How to Breed Red-Clawed Crabs

Red-clawed crabs are popular choices for pets due to their manageable size and relatively easy maintenance requirements. Some people even feel compelled to breed them as a hobby or for extra funds. The larvae produced by red-clawed crabs are vulnerable to injury or infection during the early stages of their development and must be reared in a separate environment from adult male red-clawed crabs. Young red-clawed crabs also require a special diet in their early weeks and are more sensitive to contaminants in the water. Knowing how to accommodate these animals can ensure that they grow strong and healthy.

Things You'll Need

  • 10 gallon tank
  • 20 gallon tank
  • Aquarium sand
  • Rocks
  • Water
  • Aquarium thermometer
  • Marine Salt
  • Cork wood, driftwood or bogwood
  • Siphon vacuum
  • Shrimp pellets, bloodworms or fish flakes
  • Artemia
  • Nitrate test strips
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Instructions

    • 1

      Pour 1 inch of sand along the bottom of both tanks so the crabs can burrow. Arrange the rocks in a manner that allows the crabs to hide if they feel threatened. Both the sand and the rocks will reduce the stress levels of the animals.

    • 2

      Fill the 10 gallon tank with 5 to 7 gallons of water and the 20 gallon tank with 10 to 15 gallons. Use the aquarium thermometer to ensure that the water temperature is between 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Add 2 tablespoons of marine salt for every gallon of water added to the tanks.

    • 3

      Supply both tanks with cork wood, driftwood or bogwood that is tall enough to protrude from the water. Red-clawed crabs must have occasional access to surface air and will climb the wood to breach the water's surface.

    • 4

      Insert the male and female red-clawed crabs into the 10 gallon tank. Feed them shrimp pellets, fish flakes, dried worms or vegetables once or twice a day. Use the siphon vacuum to remove 25 to 30 percent of the water from the tank and replace that with fresh water to prevent fouling of the aquatic environment.

    • 5

      Relocate the female to the 20 gallon tank when the eggs under her tail change from red to grey due to mating with the male. The larger tank is necessary to accommodate the large number of larvae the female will produce.

    • 6

      Feed the larvae live artemia three to five times a day. As the larvae grow into crabs, give the animals bloodworms, fish flakes and vegetables.

    • 7

      Check the nitrate levels of the tank daily using the nitrate test strips. Nitrate is a pollutant created when water interacts with food not eaten by crabs, excrement or decomposing organic matter; if the nitrate level exceeds 0.2 parts per million (ppm), the crabs can become sick and die. Use the siphon vacuum to circulate fresh water back into the tank based on the same percentages used for the 10 gallon tank.