can a horshoe crab swim??

[ryaneisenhart]

Hi all,

So i bought a horshoe crab last saturday(about an inch and a half big) and he has been doing fine in the tank. He likes to dig his shell in sand and hide, the normal stuff from them. However, I come home from work today and he's swimming at the top upside down. He's basically propelling his legs and body together in a motion that allows him to swim. For the past two hours, hes just kind of been swimming around the tank upside down from the bottom to the top. Is there something wrong with him or is this just something I didnt know they could do??? I find it strange that he hasn't done this for the first 4 days I've had him, and now he is doing it all night.

Any help would be great! Thanks!!!

 

[KingDiamond]

Usually, horseshoe crabs swim upside down. Just looking at the behavior, I would say it is probably fine. The horeshoe crabs I have will stay buried in the gravel for days (even weeks). One day you will wake up and it will be swimming around again, only to dissappear for another extended period of time.

Brad

 

[ryaneisenhart]

Ok sounds good. at least i dont have too much to worry about then. Thanks!

 

[billsreef]

When they are small they can and sometimes do swim like you've seen. When they start getting big they get to heavy to swim.

 

[TheFishGuyLLC]

I have one that likes to surf. Comes out of the sand and swims up to the circ pump and floats around with the current. When he lands he'll swim up and do it again. This will go on for about 10 minutes or so then he'll bury himself up.

 

[lancer99]

Have any of you kept a horseshoe crab long-term, for more than six months?

-R

 

[KingDiamond]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11784778#post11784778 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lancer99
Have any of you kept a horseshoe crab long-term, for more than six months?

-R

18 months.

Brad

 

[warriorss08]

do you guys feed your crabs anything, and what do they eat?

 

[GoingPostal]

I was always under the impression our tanks had too much flow for them and it's not a natural behavior that they float around like that.

 

[KingDiamond]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11785991#post11785991 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by warriorss08
do you guys feed your crabs anything, and what do they eat?

large and small krill along with cut up pieces of smelt. Mainly they eat what the fish don't.

Brad

 

[billsreef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11786462#post11786462 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GoingPostal
I was always under the impression our tanks had too much flow for them and it's not a natural behavior that they float around like that.

The juveniles that you see for sale in the LFS are typically found in creeks, calm bays and lagoons. However, even in that setting you occasionally find one swimming. When they get large, and yes they get quite large, they move into more open waters such as large open bays and even the open ocean. Keep in mine, these animals get well over a foot in size (not counting the telson). A bit too large for the average home aquarium.