How to grow crabs at home?

In small cities of Russia, more and more often people are looking for options for a simple business related to animal husbandry. Breeding crabs can be a great idea and also make a profit, but first you need to buy special equipment and get at least a little into the essence of caring for crustaceans.

We register entrepreneurship

You need to understand that illegal business activities can be disclosed at any time, for which an unlucky businessman can be forced to pay a fine. Without the presence of permits, one should not hope that it will be possible to sell crabs to large restaurants and shops. This means that there are no good deals to be seen.

The first thing to do in order to start breeding crabs at home is to register as an individual entrepreneur, preparing a passport for this and paying a state fee.

The activity relates to fish farming, so when choosing the OKVED code, you need to choose either 03.21 "Marine fish farming" or 03.22 "Freshwater fish farming".

Legal entities can also grow crabs; you do not need to obtain a license for this purpose. To start supplying products to the market, it is enough to have a certificate of compliance with quality standards from the sanitary and epidemiological station.

What are the best crabs to breed?

Growing crabs as a business will first require the acquisition of viable fry, which then simply need to be properly fed and comfortable.

It is most profitable to develop a business in terms of selling crabs for food, although some people are successfully cultivating decorative breeds, which are sold individually in pet stores and are highly valued by lovers of such "living creatures".

The most suitable for breeding Kamchatka Far Eastern crab. His limbs are sold on the market from 1,500 rubles, so the business will surely pay off quickly. When purchasing individuals, it is necessary to clarify with the breeder in what conditions the crustaceans were kept and, if possible, look at these reservoirs. This will allow you to understand if the individuals are healthy.

Growing conditions

Breeding crabs at home as a business can be carried out in a special reservoir or in a pond, if you are lucky enough to live in a region with suitable climatic conditions (for example, in the Crimea).

Residents of the northern regions have less choice, they will have to equip a pool or aquariums. Each method has its own characteristics, let's go over them in a little more detail.

Aquarium farming is suitable for people who will sell these crustaceans to stores as pets. The minimum volume of one such container is at least 50 liters, while experienced breeders advise keeping each crab separately in order to avoid their aggressive behavior and fights.

Breeding Kamchatka crab in pools is more profitable. The pool must be equipped with equipment for heating the water, devices for supplying oxygen to the water, and at the bottom, equip the crabs with a shelter.

You will need a spacious warm room that can be heated in winter: crabs do not tolerate cold and drafts. The water in the pool must be within 25-28C, and its acidity cannot exceed 9 units.

Is this a profitable business? The price of the meat of these arthropods is high: a kilogram of a Kamchatka crab knee costs about 1,300 rubles, and 1,700 rubles are asked for a kilogram of the second phalanx. If you sell a whole crab, the weight of which will be about 5 kilograms, you can gain about 10 thousand rubles.

It is very convenient to combine the breeding option in pools with the option of launching crabs into the pond. This is done in the summer, the reservoir must be well prepared beforehand. The pond should contain:

1. Moss in the water;
2. Various algae;
3. Tardigrades, rotifers, etc.;
4. Bunches of branches, stones at the bottom, driftwood.

Such demands are not accidental. Growing crabs in such conditions will avoid cannibalism, which will not lead to the loss of both crustaceans and the potential profit from their sale. And crabs will also be able to eat what is in the pond, and this will allow the entrepreneur to significantly reduce his monthly expenses for feed. For the winter, all crabs are moved back to the protected pool.

What do you need to know about the marketing process?

The growth rate of a crab will directly depend on how high-quality feed they are provided, based on the needs of crustaceans from the age of the larva to adulthood.

At the moment, the business of breeding crab in Russia is almost undeveloped, while there is demand, so there should be no problems with selling meat. You can supply crustaceans to pet stores, large chain supermarkets, restaurants and cafes, as well as to fishing shops.

If the business is put on stream and there is extra finance, it makes sense to open your own retail outlet in the local market.

The occupation is promising and promises stable profits. To organize a business, you will need a small start-up capital, specialized knowledge or skills are not needed: all information on the topic can be easily found on the Internet.

Once again, we remind you that in order to be able to freely sell the crab, you need to become an individual entrepreneur or LLC and receive documents for the products from the sanitary and epidemiological station.

How much do you need to invest and how much will you earn?

