Horseshoe crabs ? Stock or avoid ?

[Johnny Spesis]

I don't hear much about keeping horseshoe crabs, or their benefits. I have a few in my 180. Never had any problems with them. They shed like most crabs, about every month or so. With nine sets of eyes, these crabs plow though everything, but never damage anything. I was told they are hard to keep, but never lost one. Their fun to watch, and they swim. It's great to have a living fossil in my home. How cool !!!

 

[homegrowncichlid]

I kept a little 2 inch guy in my sand bed refugium for over a year. The body got to 3 inches in size, but I haven't seen in for the few months, which doesn't mean too much, since I didn't see him for the first year I had him either. he may still be in there.

 

[Mattl22]

I keep one in my fuge doesn't really do anything that I can tell not sure if / what it eats but he's been in there for few months had in my display but one my fish bit it's tail off

 

[Johnny Spesis]

For what it's worth, a horseshoe in my tank just shed his shell. After, it buries into the sand bed, days later it will appear almost twice its size, shell will be shiny and dark gray. These crabs are sand sifters; digging out in the sand bed about an inch, but will bury themselves in the bed about 2-3 inches below. My horseshoes are in my display tank.

 

[sealtea116]

Where can u get them and what is the biggest they get get I would love one that would stay around 2 or 3 inches

 

[Johnny Spesis]

Hey Sealtea, unfortunately, stuff grows, even crabs. I started with a few (5) 1/2 - 2" size horseshoes 5 months ago. Very rarely did I ever see all 5 at once, but usually 2 or 3. I have 2 now, and they have shed 3-4 times since May '15. The largest crab is about 4 inches across. Most crabs will grow 40% after they shed. I have local quahogs that are very hardy. It's fun to watch them bury themselves; something you just don't see in the wild. Clams can live forever, whereas mussels, scallops, and oysters live 2 years and they can be invasive; especially mussels. You don't want mussels, ever.

 

[homegrowncichlid]

Just spotted my horseshoe crab today, its still alive and well in the DSB of my refugium. At this point I've had him since the summer of 2014, at that time the body was the size of a quarter. Now it's about 3" wide. (believe it has only molted twice) I'm going to assume that it can only be eating the bristle worms that are living in the sand bed, as I do not feed the refugium and I don't know what other foods can be down there.