Horseshoe crabs?

wiggie89 · 05/08/2007, 06:56 PM

I just out two quarter sized ones in my tank they just burried thereselfs in the sand. What do they eat?

DaveG99 · 05/08/2007, 07:00 PM

Your going to need a 2000 gallon tank to keep them happy. They need a lot of sand to live in. I am not sure what they eat but I dont think they are reef safe.

Roy G. Biv · 05/08/2007, 07:08 PM

I bought some a long time ago, they burried themsrlves then never saw them again!!!

kingfisher62 · 05/08/2007, 08:10 PM

My friend had one for a while and his ate any type of meaty food even flakefood. he said his would actually swim to the surface upside down to eat the flakefood.

FLReefGirl · 05/08/2007, 08:52 PM

I had one for a while. They are great for keeping your substrate turned over. Mine also ate flake and frozen food and did the upside down swim to the top for more. Funny, even funnier when he got caught in the current of a PH.

I was told by the LFS that they burrow for food too, pods I guess. You need a lot of open sand bed for them and deep enough for them to burry themselves to rest. They scurry around the sand all day long. I brought mine back because I didn't have enough open space on the floor of the tank. He kept banging into rock and/or getting stuck. I felt bad for him.

alan214 · 05/08/2007, 09:06 PM

They're comparable to sand-sifting stars in that you seldom see them and they usually starve to death within a year. They're fun to watch for a little while but don't get too attached.

1F2FRFBF · 05/08/2007, 09:06 PM

We used to see horseshoe crabs down by the bayfront here. They do get quite large, like a foot or better, not counting the tail.

wiggie89 · 05/09/2007, 11:12 AM

yea but they where so funny i had to get them and they run around in the sand and bump into the side. they seem pretty happy ill feed em everything i got they should like somthing

Travis L. Stevens · 05/09/2007, 11:54 AM

They're omnivores that feed on annelid worms and molluscs, but don't turn their nose up on a free meal they can scavenge off of. But they are not well suited for captive environments, even large tanks. These guys grow quickly and up to 20 inches in length. They are also VERY strong, can burrow, and cause avalanches from burrowing and pushing rocks. Lots of things can be harmed in their innocent search for food. They eat a large enough portion of food, that they often leave tanks rather desolate of fauna.

Randall_James · 05/11/2007, 02:40 PM

They are not even really crabs, closer relation to spiders... (medically significant animals btw, google horseshoe crab blood)

Scoobydude825 · 05/11/2007, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Travis L. Stevens
They're omnivores that feed on annelid worms and molluscs, but don't turn their nose up on a free meal they can scavenge off of. But they are not well suited for captive environments, even large tanks. These guys grow quickly and up to 20 inches in length. They are also VERY strong, can burrow, and cause avalanches from burrowing and pushing rocks. Lots of things can be harmed in their innocent search for food. They eat a large enough portion of food, that they often leave tanks rather desolate of fauna.

Just thought I would mention that if they do cause an avalanche there is a chance that it could shatter the glass on the aquarium. It happened to a friend of mine.

pledosophy · 05/12/2007, 01:20 AM

I kept one for about 6 months in an 18g. I was feeding the tank 10 live ghost shrimp and a pinch of flake food daily. Crab did fine and grew like crazy.

He would go MIA for awhile, usually after molting. First time he molted I thought it was dead since I removed the shell thinking it was the animal, freaked me out when I saw something moving under my sand a month later. Ah the joys of a newb.

Mine grew about an nch a month while I had him. Has he got larger he would often knock over rocks, corals, and remove powerheads from the glass.

If I had a huge tank I'd like to ahve one again, but it wold really have to be a very very large tank. They get about the size of a dinner plate.

HTH

DamnDamsel · 05/12/2007, 05:12 AM

For the most part anything that burrows in teh sand is eating everything that lives in your sand. I assume if your sand is deep enough for them to burrow in you are running a DSB and need all those little critters that the horseshoe is eating.

wiggie89 · 05/12/2007, 06:01 AM

Well i do have a pretty decent sand bed but my trick is i dont care anout it because its only for looks I have a 12" deep sand bed in my refug that is there for all my filtering purposes

05/08/2007, 06:56 PM	#1
wiggie89 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Conneticut Posts: 205	Horseshoe crabs? I just out two quarter sized ones in my tank they just burried thereselfs in the sand. What do they eat?