Let's calculate how much you need to invest in starting a business. It takes about 20 thousand rubles to equip a reservoir for the summer placement of crabs there, and another 100 thousand will go to buy equipment for the pool.

If you think about purchasing a RAS (closed system), the initial investment will grow by at least another 10-20 thousand dollars. The larger the scale of the business, the more serious the costs become.

It may be necessary to hire 2-3 people per staff who will monitor the water indicators. Salaries for them also need to be included in the business plan, in total, starting a business may require from 700 thousand rubles.

The market price per kilogram of crab starts at 1000 rubles and this is not the limit. The most delicious, practically low-calorie Kamchatka (king) crab costs the buyer an average of 2500 rubles. The average weight of this crustacean can reach 2 kilograms, so you can make good money with a responsible approach to business. Such a project can pay off in 1-1.5 years.

The creation of a fish farm is a complex business, but very profitable. There are few competitors, the market for the sale of products is huge, and the equipment for raising individuals is inexpensive. For example, it is worth considering how to start breeding shrimp and crabs at home and build your business on this.

Content:

• Pros and cons of business
• Paperwork
• Crustacean Species Suitable for Commercial Breeding
• Features of keeping animals
• Sales of products

Advantages and Disadvantages of an Arthropod Breeding Business

Breeding shrimp or crabs for sale is a great idea for a man to earn money at home, such a business can be profitable at a minimum cost. Its advantages include:

• great demand for products;
• lack of significant competitors;
• the possibility of entering the world market;
• uncomplicated animal care.

This case has certain drawbacks, but there are not so many of them:

• difficulties at the stage of acquiring individuals for breeding;
• difficulties in transporting crustaceans;
• lack of information on growing technology.

Shrimp and crab farmers often have to learn everything themselves to make a profit. In this case, the loss of a certain number of individuals is possible. You need to be ready for this.

This is interesting: crayfish breeding as a business. From a small home aquarium to a large crayfish farm.

It is helpful to read how to start a fish business from scratch.

The team of the World of Business website recommends that all readers take the Lazy Investor Course, in which you will learn how to put things in order in your personal finances and learn how to get passive income. No enticements, only high-quality information from a practicing investor (from real estate to cryptocurrency). The first week of training is free!

Register for a free week of training

Registration of entrepreneurship

Any business should start with state registration. If the entrepreneurial activity is not registered in the prescribed manner, it may be recognized as illegal and the entrepreneur will be fined. In addition, without documents, one should not count on the sale of large batches of finished products and the conclusion of lucrative deals.

The activity of growing crustaceans is related to fish farming. Depending on the type of water (sea or fresh) the animals will be kept in, the business registration application should indicate the code 03.21 “Marine fish farming” or 03.22 “Freshwater fish culture”. These codes are generally accepted, they are spelled out in the classifier of types of economic activities OKVED. Both individual entrepreneurs (it is useful to read how to register an individual entrepreneur independently) and legal entities (see the procedure for registering a legal entity) can engage in this trade. This does not require a license.

Note: in order to release products to the market, you need to obtain a declaration of conformity with the safety requirements of the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union (TR CU 021/2011).

What shrimps and crabs are best to breed for sale

A business like raising shrimp at home, first of all, requires the acquisition of high-quality, viable livestock. You should not buy crustaceans that are used to living in salt water. An entrepreneur is unlikely to ever be able to create ideal conditions for them.

You can develop your business in two ways: to grow individuals intended for human consumption (this is a more advantageous offer), or to breed decorative shrimps (species such as "Amano" or "Cherry" are sold by the piece).

In Russian conditions, Malaysian freshwater shrimp, which grows up to 32 cm in length, is best suited for breeding. It is unpretentious, omnivorous and fertile. As for breeding crabs, the most suitable species is the Kamchatka Far Eastern one. The cost of only his limbs starts at 1,800 rubles.

Important! When buying live crabs and shrimps for breeding, you should ask the seller about the conditions for their keeping. It is advisable that he shows the reservoirs in which they are grown. Only in this way will the future breeder be able to make sure that the individuals are healthy.

Conditions for growing crustaceans

Breeding of crabs and shrimps as a business should be carried out in special reservoirs.You can grow crustaceans for sale in the pond, but this is only in regions with ideal climatic conditions (for example, in the Crimea or Krasnodar Territory). The entrepreneurs of the northern regions have less choice; they can settle arthropods either in aquariums or in special pools.

