Help! Is My Fiddler Crab Or Sick Or Stressed?

HI – I am brand new to the hobby and foolishly listened to the 14 year olds at Petco when I bought a female fiddler crab. Before I get yelled at, I was told at Petco that she lives under water all the time as she has gills. After I reached at home (I know I should have done that first) I learned she needs a dry land spot. I added a magnetic turtle island (5 inch x 5 inch) in the corner and lowered the water level of the tank. I used a bamboo plant as a ladder. I have seen her climb up and down and rest on the island several times. The tank is also brackish as I added 2 tablespoons of aquarium salt to the tank when I started it 7 months ago. When I do a water change, I added in the appropriate amount of salt.

For 3 weeks she seemed happy and healthy. She would move gently from spot to spot, scavenger through the sand, sit under the river rocks, etc. 3 days ago she started running her claws over her body. It looked as if she was trying to scratch herself. For the past 2 days she has been frantically walking from side to side, against the glass and trying to climb up the tank wall. She doesn’t stop at all. Last night, she did stop briefly to eat a blood worm and then went right back to frantic mode. I have seen her walk up the bamboo ladder and to the dry island 3 times, but she only stays out of the water for a few seconds and goes right back down.

The tank is essentially 9 gallons (after lowering the water level) and I have one male betta and two tiny bumblebee gobies. The parameters are:

Ammonia – 0
Ph. – 7.5
Nitrite – .5
Nitrate – 0
KH - 30
Water hardness – 60 – I only use bottled spring water for the tank

The substrate is sand and I have several live plants and 3 marimo moss balls which she used sit atop and munch on. I feed the fish a good variety of food and have seen her eating bits of freeze dried blood worms, frozen blood worms, freeze dried brine shrimp and algae wafers. I usually soak the food in Vitachem as well.

Anyone know what’s going on with her? Is she molting? I realize made an ignorant mistake purchasing her, but she will surely die if I return her to Petco. Can anyone help?

Thanks!!

 

Welcome to FishLore!

Don't feel bad, your not the first 9and surely not the last) person to get bad advice from the "experts" at a per store.

I did want to mention that technically, adding aquarium salt to water does not make the water brackish. To get true brackish water you need to add marine salt to the water. I'm not sure it makes a difference you this case or not though. But I do know that marine salt has a lot of minerals marine life require.

Well, sadly that's all the help I can be, since I have never kept fiddler crabs and the real reason I responded was to welcome you to the site.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful, but someone who can be more helpful should come along soon.

Best of luck!

 

Thanks for the welcome and the advice. I wonder if adding marine salt will hurt the other fish? I've read bumblebees like brackish water but I don't know about the betta.

thanks again!

 

The betta will not tolerate salt. Nitrites should be at 0. That might be your problem.

 

I think I swapped my nitrate and nitrite numbers. I do weekly water changes of 25% and there is no leftover food in the tank. I'm very careful about feeding just enough and making sure everyone eats. I may have to setup a small tank just for the crab.

thanks!

 

Do you know your waters salinity?