05/08/2007, 08:10 PM	#4
kingfisher62 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: massachusetts Posts: 4,972	My friend had one for a while and his ate any type of meaty food even flakefood. he said his would actually swim to the surface upside down to eat the flakefood. __________________ 55g Tank - 216W T5's Foxface, tomato clown, yellow tailed damsel, Starrie Blennie, LPS and softies 29G Biocube- 120W LED's 2 percular clown, Six line Wrasse , LPS and softies Current Tank Info: 55 gl. Reef tank ,29g biocube Reef

05/08/2007, 09:06 PM	#6
alan214 Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: The Colony, TX Posts: 1,258	They're comparable to sand-sifting stars in that you seldom see them and they usually starve to death within a year. They're fun to watch for a little while but don't get too attached. __________________ I live really close to the airport. The other day I was walking across the living room and the stewardess told me to take my seat. Current Tank Info: 73G FOWLR

05/09/2007, 11:54 AM	#9
Travis L. Stevens Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perry, OK Posts: 13,946	They're omnivores that feed on annelid worms and molluscs, but don't turn their nose up on a free meal they can scavenge off of. But they are not well suited for captive environments, even large tanks. These guys grow quickly and up to 20 inches in length. They are also VERY strong, can burrow, and cause avalanches from burrowing and pushing rocks. Lots of things can be harmed in their innocent search for food. They eat a large enough portion of food, that they often leave tanks rather desolate of fauna. __________________ Travis Stevens Current Tank Info: Restarting 28g Bowfront

05/11/2007, 02:40 PM	#10
Randall_James Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,727	They are not even really crabs, closer relation to spiders... (medically significant animals btw, google horseshoe crab blood) __________________ "It's a dog eat dog world and I feel like I am wearing milkbone underwear"

05/08/2007, 07:00 PM	#2
DaveG99 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Forney Texas Posts: 1,597	Your going to need a 2000 gallon tank to keep them happy. They need a lot of sand to live in. I am not sure what they eat but I dont think they are reef safe.

05/08/2007, 07:08 PM	#3
Roy G. Biv Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 3,646	I bought some a long time ago, they burried themsrlves then never saw them again!!!

05/08/2007, 08:52 PM	#5
FLReefGirl Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Lake Mary, FL Posts: 514	I had one for a while. They are great for keeping your substrate turned over. Mine also ate flake and frozen food and did the upside down swim to the top for more. Funny, even funnier when he got caught in the current of a PH. I was told by the LFS that they burrow for food too, pods I guess. You need a lot of open sand bed for them and deep enough for them to burry themselves to rest. They scurry around the sand all day long. I brought mine back because I didn't have enough open space on the floor of the tank. He kept banging into rock and/or getting stuck. I felt bad for him.

05/08/2007, 09:06 PM	#7
1F2FRFBF Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Jersey Shore Posts: 456	We used to see horseshoe crabs down by the bayfront here. They do get quite large, like a foot or better, not counting the tail.

05/09/2007, 11:12 AM	#8
wiggie89 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Conneticut Posts: 205	yea but they where so funny i had to get them and they run around in the sand and bump into the side. they seem pretty happy ill feed em everything i got they should like somthing

05/12/2007, 01:20 AM	#12
pledosophy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Beaverton Posts: 5,290	I kept one for about 6 months in an 18g. I was feeding the tank 10 live ghost shrimp and a pinch of flake food daily. Crab did fine and grew like crazy. He would go MIA for awhile, usually after molting. First time he molted I thought it was dead since I removed the shell thinking it was the animal, freaked me out when I saw something moving under my sand a month later. Ah the joys of a newb. Mine grew about an nch a month while I had him. Has he got larger he would often knock over rocks, corals, and remove powerheads from the glass. If I had a huge tank I'd like to ahve one again, but it wold really have to be a very very large tank. They get about the size of a dinner plate. HTH __________________ 120g mixed reef 90g QT

05/12/2007, 05:12 AM	#13
DamnDamsel Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: New York Posts: 176	For the most part anything that burrows in teh sand is eating everything that lives in your sand. I assume if your sand is deep enough for them to burrow in you are running a DSB and need all those little critters that the horseshoe is eating.

05/12/2007, 06:01 AM	#14
wiggie89 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Conneticut Posts: 205	Well i do have a pretty decent sand bed but my trick is i dont care anout it because its only for looks I have a 12" deep sand bed in my refug that is there for all my filtering purposes