Breeding shrimp and crabs in aquariums

Breeding crabs and shrimps in aquariums is only worth selling them as “pets”. To start a business, you need to purchase a fully equipped aquarium - separate for each individual, in order to avoid aggressive behavior of crustaceans and their attacks on each other. The desired volume of the container, taking into account the size of adult arthropods, is not less than 52 liters.

Breeding crustaceans in pools

The breeding pool should be equipped with everything you need: equipment for heating water, special shelters, for the creation of which you can use broken bricks or stones, and devices that can provide a good flow of air. It is better to install the pool indoors, since arthropods do not tolerate the cold.

Breeding individuals in the pond

In warm areas, shrimps and crabs can be put into a specially equipped pond. This is done mainly in the summer. In winter, all individuals are in the pools, which are installed in rooms protected from drafts. The following requirements are imposed on ponds: the presence of moss, algae, tardigrades, rotifers, bunches of branches, stones and snags in their water. All this can help to avoid cases of cannibalism and reduce the cost of buying artificial feed.

Note: the water in the aquarium, pool or pond must also meet a number of requirements. For example, its temperature cannot be lower than 25 and higher than 28 degrees, and its acidity cannot be less than 9 units.

Features of product sales

Since the shrimp and crab business in Russia is rather poorly developed, there should be no problems with the sale of individuals. Products can be supplied to pet stores (if arthropods are kept in an aquarium), large supermarkets, restaurants and other catering establishments, private fishing shops. It is better to open your own retail outlet when the cultivation of arthropods is put on stream.

You will have to spend from 50 to 350 thousand rubles to open a business. This is without taking into account the cost of purchasing any special expensive equipment. The more will be invested in the business, the higher the profit will be, it all depends only on the entrepreneur himself and his capabilities.

As for the market price, shrimp are sold today on average at 210-450 rubles per 1 kg, Kamchatka crabs - from 1500 to 3500 rubles for the same volume (depending on the part of the body sold). The payback period for such projects is on average 1.5-2 years.

An interesting idea in the field of domestic fish farming: carp farming as a business. Features of carp maintenance, initial investment and possible profit.

It is useful to read how to organize the breeding of sterlet at home for sale.

The business of smoking fish will bring additional income to the breeder. Everything about how to properly organize a smokehouse.

Conclusion

Growing crustaceans for sale is a promising business that promises to bring stable profits. To organize your business, you need a relatively small start-up capital. And given the current political situation in the country, now is the best time to try yourself in this matter. The general course towards import substitution, declared in Russia since 2014, involves the provision of state support to agricultural enterprises. You should read more about how to get a grant for small business development.

Crustaceans have become frequent guests in aquariums, their bright color and behavior, which is fascinating to observe, makes them very desirable inhabitants of the home underwater world.Those who breed them are often interested in how crabs breed, and what needs to be done to properly care and maintain these exotic pets.

They are kept, as a rule, in aquaterrariums, this is necessary to create conditions close to natural. Indeed, without observing a certain temperature regime and the correct arrangement of the home, it is impossible to breed crabs, especially at home.

Description of the species

Crabs are a large group of aquatic and semi-aquatic inhabitants of the deep sea, which belongs to the order of decapod crustaceans. They have a small abdomen, which is tucked under the cephalothorax - this gives their appearance a characteristic peculiar shape, as well as 10 pairs of legs

All limbs are divided into pectorals - they serve to bring food to the mouth, and abdominal, which serve to move, capture and divide prey. The largest abdominal paws are the pincers, they are intended for hunting and protection.

Very often claws come in different sizes and shapes - this gives the crab asymmetry. A striking example of this is the alluring crab.

What are the types of aquarium crabs

Freshwater crab (potamon)

Potamon is an inhabitant of freshwater reservoirs. These crabs are not very bright in appearance: the shell is blue-brown, and the head and claws can be red-brown. This species is very small in size. You can distinguish a female from a male by the size of the claws and the shape of the abdomen. Females have much smaller claws, and the body is wide and oblong, and the color is paler. In captivity, if all the necessary conditions for care were met, it lives for 4 years.

Black sea crab

Another name for the species is Dutch, the size of an adult is about 3 cm, and the body has a terracotta color (sometimes black and blue specimens are also found).

