Hermit Crabs + Turtles?

[diamondwolf130]

Originally Posted by mariekni

i personally wouldnt put crabs or snails (and fish) in with turtles unless you expect them to be food. although some turtles go along fine aside them without a problem others will demolish them. its pot luck i have found it all depends on the turtles personality. i have got a couple of turtles in my community tank without a problem but i wouldnt dare put the others in as i know they would demolish everything in sight! its your choice at the end of the day. although it sounds cruel i guess its just a case of trial and error.

Yeah, as I said my little musks get on brilliantly with their tank mates. Corydoras and apple snails.
Been speaking to petsathome staff about red crabs. They keep them in normal tropical condition water. No salt. They are mostly tropical crabs so will do fine in a tropical community tank.
They'l make a lot of use out of my basking areas aswell. (I always feel they go to waste a bit as musks don't use them much :P.)

Just have to make my tank escape proof.
Any Ideas?! XD

The wires of the filter and heater are the only problem, as they can climb them to escape.

[Stephen P]

It would appear that red crabs do need brackish water. Are you going to go with what PAH staff told you? I thought you had already read that they need salt in the water.

Some very experienced turtle people on here have said not to let them live together!

[James_T]

Some people seem determined to turn their turtle tanks into some kind of bizarre magical community where fishes, snails, crabs and turtles play together as friends. As with the people saying they've had it work before, it's like letting a toddler walk along a cliff edge, it probably wont fall off, but there's enough of a chance not to risk it.

[Stephen P]

Well said! My point entirely.

[AnythingWithAShell]

If the crab will only survive and not thrive in freshwater, then that should be enough not to do it I think. If you want more things, get some different types of snails. If you can get bigger ones, then they'll probably be left alone due to their size, and when they breed it'll be food for the turts.

You get loads of different, very pretty aquatic snails, in all sorts of colours, thus adding more interest to the tank. My aquatic snail tank is gorgeous, and always gets comments from visitors. Snails will thrive in your turtle tank, and provide natural food.

[Reptile-newb]

All brackish crabs (red claws included) will survive in freshwater, but will suffer shortened lifespans as a result.

Last year I got 8 red claws and 5 fiddlers and started their acclimation to brackish SG 1.010 immediately. They live with an all-female group of sailfin mollies around 8-12cm each. They are doing very well...

Red claw crabs come from southeast Asian mangroves in the wild that are brackish water.