# Crab as pet *need advice*



## PAWGhunter (Feb 3, 2010)

Last Saturday when I returned home from fishing, I was hosing off my cast net and inside the bucket was a little bay crab. I somehow overlooked him and poor guy sat in the 5 gal bucket the whole time. I didn't see a point of torturing him anymore, so I got a bowl with some water and made him a home until I could bring him down the street to the bay. 
Well, my kids apparently love crabs and think its the greatest pet ever, so now I'm thinking of keeping it, but don't know anything about raising a crab. I think it's a blue crab, cause it swims. I moved it to a one gallon aquarium and made a half-assed semi-brackish habitat and fed it some bacon. It seems to be doing fine, is eating and seems to enjoy to attention. It interacts(stares and follows them) with the kids when they go talk to it. My questions are the following.

Does he need to live in a brackish habitat or can I use a freshwater habitat?

If I bought a 10 gallon tank, would that be healthier for him?

Does he need sand on the bottom? (I'm using just pea pebbles from my garden now)

I know it seems like a lot of hassle and money for something I would normally use as bait, but the kids really like it and I always do what they want. Haha

Thanks guys/girls


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## Prince Caspian (Jun 13, 2011)

I had some pet crabs one time. Went to the doctor, he gave me some pills, and that was the end of 'em.


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## PAWGhunter (Feb 3, 2010)

Prince Caspian said:


> I had some pet crabs one time. Went to the doctor, he gave me some pills, and that was the end of 'em.


They got pills for that now?! *noted


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## Prince Caspian (Jun 13, 2011)

LOL! Don't let your kids read that!


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## PAWGhunter (Feb 3, 2010)

Prince Caspian said:


> LOL! Don't let your kids read that!


Should have read....LOL! Don't let your WIFE read that![


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## Prince Caspian (Jun 13, 2011)

PAWGhunter said:


> Should have read....LOL! Don't let your WIFE read that![


Where d'ya think I got 'em from?!?

No really, don't let my wife read that... Or your kids for that matter! LMAO!


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## PAWGhunter (Feb 3, 2010)

Prince Caspian said:


> Where d'ya think I got 'em from?!?
> 
> No really, don't let my wife read that... Or your kids for that matter! LMAO!


Ha...the wife takes no interest in my fishing hobby, so I doubt she would ever see that.


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## Prince Caspian (Jun 13, 2011)

YOUR wife?!? I'm not scared of her! It's my wife I'm afraid of reading that, LOL! 

In all honesty, there is zero chance of my wife ever reading this, and I will say that she's a better woman to me than my own mama...and zero chance either one of us has crabs of either kind. I'm a lucky man to have a woman as strong as she is. And I'm a proud man to brag about her.


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## PAWGhunter (Feb 3, 2010)

Now you're just sucking up just incase she does see that!!! lol I'm sure she is awesome though.


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## Prince Caspian (Jun 13, 2011)

As far as your wondering about salinity of crabs, based on what I've googled between answers on this thread, you will need some degree of salinity in the tank. They hatch out and migrate into fairly fresh water, and migrate south as they reach maturity. As far as bottom material, I've caught them/lost bait to them in sand, mud, oyster reef, etc... Crabs are survivors. You gotta try and kill them. 

As far as my wife being awesome, she just is... I won't crash your thread with all the boring details.


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## PAWGhunter (Feb 3, 2010)

Prince Caspian said:


> As far as your wondering about salinity of crabs, based on what I've googled between answers on this thread, you will need some degree of salinity in the tank. They hatch out and migrate into fairly fresh water, and migrate south as they reach maturity. As far as bottom material, I've caught them/lost bait to them in sand, mud, oyster reef, etc... Crabs are survivors. You gotta try and kill them.
> 
> As far as my wife being awesome, she just is... I won't crash your thread with all the boring details.


Thanks. I figured it needed some salinity. I couldn't find much info online because it seems that most people don't have them as pets. It is a tough little bugger and has been through a lot till now, that's why I want to give him a good home.


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## Prince Caspian (Jun 13, 2011)

PAWGhunter said:


> Thanks. I figured it needed some salinity. I couldn't find much info online because it seems that most people don't have them as pets. It is a tough little bugger and has been through a lot till now, that's why I want to give him a good home.


As a Daphne resident, might I recommend Mobile Bay? I know your kids are fans, I've got a 2 1/2 year old, so I'm not yet experienced with the, "Daddy, can we keep him?" questions yet... Good luck with that, and if you decide to keep it, let me know how long it lives!