Indonesian leopard

They have an unusual color - there are brown spots on a light brown body. Crabs are impressive in size - up to 12 cm and at the same time are quite peaceful in nature.

Rainbow crab

Size up to 20 cm, back color - blue or purple, white abdomen, orange legs. The maximum life span is 8-10 years.

There are also other species, for example, the mangrove crab, it has very sharp claws and requires special care in care, as it can seriously injure.

Breeding at home

Growing crabs requires certain knowledge and the creation of special conditions. Moreover, each species of these animals has its own disposition and habitat. This means that the ability to breed in an aquarium and the conditions suitable for breeding and rearing juveniles are also different for different species.

The most suitable container for arranging a home is an aquaterrarium, because crabs need both water and land for a full life.

How to breed freshwater crabs

Such crustaceans spend most of their time on land. Therefore, the water level in the aquarium should not be higher than 12-15 cm, there should be several islands in the water - stones and driftwood are suitable for this, it is on them that the pet will be happy to rest and bask under the rays of the lamp. You can use sand or pebbles as a substrate.

Freshwater crab is not picky about the choice of food, and usually its diet consists of bloodworms, snails, small pieces of fresh meat or fish. To prevent severe water pollution with food residues and waste products, the pet should not be fed more than once every 2-3 days.

Breeding crabs that live in sea water

Crabs such as rainbow or black sea crabs need to be kept in salt water, as placing them in a freshwater aquarium can cause the death of offspring.

The sex of the crab can be determined by the shape of the underbelly, in the male it is narrow, in the female it is wider.

To maintain the required water quality, you can use natural sea salt or prepare a solution yourself, from the following components:

• Baking soda - it will raise the pH level to the required level;
• Calcium chloride - the addition of this element will make the water hard;
• Table salt - it is added at the rate of 3 g per liter.

Salinity levels are also important during molting, as crabs change their chitinous shells while in the water. Since this process requires an adaptation period from the animal, the crab should have underwater shelters in which the pet will feel comfortable.

In the autumn-winter period, it is necessary to maintain the water temperature in the aquaterrarium at 20 ° C, since it is this temperature that corresponds to the natural one.

Breeding Black Sea crabs at home is a laborious process that requires skills and effort, but by creating the necessary habitat for them, you can achieve that they will reproduce viable offspring.

Breeding crabs in home aquariums

Reproduction of crabs has several stages and occurs in seawater, a fresh or slightly salted environment will cause infection of the larvae with a fungal disease and lead to their death. After mating, the female must be transplanted into a separate tank, where there will be a sufficient number of shelters.

Crabs hatch eggs under the belly.

At the first stage, the female bears eggs under her shell, the incubation period lasts from 2 weeks to 11 months, depending on the species. One individual is capable of laying up to 300 thousand eggs. After the larvae are born, they will have to go through several molts, and only after a few months will they look like their parents.

It is very important in the process of larval development to monitor the water parameters and maintain the required temperature regime in the aquaterrarium.

Aquarium crab fry ready to leave their parent.

Young crabs spend almost all their time in search of food. During this period, it is better to use chopped tubules or worms as feed.

Since the offspring spends the first months of life in the plankton-larval stage, which requires the conditions of the marine environment, it is extremely difficult to get healthy offspring at home, but this does not in any way affect the mating behavior of adults.

Related video: "Breeding crabs"

Exotic aquarium crabs in their way of life are very different from other inhabitants of the aquatic world and require the arrangement of a separate home. It is advisable for amateurs to familiarize themselves with information on how to properly care for amazing crustaceans so that the first experiments on breeding them do not end in failure.

Vendors on the market sell different types of crustaceans, often without warning people about the nuances associated with their content. Some creatures prefer an extremely fresh environment, others are able to survive in water of varying degrees of salinity. It is best to know exactly which species your pet crab belongs to in the aquarium in order to create optimal living conditions for it.

