Info on Sand Sifting Crab

[brdracing]

Just looking for more info on Sand Sifting Crabs for a Reef tank?
Brooks

 

[Tennyson]

If your talking about these:
http://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_1...ategory=4&category_search=63&root_parent_id=4

They need a deep sandbed. Other than that, thats pretty much it, they never lasted too long in my tank. They eventually died when they reached their full size which is about an inch.
They stay burried under the sandbed, and will occasionally swim around which is really fun to watch, unfortunately, doing this was the cause of one of their deaths It swam into my anemone and was eaten.

While theyre burried they will poke their heads out, and filter feed from the current, they have two feathery things that come out-also fun to watch. So I'd say you'd also need some current in the tank so it can feed.

 

[crsswift70]

Yeah, i don't think survivability is very good in a tank as they filter feed from the water column. I had one.. put it in the tank, never saw it again. At the time, i didn't have any SPS corals so i didn't feed any really small food particles. Perhaps i'll try again now that i am.

 

[brdracing]

Thanks for the info

 

[Guygettnby]

i go to the beach around here and collect them all the time. they are a very cheap food for my mantis and they help keep the sand bed stirred up. but like said above they dont last long so if you plan on buying them, dont. but if you can get them locally then go for it. just remember if they die under your sand your gonna have some nitrate problems.

 

[Tennyson]

I agree with Guygettnby. I get tons each summer at Ocean city.

 

[Airwolf75]

The ones I have don't really sift any sand anyways. They just sit there and filter feed, maybe move around a bit. They sell them like they're cleaning the sand bed or something.

 

[VacavilleFC3S]

they say the samething about nassarius snails

 

[micahdeane]

aren't those sand fleas?

 

[spw4949]

I was thinking about adding some to my refugium? They should be safe in there. Any opinions?

 

[Tennyson]

I think they would fit better in a refugium where they can't be harmed by other inhabitants.

 

[crsswift70]

Yes Micah, they are also called sand fleas.

 

[LeslieH]

Sand crabs like these do move sand around as they burrow in & out. They're cute but if you want them to clean your sand they won't. Normally they live on the beach in wave zones or subtidally in areas of strong current in order to filter out the plankton & detritus floating in the water.