Any Rainbow Crab / Halloween Crab Keepers here?

**zoothefreak** · 29th Jan 2010, 15:35

Hi my bro recently acquired Rainbow Crabs and has a very simple setup. I plan on helping him rescape his tank. Want to know if there are any other Rainbow Crab keepers in the forum to find out more...

Will Rainbow Crabs eat or destroy live plants if I put them in the tank? Specifically Birdnest and Terrestrial Ferns and maybe Nanas in the water section?

Also are there any Halloween Crab keepers here coz I cant seem to find any in stock in Singapore which is a shame...

**-Kelvin-** · 29th Jan 2010, 15:56

Rainbows are actually scavangers so they practically eat anything they can lay their claws on, so your plants would become food.

**zoothefreak** · 31st Jan 2010, 23:10

Ah dang thats what I feared so plastic plants would be ok rite? Or will they try to ingest them too and die

....

Any news on where to get Halloween Crabs?

**David Moses Heng** · 31st Jan 2010, 23:55

Originally Posted by zoothefreak

Hi my bro recently acquired Rainbow Crabs and has a very simple setup. I plan on helping him rescape his tank. Want to know if there are any other Rainbow Crab keepers in the forum to find out more...

Will Rainbow Crabs eat or destroy live plants if I put them in the tank? Specifically Birdnest and Terrestrial Ferns and maybe Nanas in the water section?

Also are there any Halloween Crab keepers here coz I cant seem to find any in stock in Singapore which is a shame...

firstly, do note that rainbow crabs can grow really huge. the largest i have seen measures about 3 inch just the shell alone.

Secondly, you may also want to be informed that they dig and are very very good climbers. Their claws are also capable of lifting hoods that are not weighed down. I lost my 2.5 inch rainbow when i forgot to weigh down my hood. In the end, the poor fellow "grew" wings and attempt flight from my 19th floor flat.

Thirdly, they will tear all plants apart and you will have to include calcium in their diets cos when the molt, they will need the calcium to replenish their lost. They however do consume their own shells.

And you can only have 1 rainbows for every 2 feet of ground space. reason being if you not cater enough space for them to burrow, those whom are molting will become food for those who are not. When they are molting, they need hiding space and their new shell remains paper soft for at least 18 hours.

finally, you may want to post a picture of the halloween crab? Maybe some of the more experience crab keepers here can help.