Popular types of aquarium crabs:

1. Freshwater crabs (Potamon Potamios). This type of crustacean lives in many water bodies from the Caucasus and the Balkans to the Himalayas. His appearance is not bright, but quite nice. The back of the crab is predominantly bluish or blue in color, and the abdomen, head and claws can be of different colors. For a long time it lives on land, resting on the coastal rocks; at night, the freshwater crab seeks to hide in burrows.
2. Dutch crab (Rhithropanopeus Harrisii). Another popular name for this crustacean is the Black Sea crab. He came to us from Holland, now he can be found in the Azov region, in the Caspian Sea, in the lower reaches of the Don. These aquarium crabs are small, the body size is up to 3 cm, their back is pure black or with a bluish tint.
3. Leopard crabs (Parathelphusa Pantherina). Royal leopard crabs are brought to us from Indonesia. They cannot be confused with other individuals, they have a noticeable light beige body with brown specks.Despite its spectacular appearance and impressive dimensions (up to 12 cm with claws), this crab has a peaceful character.
4. Malawian crabs (Potomonautes Lirrangensis). In nature, they are found on the African continent in the waters of Lake Malawi. Large males grow up to 12 cm, the size of the claw is up to 7 cm. The color of the abdominal part of individuals is maroon or brown, and the back has a predominantly dark purple hue.
5. Rainbow crabs (Cardisoma armatum). The main habitat is the Indo-Pacific region. The back of the rainbow crab is bright blue or purple, and the abdomen is white. These crustaceans grow up to 20 cm. In care they are capricious and require increased attention.
6. Mangrove crabs (Pseudosesarma moeshi). These aquarium crabs live in nature in humid mangroves and reservoirs of Southeast Asia. The back is blue-red, and the legs are dark purple. The body size of individuals is up to 5 cm, but they have sharp dangerous pincers, so great care must be taken in care.

In the question of how long crabs live in an aquarium, it all depends on the qualifications of a person and his responsible attitude towards pets. In the wild, the animal is trapped by natural disasters and predators, and in captivity, only the owner of a crustacean creature can regulate the amount of food, air temperature, hardness and alkaline reaction of water. With a good approach and compliance with the rules of keeping, your inhabitants can live on average up to 3-4 years, the maximum life span of rainbow aquarium crabs is up to 10 years.

Crustacean inhabitants of fresh water bodies are animals with a complex disposition. Keeping crabs at home in a standard aquarium often ends up badly for their neighbors. These creatures try to constantly escape, damage growing aquatic plants, and dig up the soil with strong pincers. Only in a container specially equipped according to all the rules, they feel great and do not create problems for the owners.

p> It is advisable to purchase a spacious container, if you plan to have several crustacean pets, then immediately take a tank more than a meter long. A crab in a round aquarium will feel uncomfortable, there is little internal space in it, it is not easy to equip unearthly islands here. Pour water up to 15 cm high, make the soil stony, using gravel with a fraction of 5 mm or more. Suitable for soil zeolite, tuff chips, coral chips. The above-ground part is formed from large stones and driftwood. A decorative grotto made of stones or ceramics is suitable for shelter.

For advertising, sellers often contain aquarium crabs with fish in the showcase, but at home, such a neighborhood ends in failure. These omnivores are capable of eating anything they can reach with their claws. The first to suffer is the slow fish that lives near the bottom, they will mercilessly pinch it, try to constantly eat it. It is advisable to set aside a specially equipped container for the aquarium crab so that other aquatic inhabitants do not suffer from its uncontrollable appetite.

We keep the water clean, we provide high-quality aeration and filtration of the medium. We maintain acidity - 7.2-7.5pH, hardness - at least 10 GH. It is possible to reduce the level of harmful ammonia and nitrates by adding a small amount of NaCl; it is allowed to add up to 5 g of sea salt per 1 liter of liquid. This technique is necessary during the moulting period, when the crab sits in the water for a long time in the aquarium. We maintain the temperature of the medium in the range of 25-26 ° C. To prevent the escape of pets, be sure to cover the aquaterrarium with nets or a lid with small holes.

In the matter of feeding aquarium crabs, exotic lovers have no problems. These natural orderlies are unpretentious and have an excellent appetite. We place the products in the aquaterrarium directly on the above-ground islets; we try to diversify the table of our pets on occasion.They are omnivorous and able to eat both plant foods and meat dishes.

What do crabs eat at home:

• sinking fish feed pellets,
• gammarus,
• daphnia,
• bloodworm,
• mosquito larvae,
• small pieces of meat from vertebrates,
• finely chopped seafood,
• spirulina,
• crushed egg shells
• apples,
• melons,
• beets,
• carrot,
• cauliflower,
• zucchini,
• salad,
• asparagus,
• edible grass and tree leaves.

