How to Care for Fiddler Crabs

Crustaceans are the original beach bums. One of these species is the fiddler crab, which likes to hang out on Florida beaches and keep things clean by eating algae. The male carries around a sizable violin-shaped claw, earning the name "fiddler" crab. Like hermit crabs, fiddler crabs make interesting pets once you understand the steps to care for them.

Things You'll Need

  • 10-gallon aquarium
  • Aquarium salt
  • De-chlorinating tablets or liquid
  • Crab food or algae disks
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Choose healthy, active fiddler crabs with all their limbs still intact. A good set-up is one male to about three females. Crabs are sold in many pet stores. People also like to catch fiddler crabs on beaches.

    • 2

      Give crabs room to roam. Fiddler crabs need their space, particularly the territorial male. Plan to use at least a ten-gallon aquarium for three or four crabs. Crabs enjoy climbing, so place a lid on top of the aquarium to keep your little Houdinis from escaping.

    • 3

      Duplicate life in the wild by giving your fiddler crabs something to burrow into. Sandbox or aquarium sand works well. Pile the sand so that it slopes up one side of the aquarium to a depth of at least three inches. Fiddler crabs spend more time on land than other crabs do.

    • 4

      Add brackish (salty) water, because fiddler crabs need water too. Combine one or two teaspoons of aquarium salt with a gallon of dechlorinated water. Change the water every one to two weeks.

    • 5

      Feed your fiddlers algae disks or commercial crab food. They also find shrimp pellets and frozen bloodworms quite tasty. A slice of zucchini is an occasional treat. Remove uneaten food after 24 hours, or you'll be growing mold and smells.

    • 6

      Keep crabs comfortable in a room-temperature (75-85 degrees F) environment. If the water is too cold, invest in an aquarium heater or basking bulb.

    • 7

      Molting, or shedding the outer shell, is a part of life for the fiddler crab just as it is for the fiddler's cousin, the hermit crab. You may see your crab eating the discarded exoskeleton for the calcium it contains. Calcium and iodine supplements help the molting process. Newly molted crabs are often shy and fragile until their new shell hardens.