There’s no doubt that there are many different types of crabs. There are over 5000 species of crabs in existence. However, not all crabs are meant to be pets.
Types of Pet Crabs
Different species of crab vary in size and behavior. Some crabs make excellent pets, whereas others aren’t fitting to keep as a pet. If you’re looking to keep a crab as a pet, here are the top 10 types of pet crabs that you can keep.
Rainbow Land Crab
A rainbow crab is a land crab (as the name suggests), but it does need a bit of water to keep it happy. And, given the name, you probably already guessed that Rainbow land crabs are very colorful.
Rainbow crabs are usually purple, blue, orange, and cream. They are small crabs and can be kept in a small tank. However, it’s best to keep them in pairs. Ensure that the tank has a water area and a land area.
Vampire Crab
Vampire crabs are a relatively new species of crabs. They are so named for their glowing yellow eyes. These freshwater crabs have bright orange shells and claws. Their attractive coloring and captivating eyes make them one of the most sort after types of pet crabs.
Halloween Moon Crab
The Halloween Moon crab has a black shell, orange legs, and purple markings on its claws. They are also known as the Halloween Hermit Crab. While they are pretty social crabs, it’s best to keep them separate as they fight each other (even to the death). Short periods of interactions are acceptable, however.
Fiddler Crabs
Fiddler crabs can live together; however, male fiddler crabs can be very territorial. So, if you do decide to keep pet fiddler crabs, try to keep one male per tank (the others being female). They are saltwater crabs, and you will need to add aquarium salt to the water and regulate the salt levels to survive. Male fiddler crabs have a single giant claw—one of their main distinguishing features.
Gold Claw Crab
Gold Claw Crabs live in the ocean and are famous for their large golden claws. They will scavenge happily along the bottom of your aquarium.
They also enjoy burying themselves in the sand, so be sure to give them a sandy tank bottom. The Gold Claw Crabs are as good at getting out of tanks as their red claw cousins.
Land Hermit Crab
Some argue that hermit crabs don’t make good starter pets. The reason is that these crabs prefer to be in large groups, and their environmental needs are challenging to replicate in a tank setting. However, if you’re willing to spend lots of time ensuring that the requirements for keeping pet hermits are met, then they can be good pets to have in general.
Matano Crab
Matano Crabs are unusual-looking crabs that are purple on one end with white at their leg joints. They are also happy to spend all their time underwater, which means you don’t need to provide a land area in your tank for them.
The Matano crab is quite particular in that it needs water to be at a specific temperature and pH level. These unique water parameters make the selection process for an owner worth considering, mainly because it’s best not to keep other pets that require different tank conditions with these crabs.
Red Claw Crabs
Red clawed crabs are one of the most popular freshwater aquarium crabs. They also make good starter pets because they don’t need extensive care. These tiny crabs aren’t picky eaters, and like most aquatic pet crabs, they require a dry space in the aquarium where they can come out of the water from time to time.
Panther Crabs
Panther Crabs are popular pet crabs because of the beautiful markings on their bodies. Panther crabs are orange in color, with black spots spread about their body.
Though they are typically peaceful crabs, they will eat other crabs and fish if not fed on time. They are also known to be escape artists, so a decent and secure lid is needed to keep them in their habitat.
They can grow to a pretty big size, and males are also aggressive toward each other, so keeping them in a large tank to have their own space is a good idea.
Thai Devil Crab
Thai Devil Crabs are a gentler crab species and can make great company in a tank with other calm creatures. These crabs live for a long time and come in various colors. Thai Devil Crabs can be found in many different colors, including purple and red. They generally live 15 years but only five years on average when living in captivity (as pets).
Thai Micro Crab
Also known as the false spider crab, these are tiny brownish/greyish crabs. They are fragile and non-violent crabs, so keeping them with other docile aquatic animals is necessary. Thai Micro crabs are shy by nature and will spend most of the time hiding between plants, rocks, etc. They do, however, come out when offered food.
Pom Pom Crab
In the wild, Pom Pom crabs often run around with anemones caught in their claws. The running motion makes them look they are holding little pom poms with their claws.
They use the anemones as a defense system. They are also known as the boxing crab as they box with the anemones if attacked. The anemones can sting, which may deter predators.
Can You Have A Crab As A Pet?
Yes, you can have a crab as your pet. Crabs are easy to maintain, and they do not need much space for them to live well. You will need a special aquarium or terrarium with the necessary accessories. For example, substrates (sand) that allow crabs to bury themselves when molting their exoskeletons. You can find full kits at many pet stores or on Amazon.
5 Tips For How To Choose A Pet Crab
A pet crab is a type of crustacean that you can keep in an aquarium. These crabs are hardy and durable, and they’ll thrive in a tank with the right amount of space, food, and water.
1. Size: The size of your tank should be proportional to the size of the crab that you want to get. Small crabs can live in 20-gallon tanks, while large crabs need at least 75 gallons for their enclosure.
2. Housing: Crabs can take up residence in all kinds of things like artificial or live plants, so it’s really up to you what type of housing you want to create for them.
3. If you want to add a crab into your aquarium, you should know that they prefer living in their own space. If you have other animals in the tank, it’s important to find ones that will get along with them.
4. This list of famous pet crabs is for freshwater tanks. If you have a saltwater tank, your choices will be more limited. Never keep a freshwater crab in a saltwater environment.
5. Some pet crabs, such as the Land Hermit Crab, prefer to live in groups rather than in pairs. Others prefer to live alone as they are very territorial. Consider this when keeping more than one crab as a pet.
What To Feed Your Pet Crabs
- Commercial crab food
- Bloodworms
- Cooked vegetables
- Small, brined fish
- Flies
Pet Land Crabs For Sale
Amazon has a variety of crabs for sale (subject to availability, of course). They have hermit crabs, fiddler crabs, and many more pet crabs for sale all across the USA. If you are interested in finding aquatic land crabs for sale online, these are the best available:
Final Thoughts
Your aquarium probably won’t be the right environment for pet crabs, but if you’re sure you can provide them with an area that mimics their natural habitat, then they’ll enjoy living there as much as your other pets. You need to make sure they have all their needs met.
You can find many different pet crabs to choose from, each with its unique personality. To make sure they stay in their habitat and don’t run off without you, make sure to block off all of the escape routes.
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