If the question of how to keep crabs in an aquarium can be solved at home without any problems, then it is extremely difficult to breed these crustaceans in captivity. With family maintenance, mating games are observed, but full-fledged offspring are incredibly rare. In the very first months of life, these animals are in the plankton-larval stage, which requires special conditions for the marine or oceanic environment, which is extremely difficult to create in an apartment.

Copying of information is allowed only with direct and indexed link to the source

Lobsters are large marine crustaceans that are currently considered a delicacy. They can be up to 80 cm long and weigh up to 20 kg. Most often in restaurants you can find individuals 20-30 cm long. Another name for these creatures is lobsters. In Russia, they can be called both this and that. Their meat is highly valued all over the world. Usually these giants are caught in the seas and transported to processing sites. But modern restaurants require fresh raw materials. Therefore, very often the source of lobsters for such restaurants is home-made crustacean farms.

So, below we will tell you how to create such a farm yourself.

Breeding lobsters at home has 2 goals. First, a large crustacean can be kept at home as a pet. Just imagine with what great interest your guests will be looking at this luxurious giant. Its lifespan is long enough for the lobster to keep you company for years to come.

And the second, more pressing goal is to sell fresh invertebrates to restaurants. In the latter case, in addition to love for crustaceans, you will need special knowledge and equipment.

What do we need to breed lobsters? As a concrete example, let's look at a situation where you want to grow them commercially.

In this case, we are talking about both an aquarium and an indoor pool. A cheaper option would be a specialized aquarium.

To successfully breed livestock, you will need at least two tanks. Why - you will find out further. If you have free space (apartment, heated garage), then it is better to install aquanariums (large aquariums). In any case, it is better to start with them. And by the time your business gains momentum - invest your efforts and money in closed artificial reservoirs. Trust our experience!

You can check the volume and additional characteristics of water tanks with Aqua-Store specialists free of charge.

In the wild, lobsters behave like predators. They behave in the same way in an artificial environment. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid cohabitation of lobsters with other invertebrates.

The modern market offers ready-made combined feeds that can be safely used. They contain fats, proteins, chalk, minced fish, dry remains of small invertebrates, etc. Never feed your lobster carrion.

Features of the behavior of lobsters

Since large crayfish are solitary predators, cannibalism is characteristic of them. The strong eats the weak. This is especially pronounced when young lobsters, recently born, and already large individuals live in one closed area. That is why we recommend preparing two tanks: for parents and for their children.

Let's note one more nuance: lobsters can compete for territory, so several aquariums may be needed for adults as well.

Let's note the most important characteristics of the aquarium and the water in it, which you should pay attention to when growing crustaceans:

• The volume of the aquarium;
• Bottom material;
• Physicochemical parameters of water;
• Water purification and filtration;
• Lack of other living creatures (even corals).

The volume of the aquarium should usually not be less than one hundred liters.

Lobsters dig holes, so the bottom must be loose so that the invertebrate can make a "home".

Crustaceans love clean water. Any contamination or change in the pH of the water will lead to disease, such as moulting or death of the lobster. Water purification should be carried out with special devices. You understand that just pouring out the old water and pouring new water is not enough. Therefore, it is necessary that specialists are engaged in the maintenance of the aquarium. This will make life easier for you and your crustaceans.

Lobsters are very aggressive, so they even attack corals. Make sure that there are no other living organisms in the aquarium other than a small amount of algae.

Like any livestock farming business, lobster farming comes with a financial cost.

The main challenge is that lobsters take a long time to reach sexual maturity. It will take more than one year until you can achieve the first offspring. Therefore, be patient and follow the plan outlined in advance.

When you start making a profit, things will go much better. It will be possible to think about expansion: the creation of artificial reservoirs. But for now, practice on the aquariums. Big business starts small.

Where to Buy Specialized Lobster Aquariums

The best lobster tank is the one made for them. You can find such aquariums in the Aqua-store company. Our experts know everything that crustaceans need for a happy life.

The Aqua-store company offers you not only aquariums, but also everything for the further breeding of lobsters. In addition, we are engaged in the maintenance of aquariums and the supply of consumables in the post-warranty period on very favorable terms.

While you are in business, we take care of your lobsters!

I assume that you are reading this material before you are going to buy a crab, and not when you have already brought it home from a pet store. Often, seeing someone's delight with this tiny and cute representative of the crustacean family, almost every seller is in a hurry to convince us that he will get along well with other inhabitants of the aquarium and will not bring us practically trouble at all.

