reefer buddy
New member
Hey I bought a horseshoe crab and put it in my tank. When I put him in he was all over the place, It has been two days and I have not seen him or the sand bed moving. Should I worry?
Horseshoe crab
- Thread starter reefer buddy
- Start date
Bobtail1075
Member
Mine stayed hidden for weeks.... then all the sudden he would be out swimming. He should be OK.
Jacwil
New member
Do you still have yours? How long did/have you had it for?
reefer buddy
New member
My tank is 48"x18"x24" 90 gal with LR and a sand bed. I have 2 clowns a Yellow Tang, chromies, a dottyback and a blue damsel. I also have riccordia, a 3 head duncan, a few feather dusters and green mouth torch. There are snails and hermit crabs also. My NO2,NH3/NH4,and NO3 are all zero temp77-78
Eastamherstbias
New member
I thought they hide a lot and come out at night. They like to bury.
Bobtail1075
Member
I had it for about two years. Most of the time I only knew he was alive because he would molt every few months. I love horseshoe crabs.
mr86mister
Saltaholic
Horseshoe crabs are notorious for disappearing for months at a time. They seem to only become active when there is little to eat so they are are all over looking for food. Give it some time and keep an eye out about an hour after the lights go off and some time before the lights go on. HTH!
fdonophan
Franimal
I have a fairly small one that disappears for days, even a week or two, then he's back out flopping around. Interesting, but not the smartest creatures. Mine gets blown all over by the powerheads when he does come out, and has a dent in his "helmet" from a rockslide, but he keeps trucking along.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
haven't horseshoe crabs survived unchanged for like millions of years?
haven't horseshoe crabs survived unchanged for like millions of years?
I never see them on reefs. I see them on Atlantic seaboard beaches.
Stop calling the crabs interesting but not the smartest of creatures.
haven't horseshoe crabs survived unchanged for like millions of years?
I never see them on reefs. I see them on Atlantic seaboard beaches.
Stop calling the crabs interesting but not the smartest of creatures.
DEEP BLUE SIX
New member
Common name was originally Horsefoot crabs, then changed name to Horseshoe crabs. But actually not a true crab at all. They are aquatic Anthropods and more closer related to creatures like spiders and scorpions.
But are harmless of course.
I watched an interesting program on television a couple years ago all about them and scientific studies with them. It followed a group of special researchers that have their own labs connected to the "project". Every year during the spawning time they harvest several hundred of them and keep them in large pools in the labs. Then they are returned to the spawning areas before the summer is over. Their blood which is blue in color (very rich in copper base) is harvested for medical properties in many projects for pharmaceuticals and research is done on their life cycle & reproductive behavior. Where samples are taken for artificial fertilization and growing. Some scientists are also concerned about some decline in some areas where it is an important food to some rare sea birds. So, research is done on them reproducing.
They can be kept in aquariums with decent success. But not very good for Reef aquariums in most cases. A species or other non coral invertebrate tank is best for them. Some fish can be kept with them as well. They are an eastern-Atlantic seaboard animal form Maine to Florida. With major populations off Delaware and New Jersey. Some in the gulf of Mexico and a couple rare related species in the Caribbean & Japan(the only 2 in the pacific located around Japanese waters)
But are harmless of course.
I watched an interesting program on television a couple years ago all about them and scientific studies with them. It followed a group of special researchers that have their own labs connected to the "project". Every year during the spawning time they harvest several hundred of them and keep them in large pools in the labs. Then they are returned to the spawning areas before the summer is over. Their blood which is blue in color (very rich in copper base) is harvested for medical properties in many projects for pharmaceuticals and research is done on their life cycle & reproductive behavior. Where samples are taken for artificial fertilization and growing. Some scientists are also concerned about some decline in some areas where it is an important food to some rare sea birds. So, research is done on them reproducing.
They can be kept in aquariums with decent success. But not very good for Reef aquariums in most cases. A species or other non coral invertebrate tank is best for them. Some fish can be kept with them as well. They are an eastern-Atlantic seaboard animal form Maine to Florida. With major populations off Delaware and New Jersey. Some in the gulf of Mexico and a couple rare related species in the Caribbean & Japan(the only 2 in the pacific located around Japanese waters)
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
many public aquariums display these guys
many public aquariums display these guys
a large area of sandy substrate would seem to be best for them.
I've seen them on some pretty nasty looking beaches so I would have to think they're extremely tolerant of poor conditions.
many public aquariums display these guys
a large area of sandy substrate would seem to be best for them.
I've seen them on some pretty nasty looking beaches so I would have to think they're extremely tolerant of poor conditions.
cardiffgiant
Active member
I remember reading that they can get pretty big in captivity and can run the risk of knocking LR over. They are fun to watch.
DEEP BLUE SIX
New member
One of the main reasons "why" they are not good for reef tanks. Risk in things getting pushed around, tumbled.
They are easy to keep in the right tank.
The guys on the tv program I watched were pulling out garbage can lid sized Horseshoe crabs from the water for the study! They can get really big!
reefer buddy
New member
He was out today, and doing well. Thanks all
