crabs and a new aquarium

Question
Hi Karen. I have a tall 5 gallon tank with filter and tightly fitting hood with no fish in it lol. I actually have 2 but my male betta resides in the other one and he doesnt like company... at all :)  so im using this other one to make a community tank. So... with that in mind i have 2 questions.

1: Are there any fully aquatic freshwater crabs i can put in there (unlike the fiddler crab which needs land, i cant lower the water level or the filter doesnt work).

2: Im a little new to aquarium keeping. My male betta has stayed alive for a number of months now and im starting to get the hang of it but im still a little, umm... nervous? for lack of a better word. Can you please recommend some fairly hardy fish for my new community tank? I've grown used to my active betta with his personality and funny quirks and im hoping for some other fish of that nature. Except for goldfish. Other people are welcome to like them all they want, whatever, i dont like goldfish lol. I hate to make this a long email but ur instructions say to give as much input as poosible... so if it helps you better pick out some fishes heres a little glimpse of my personality: Im creative and artistic, i like the beauty in nature, i like bright colors, im happy go lucky (like my betta fish:), i like active things, i dont like things like female bettas that try to eat the fins of my male betta lol. I hope this helps better paint a picture for you of what kind of fish i might like. Thank you very much and i appreciate your expertise a lot. I hope you have a good day.

Answer
Hi Dan, thank you for your letter...
Unfortunately I do not know if any fully aquatic crabs that are kept in aquariums. All of them require a place to get out on land whether it be a piece of wood or cork floating in the tank or a separate land area. Crabs don't need a lot but they need a sufficient space for hauling out on.
Keep in mind most crabs sold at petstores actually do best with brackish water which is freshwater with some marine salt added. This makes them unsuitable for many other fish. Fiddler Crabs are the most common crab available and they in fact require brackish water in order to do well longterm.

As far as good fish for people just kinda starting out like you. I have found you can't go wrong with general community fish like Livebearers, Tetras, Barbs, Rasboras, and small catfish like Corydoras catfish. The best thing for you to do is decide what fish you find catches your eye and then do plenty of research on that fish before you bring some home. Research before buying is very important and helps prevent all-too common "impulse" buys.

Look through some of the fish at your local fishstore, aquarium magazine, fish book or internet and see what kind of fish you like --  then do plenty of research on that species to know its care requirements and size plus its compatibility with other fish.

You can also look here for some good stocking suggestions-

       {Copy and paste the entire link into your search}

http://www.fishchannel.com/freshwater-aquariums/tankmate-tips/5-gallon.aspx?cm_s...

Your stocking levels will be very limited due to the size of your tank. Even a 10-gallon would give you more choices of fish. But it doesn't mean you can't make a 5-gallon a gorgeous setup with a small school of colorful tetras, male guppies, or rasboras and a couple of bottom feeders for activity on the bottom. Making this tank planted would be a wonderful option for you and the fish would appreciate it too.

I really hope this helps and best wishes!
Karen~