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## Sequoiha (Sep 28, 2007)

This has been a really good conversation about crabs, but to answer your question legally, you cant keep it, blue crabs are a regulated species have a minimum size, they probalby wont say anything about 1 little crab, so maybe they wont say anything about 1 little snapper, or 1 little flounder, I have a good idea, lets go Amberjack fishing this weekend.. not trying to be a smart ass, just trying to make a point. and do they really have a pill for that, it was a cream back in the day, gammabenzynehexachloride 1%,


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## PAWGhunter (Feb 3, 2010)

Sequoiha said:


> This has been a really good conversation about crabs, but to answer your question legally, you cant keep it, blue crabs are a regulated species have a minimum size, they probalby wont say anything about 1 little crab, so maybe they wont say anything about 1 little snapper, or 1 little flounder, I have a good idea, lets go Amberjack fishing this weekend.. not trying to be a smart ass, just trying to make a point. and do they really have a pill for that, it was a cream back in the day, gammabenzynehexachloride 1%,


Never thought about the legal part. Guess the poor little guy will have to make it back into the bay. But at least I know my kids are interested in crustaceans as pets now :thumbsup:


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## Sequoiha (Sep 28, 2007)

Get them some crawfish. They make great pets and fresh water.


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## tips n tails (Mar 2, 2011)

If your kids are dead set on a crab, hermit crabs are usually the crab species of pets most folks keep. Granted they probably arent as cool to look at as a baby blue crab swimming around in pea gravel, but its thought....


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## evan (May 11, 2012)

Daphne police are about to kick your door in....

We used to keep blue crabs all the time in our saltwater tanks, problem is they would kill and eat all of our fish. They are tough and we had to let them go, they wouldn't die.

I would expect you need some salinity in there, and saltwater tanks are a ton of work!


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## PurpleNGold (Mar 15, 2011)

PAWGhunter said:


> Never thought about the legal part. Guess the poor little guy will have to make it back into the bay. But at least I know my kids are interested in crustaceans as pets now :thumbsup:


Bro, keep the crab for your kids.


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## Captain Peckerwood (May 20, 2013)

My sons loved to keep hermit crabs when they were younger. The land crabs from pet stores seem to last the longest. The kids can paint flags or other art on shells. The crabs don't last forever, but my kids got a kick out of them.


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## jasoncooperpcola (Jan 2, 2008)

Keep the crab.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

I think it's foolish to return that crab because of the regulations. If any law enforcement person prosicuted you with your circumstances would be ridiculous. I'm sure one is lauging about it now. Shame on you kenny.


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## devinsdad (Mar 31, 2010)

If Law Enforcement kicks in your door and gives you a ticket, I'm in for $20 toward your fine. Keep the crab.


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## sureicanfish (Sep 30, 2007)

I'm sure there are more than a few seafood restaurants with live and likely illegal seafood on display in huge aquariums. Keep it and see what kind of stud crab you can grow.


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## snookman (Aug 7, 2010)

The best i can say is that we fished a small lake down south and couldn't figure what was taking the tails off out worms. found out on a slow drag that it was blue crabs in the lake( Fresh water) there was no salt water close enough and never asked how they got there but did notice crab traps ( 2 or 3) so I am taking it that they can adjust and live in fresh water but most ponds and lakes have some small salt content in them. you could geta cheap bag of aquarium salt at most stores and keep some salt content in the water and try that. good luck. having pets from turtles to snakes is very healthy and normal in a kids life time.


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## floridays (Oct 2, 2007)

Since your kids are interested and happy, keep it. 

Just be prepared for the death speech and funeral that will eventually come one day.

If you go the hermit crab route do some research online for shell plans. Your kids can built Lego shells that the hermit crabs will move into as time passes. 

You can also buy clear glass shells online for them too. 

Good luck either way!


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## MrPhoShiz (Sep 22, 2010)

Funeral? You mean some of his friends in a pot of boiling water?

keep him. brackish water, some bull minnows here and there and watch em grow


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## DukeS (May 29, 2013)

Great nature lesson in the making. Keep feeding it, it will molt. As rewarding as that process will be for your kids, take the shed and have your kids arrange it on a piece of foam supported by toothpicks and/or wire in "attack mode", it will dry and harden in position, they can leave it like that or try to paint it natural colors.


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## sureicanfish (Sep 30, 2007)

Dang now I want a crab


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## specktackler57 (May 15, 2011)

feedum good for 3 months.crab boil.


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## PAWGhunter (Feb 3, 2010)

well, kept him after all. The kids didn't understand the legal part and we're upset that he was going to go back in the Bay. Hit up the pet store and got all the stuff to make a brackish 10 gallon tank. Went and threw the cast net on a few small shrimp and small croakers for him to play with/eat. Thanks for all the advise guys.


