Declaw?

[lilacamy931]

Finally got nooki my fahaka a small crab to try. Have it in quarantine regardless of the trusted source it came from and so I can feed it up. It is about the size of a 2 pence piece if not smaller. Nooki is hmmm say 5-6 inches though not great with measurements without him in front of me. Would you still say declaw as it is tiny compared to nooki? Oh and for those I asked about tankmates with nooki out of 5 he has eaten 2 barbs and these were done in protest so no to the tankmates unless feeding every day or feeding doesn't involve bloodworm! Thanks for the help peeps. Calcifer has grown and is stroppy and new addition ( fitzgig the hairy puffer) is due soon x

[Ohyouknow]

I know there are people who do not agree with declawing, because in nature they are not declawed - and you would be leaving them defenseless.

However, IMO - that is giving the crab a fighting chance, and weapons to use that may inflict injury to your puffer. The intent for the crab is to be eaten, not to have a fighting chance - so why risk injury to the puffer if not necessary?

That is my opinion, however - I never have declawed my crabs... and I've been giving fiddler crabs to Vicious on occasion since he was 2 inches or so. He wasn't sure of them at first - but once he figured it out he made quick work of them.

[xrayjeeper83]

Ive fed my fahaka a crayfish one time so far. I didnt declaw only cause it had really really small claws.

Its more personal preference, you run the risk of your puffer being attacked, but i really dont think a crab/crayfish is going to do a lot of damage

[J-P]

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=21209&st=0&sk=t&sd= ... sh#p224861

puffer got pinched

[JoseDepacos]

Who declaws the ones in the river for them?

[xrayjeeper83]

Who declaws the ones in the river for them?

I do

[Nick]

Shakespeare and Jillybean have been tearing up crayfish at about equal length to themselves since 3" and 2" long, respectively, and none were ever declawed.

My theory is that if it's so big it needs to be declawed to be safe to feed, it's probably so large it will die a very slow painful death and should not be fed for that reason. Shakespeare can eat the head section of a an equal length crayfish well past the brain location in a few quick chomps nowadays, but before he could reliably do so, I pre-killed them just to be humane to the crays.

[lilacamy931]

Brill thanks peeps! Umm I now have an alternative problem. I was floating said crab in a trap in a spare 120 litre, he was there this morning and in the two hours I have been gone, he has disappeared from the trap...Im hoping it is into the main tank and not out of the tank entirely, but help!! The tank itself is bare except for bogwood and I have had a look over this and the floating plants but dreading that he made have made it up the heater wire and out to air drying freedom! Any tips anyone? Do they bury? Should I dredge the sand?
Or should I put some bloodworm in and see if it entices him as he loved the bloodworm last night?? Brill I knew they could escape but thought he was such a tiny thing he would never make it out of the large trap!!

Thanks for all the tips on feeding btw, I deliberately picked small and bite size as had thought the larger the more waste and more painful, thanks again xx

[lilacamy931]

Ok panic over! He was latched to the roots of the floating fern phew.

[xrayjeeper83]

glad you found him. Get some video of the feeding

[lilacamy931]

OK....I really have lost a crab tonight. I had two in quaratine ready for Nooki and so got the larger one out. Alex got the camera ready to get the event went to put the crab in tank out of net and...he's gone! I flipped thinking it was attached to me and to be honest we havent a clue where he is gone, we couldnt see him in or around the tank and surely he could not have moved that fast? We fed the second crab to Nooki and videoed that but now both of us are freaking out! Realllly hope it fell in the tank...

[xrayjeeper83]

they can move once they get out of the tank

[Ohyouknow]

LOL yea, they are little escape artists - and can move quite quickly out of water. Do you have any other pets? I have heard stories about people's dogs finding them... Mine always liked to skitter up the intake tube and hide in my filter. Found him there a lot.

[jus85411]

haha yeah all fiddlers and red claw crabs my roommate had in his FW tank would go missing and a lot of the times he would fine them up on the filter. pretty crazy little things