QuestionI just bought two medium sized ones on Monday and I would like to know some facts about them namely:
Mine seem to poop a lot, all it ate was some fish food and a strip of mango.Why?
Is aquarium gravel suitable for them? If not, is desert sand(used for reptiles) suitable or do I need to really use beach sand?
I also like to know whether they drink endless amounts of salt water after coming home from the pet store because mine like to sit in the dish and drink salt water all day long.
Any suggestions on humidity improvement? I know this species is sensitive to low humidity so I want to improve in it.
Thank you and I am sorry for asking so much. Happy new years eve though.
AnswerThe pooping is normal and most likely what they did was clean out their shell in one spot and dump out a bunch of poop at once. Mine seem to do this in the water bowl.
Gravel is not suitable for any crab. Strawberry crabs in particular have very special needs. The need temperature and humidity to hover near 80 degrees/percent at all times. The need diggable stubstate (like playsand or fiber bedding) that is at least twice as deep as your largest crab. They need a lot of room. 5-10 gallons per crab because they are tank destroyers and do a lot of roaming. They need a salt water pool that is deep enough for them to completely submerge in. (As well as a source of fresh water).
They sit in your dish probably because they were deprived of it at the petstore. Is your dish big enough for them to submerge in?
The best way to boost humidity is to use natural moss. Here's a link to an article on my website on moss, where to get it, what to pick, and what to do with it.
http://naturallycrabby.com/home/blog1.php/2007/06/16/dont-forget-the-moss