And when we have already brought the purchase home, we begin to browse articles on the Internet and go to various forums. This happens almost always. But I am more inclined to the option when the information about the future pet is initially viewed and an environment is prepared that is comfortable for its existence.

There is an opinion that it is worth buying several individuals at once, because alone the crab will get bored and will be inactive, lethargic. All this is fiction. Male crabs, like males of any species, always defend their possessions. If a brother appears on its territory, they always fight for power, for food, for females, etc. In such fights, they often lose limbs. But don't worry, they will grow back during the molt. You can keep pairs (male and female) in the same aquarium, but you should not wait for offspring: these representatives of crustaceans do not breed in captivity.

There are several signs by which you can distinguish between a female and a male:

1. Note the crab belly or abdomen. If it is wide, the female is in front of you; if it is narrow, the male is in front of you.
2. Males are always larger and brighter than females.

It is necessary to make an aquaterrarium out of the aquarium, since crabs need not only water, but also land for a comfortable life. Certain types of crabs sit in the water most of the time, but there are some that prefer dry land. Lamps should be positioned so that the land is barely heated by them.

Pour water into a container to a height of 10-15 cm.Add sea salt to it (1 tablespoon will be enough for a container of 10 liters of water). For a comfortable habitat, crabs need hard alkaline water and it must be very clean. To achieve this, coral chips can be used as substrate. You can also get by with simple coarse sand (about 5 cm thick). Driftwood must not be placed in the aquaterrarium. They can change the acidity level that crabs are comfortable with. To keep the water clean, you need to install a special filter.

So that organic waste does not remain in the water, it is necessary to change about 25% of the total volume of water and clean the soil. This should be done about once a week. The optimum water temperature in the reservoir should remain at the level of 22-25 ° С, the acidity level should be strictly higher than 7, the water hardness should be at least 10. If all these conditions are met, the crab will feel comfortable. There may also be plants in the pond. For example, you can use Thai fern or moss. Any plant that can handle a water salinity level of 3-3.5 ppm will do. At least 1/3 of the entire area of ​​the aquarium should be dry land. It can be built from stones.

Crabs really like shelters, where they hide from unnecessary attention and can even crawl there along with food and enjoy it. During the day, the crab may be inactive due to the fact that it has come to a new place for itself, but if you turn off the lights, it will explore its territory. The aquarium should be covered with a lid, because the crab can skillfully use the equipment wires to crawl outside the aquarium and walk around your apartment. To find it, leave a saucer of water in an accessible place, and the escaped crab will certainly be found.

Aquarium fish pellets can be used as a base feed. The crab eats in the following way: he takes food with one or two claws at once and brings it to his mouth. In food, crabs prefer plant and animal foods, chicken, seafood, and fruits. They can also be fed with any vegetables, with the exception of potatoes, after pouring boiling water over them or boiling them a little. When feeding, keep in mind that animal food only makes up 1/3 of their diet. Crabs are very fond of plant foods, so you should often give them the leaves of various plants, for example, nettle, dandelion or salad (they should be scalded beforehand). If you do not want to quickly pollute the water, it is better to feed the crab on land.

Like all crustaceans, crabs molt. Animals of this type do not have an internal skeleton, to which muscles and internal organs are usually attached. The skeleton for them is their protective shell (which is essentially a chitinous cover). Molting helps them to grow in size: they throw off the old shell and build up a new one. In its body, the crab must accumulate a certain supply of nutrients in order to begin to molt. To do this, you can feed him with a special feed that is rich in calcium, or give crushed egg shells.

Now in pet stores you can buy the following types of crabs:

1. Mangrove (red) crab - This is one of the smallest and cheapest types that can be purchased;
2. Rainbow crab (he is very handsome, but it is extremely difficult for him to create conditions for a comfortable life in captivity);
3. Heterotelfusa fatum or freshwater crab (prefers water, does not need land).

When treating crabs, medications containing metal impurities should not be used, as they cannot tolerate them. Various drugs can be added to the water (as a rule, you can read about the dosage in the instructions), which are necessary to prevent diseases, mainly bacterial (Melafix is ​​best known). In home terrariums, crabs usually live only 3-4 years.

> You can leave a review or trackback from your site.