Blue Crabs

[davelin315]

Does anyone know anything about blue crabs? I bought some to feed to my bat ray, and was not thinking about how large they were. Got them home and looked at my bat ray, and looked at the crabs. Whaddya know, they're about half as big as the bat ray. Don't think she's gonna eat them. Anyway, I've got them in a tub with some water, and they're doing fine. Very aggressive and seemingly healthy. One died (they're only in about 20 gallons of water with no biological filtration, no mechanical, only a powerhead to move and aerate water, with complete water changes every 2 days), and I tore him up and fed him to my ray, a puffer, and a trigger. But, here's the question. They are pretty healthy, and even though they were going to be food, I don't want to kill them myself and chop them up. I was thinking about putting them in my sump with live rock and letting them fend for themselves in there. I figure they're too big to eat the pods, and they can't get to anyone in there either. Also, I know that crabs can be scavengers, so I figure they'll also eat the bat ray poop. Any ideas? I do know that they prefer colder water, but they seem to be doing fine in room (well, basement) temperature water.

[ September 16, 2001: Message edited by: davelin315 ]

[ September 16, 2001: Message edited by: davelin315 ]

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Dave,

I wouldn't be worried about temperature. Blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) can tolerate (and live in naturally) waters with temperatures in the nineties, F.

I'm not sure I'd put him in the sump, pending what kind of animals you have in there. Surprisingly enough, blue crabs prefer the "active feeding" lifestyle over a scavenging one; therefore they can and will catch and eat live fish, shrimp, juvenile quahog clams, etc. and consume it, over eating dead, decaying or prepared foods. Semitropical/tropical saltwater vegetation (everything from seagrass to Ulva to Caulerpa) also make up a high perccent of their diet.

Not sure whether you're a seafood person or not, but they are delicious...

best,
Chris

[ September 15, 2001: Message edited by: galleon ]

 

[davelin315]

I do love to eat blue crabs, but I'm not one for eating them after keeping them alive for a few days. There's nothing in my sump except for live rock (no lighting over it at all, no fish, no plants, just rock) with the exception of pods (and lots of them, turned on a light last night while working to see thousands of them crawling across the rocks, kind of a neat sight, since this is the first time the rocks have been sheltered from any predation ever). Do you think they would scavenge and work as more or less cleanup, or do you think it would take too much extra feeding to keep them alive to be worthwhile? There are 6 of them left, and I'm at a loss for what to do with them, thought about putting them in the main pond, but they're very aggressive, and like you suggest, I pretty much figure they'd grab any fish they could and eat it.

 

[gayfishman]

sounds like an old fashion crab boil to me. What dish should I bring?? Got Old Bay Seasoning???

 

[SPC]

Dave, I would not consider Blue Crabs to be clean up type crabs (unless you are talking about a dead mullet in your sump

).
Steve

 

[davelin315]

Which kind of MULLET are you talking about?

Don't forget to check out the
markings of a mullet and the mullet games. Hell, don't forget to check the whole site!

[ September 15, 2001: Message edited by: davelin315 ]

[ September 15, 2001: Message edited by: davelin315 ]