Saltwater Crabs

[mrsspecC57]

We have got out hands on a live Saltwater crab for our MBU puffer - It has been sitting in tap water for the last few hours.

Is there anything else we should do before we feed it to our MBU??

[Nick]

Take a good long look at it and make sure it's not big enough to take out his eye or something is all I can think of.

[Boxermom]

Anything live should be quarantined for at least 2-4 weeks before used as food. Just wondering but why are you feeding him a saltwater crab, and why do you have it sitting in tap water?

[mrsspecC57]

We have a saltwater crab as our nieces went crabbing on the Thames river which is about 5 mins away from where we live.
As for having him in tap water - think my stupid reason for this because MBU's are fresh water I thought that the tap water would dilute the salt water ..... (by the way I am blonde!!!)

[spikesmom]

The Thames not the cleanest river, be careful. Crab shouldnt be too big, have you read Manitus' account of Clooney nearly suffocating on a crab claw? He had to up the oxygen into the tank pretty fast .....

[manutius]

I think the things to consider here are whether the crab can hurt the puffer as Nick says but probably more significant how clean the crab is. I would worry about pollution levels and possible introduction of parasites too. Personally I wouldn't feed it but thats becase I also think Crabs are cute and couldn't watch one be killed.

Heres the thread spikesmom mentioned http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/vie ... f=2&t=9289

Whereabouts do you live, sounds like you may be near me

[Pufferpunk]

I would also be concerned about feeding something with salt in it to a FW fish. When I sdefrost/soak foods I'm gonna mix into my SW/reef foods but also feed off to some of my FW fish, I soak it in FW & then put some of it into the SW mix for the SW fish/corals. That way, no salt is fed to my FW fish. I have fed small SW crabs to my BW fish.

[mrsspecC57]

I think the things to consider here are whether the crab can hurt the puffer as Nick says but probably more significant how clean the crab is. I would worry about pollution levels and possible introduction of parasites too. Personally I wouldn't feed it but thats becase I also think Crabs are cute and couldn't watch one be killed.

Heres the thread spikesmom mentioned http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/vie ... f=2&t=9289

Whereabouts do you live, sounds like you may be near me

We are only in Benfleet, didn't give our MBU the crab as thought that it wasn't worth the worry - If something happened to Moby (our MBU) I wouldn't be able to forgive myself.

[manutius]

you are just up the road, I'm in Southend Where did you get him from? Do you jave space for a huge tank too, he's gonna need one

[mrsspecC57]

you are just up the road, I'm in Southend Where did you get him from? Do you jave space for a huge tank too, he's gonna need one

We used to be in shoebury TBH moved to benfleet 18 month's ago...

We got moby from fishy business and yep have a large tank already....

Steve (the other half)

[spoot]

We got moby from fishy business and yep have a large tank already....

Steve (the other half)

How big do you mean by large? It's recommend to have 1000g for them.

[manutius]

AAH Fishey Busines Or BUIsness as it was formany years!!!!! I have stopped using this store for livestock as I don't agree with their practises and the attitude of most the staff is one of arrogance and igonorance. It was their lack of knowledge with puffers that was the final straw for me. I use Swallows in Rayleigh now

How old is you puffer?

[mrsspecC57]

I have always found Fishy Business to be very good and helpful and honest, Where as Swallows seem to be be run by school kids.....anyway each to their own I guess.

Moby is about 2 and a half years old, we have only had him a year, the previous owners overfed him so he grew to an immense size in a year - since then we have had him on a well balanced diet and he looks more streamline....

Here is a picture of him on the one occasion we have seen him puffed up - it was just luck that I was watching him and the camera was close to hand...

[manutius]

wow that I think is a first on here, a puffed up Mbu, I am very jealous that you managed to capture it.

I agree with you about swallows but they have a better product range and their ethics and are of a much higher standards. It is worth avoiding the weekends as thats when you get the "kids" as you say but the full time staff are very helpful and ask all the correct questions, i:e how long have you had your tank, what is in it and how big is it. I have seen them refuse to sell fish to people. I have never seen this in Fishey business who are outdated and refuse to accept they may be doing things wrong. I mean for example I have seen them sell a 5Gallon tank with 3 GSP to a kid of 12 with his mum. One of the guys actually said these words to a 5 year old when the dad asked if he could put a goby in his tank "you can put whatever you want in your tank if you want to kill it, of course put it in there it there will be dead fish befor you know it" The look of horror on the kids face was awful, not to mention it was an SW species in a supposed FW setup. However all the fish in the store are in Low SW water which means that the ammonia is less toxic so they don't have to worry about cleaning and maintaning their tanks that often. Oh yeah don't get me started on the "Knowledge" of puffers. In short I don't trust them any more

Also what size is your tank, it doesn't look big enough to me at all, a corner tank isn't really ideal for these fish. Have you read the Mbu article in my signature?

[Hilly]

Nice looking specimen.