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## jasoncooperpcola (Jan 2, 2008)

Not sure if he will eat shrimp and croakers. Not after eating Bacon. The ONLY thing better than Bacon is, more Bacon.


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## PAWGhunter (Feb 3, 2010)

jasoncooperpcola said:


> Not sure if he will eat shrimp and croakers. Not after eating Bacon. The ONLY thing better than Bacon is, more Bacon.


He is trying hard to catch the shrimp! Wants a bacon wrapped shrimp


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## Sequoiha (Sep 28, 2007)

sealark said:


> I think it's foolish to return that crab because of the regulations. If any law enforcement person prosicuted you with your circumstances would be ridiculous. I'm sure one is lauging about it now. Shame on you kenny.


 not shame on me Ron, I had a baby grouper in my tank at ECM and almost went to jail over it, just giving him the other side,, shame on you for shaming me.. I wasnt trying to cause any trouble, been there done that,, it really doesnt matter what the species is, if it is illeagel. You of all people should respect that,,,


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## fla_scout (Sep 28, 2007)

Don't know if this will help but here is what I found. This is talking on a larger scale but hopefully this will help some.

http://www.ehow.com/how_6616554_farm-blue-crabs.html


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## nextstep (Jun 27, 2008)

crabs are cool

when i was a kid i kept one for a few years. one day i woke and found i had two crabs! he had shed. i kept the empty shells. they got bigger and bigger. 

he was still there when i left for the military.


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## mjg21 (Sep 5, 2012)

Sequoiha said:


> Get them some crawfish. They make great pets and fresh water.


I was at Pattys with my two little girls and there was a crawfish in the parking lot so I picked it up, put it in a tank and the dang thing has been alive for over three years living on little goldfish from wally world.. pretty cool to watch him eat..


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## LTMM (May 30, 2013)

Glad you kept the crab. Saltwater tanks can be almost as easy to keep as freshwater, if you keep it simple. You just have to buy a hygrometer and a bag of aquarium salt to "make" some saltwater for water changes (good chemistry lesson for the kids). Mix it up in a 5g bucket and swap out some water every couple months. Might also want to buy some frozen marine fish food to keep the tank from getting too dirty. There used to be a fish store called water world near pjc, with owners who dispensed great advice. Those guys were experts and kept some ridiculously awesome tanks.


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## BrakeTurnAccelerate (Jul 1, 2012)

If you're setting up, or have set up a tank, I would suggest going down to the bay and grabbing a small pail's worth of sand for the tank. Give it a quick rinse in some salt water, and put it in the tank. It will have a bunch of beneficial bacteria to help keep ammonia from building up, as I am sure your kids will be overfeeding the heck out of the crab.


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## PAWGhunter (Feb 3, 2010)

I'm glad I kept it too. It's a fun summer activity for my oldest daughter(6) now that school is over. The wife is even coming around on the crab thing and asks how it's doing. I figure that if things don't work out and the crab passes on, I'll get the girls a crawfish or turtle. You guys have been really helpful and supportive of my project, I appreciate all the advice and links.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

Sequoiha said:


> not shame on me Ron, I had a baby grouper in my tank at ECM and almost went to jail over it, just giving him the other side,, shame on you for shaming me.. I wasnt trying to cause any trouble, been there done that,, it really doesnt matter what the species is, if it is illeagel. You of all people should respect that,,,


Kenny, Can't take a little poke? :laughing: Big difference with a reef fish in public display. They use small blue crabs for redfish bait and post it all the time. I was just looking at the circumstances and joking with you anyway. 
:thumbdown:
What a minute, I just went on line and looked at the Blue Crab regs and there is NO size limit or closed season. So enlighten me on the regs that make what this person is doing against the LAW, if I missed something.


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## PAWGhunter (Feb 3, 2010)

Just an update on the pet blue crab. Well, he died a few weeks back. Just kinda stopped being active one day and died the next. So I hit up PetSmart and picked up a Red Claw Crab, then another a few days ago. They are doing really well in the environment and the female just molted. They are boring compared to the blue crab, but their escape attempts are always pretty funny. Thanks again to all that gave advice.


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## Collard (Oct 23, 2007)

Wirelessly posted (Not the droid youre lookin for)

LOVE the pineapple. Nice touch. LOL
And after a second look....spongebob and squidwards house.....LOL


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## Collard (Oct 23, 2007)

Wirelessly posted (Not the droid youre lookin for)

LOVE the pineapple. Nice touch. LOL


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