June 17, 1997
Crabs - The forgotten species
Gravel vacuums can do only so much to keep the bottom of your aquarium clean. So, how do you get the rest of that "grime" off the bottom of the aquarium without disturbing the fish? Well, fortunately there is a secret weapon that most aquarists overlook - the crab. There are approximately 4,500 different species of crab, making the list a little tough to include here, so I will simply provide an overview of crabs that you may find in the marine aquarium.
As I stated above, some species of crab are extremely efficient cleaners. In particular, hermit crabs (Family Paguridae) are incredible bottom cleaners. I know of an instance in which a 30gal aquarium was completely covered with brown algae. To solve this problem, I told the owner to put in a small Pacific Hermit Crab. In less than 2 hours, the crab had cleaned the bottom of the aquarium so that it was spotless. Even more amazing was the way in which the hermit crab picked up each piece of the crushed coral substrate, and cleaned it individually. Hermit crabs are particularly special because unlike other crabs, they require the use of a shell to protect their lower body. If you have a problem with your aquarium bottom, hermit crabs are the way to go. There are many different species of hermit crabs, but you can often find the Caribbean and Pacific Hermit Crabs. The Pacific Hermit Crab is particularly nice because of its red legs with white dots (it even has hairy legs).
For those of you that have ventured into the realm of reef aquariums, I could spend all year listing and talking about the many different types of crabs available to reef aquarists. By far, spider crabs (Family Majidae) make up the majority of marine crabs that you find in aquariums. They are perhaps the most interesting because of their small body and large legs. As with most crabs, they feed off of debris and particles that float around in the water. They are also quite easy to find, unlike many other species, and thus enhance the beauty of the aquarium significantly.
Other common crabs include the stone crab and the urchin crab. These can be a little harder to find, but the urchin crab can be one of the most beautiful crabs that you can have in your aquarium. If you are interested in introducing a crab to your aquarium, make sure that you look around to see what there is out there. As I mentioned earlier, there are over 4,500 different species of crabs, so take your time to find one that you find interesting. Most crabs will need little help to survive, and can serve as helpful cleaners for your aquarium
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