then I would plan on making a species tank out of it, because he's going to get big and destructive.

[leebca]

I understand the situation. I do not feel any anger towards you at all, so please don't misinterpret my posts.

Just keep him as long as you can. If you can, keep the temperature closer to 76 which is the low-end of tropical.

There are many irresponsible parties involved in the collection, export, import, and trading of these amazing creatures that have survived through to modern times, from pre-historic times. Now, if they can only manage to survive humans. . .

[William Dennis Lang]

I understand the situation. I do not feel any anger towards you at all, so please don't misinterpret my posts.

Just keep him as long as you can. If you can, keep the temperature closer to 76 which is the low-end of tropical.

There are many irresponsible parties involved in the collection, export, import, and trading of these amazing creatures that have survived through to modern times, from pre-historic times. Now, if they can only manage to survive humans. . .

Well, I promise that I'm not going to harvest his blood. I got him to be a pet & I plan on taking good care of him. I relize that they can get big because I live in walking distance to "The Georgia Aquarium" where they have an open tank where you can reach in & pet full size horseshoe crabs. That place is amazing...huge to.

[leebca]

If your local/nearby aquarium does have these, see if they can or are willing to take in a juvenile. That way you can visit it and maybe even get a chance to see it grow to a very large size.