Little Creature of Grass Tank – Mini Chili Crab 

Many people will think of adding some other species to the tank to make the tank less monotonous. Newcomers to fish farming will choose a cute aquarium creature like the mini chili crab, which is small and cute and is popular among aquarium enthusiasts.

The introduction of mini chili crab

The mini chili crab is a subspecies of mud crab, native to the estuary vapor waters of China, Japan, and Korea in Asia.

It is a wild cave-dwelling species of saltwater crab that can survive in freshwater conditions, it does not have a bright color and is generally ornamental. Because it is small and cute, it becomes a popular ornamental pet crab in the past two years.

Mini chili crab has a body length of 1-2cm, a life span of 2-5 years, and is suitable for feeding in a water temperature of 10-28° and neutral water, 2-4 times a year, the young crabs are egg-shaped and look like shrimp bodies. They are fast crawlers, nocturnal and do not like light, and live in groups on mud or rocky bottoms.

It is not suitable for deep water feeding, some individuals can survive for a few months in deep water situations, but the probability of long-term survival is not high. They are not instrumental creatures, do not eat more algae than a black-shelled shrimp, and do not eat worms. It does not hurt fish and shrimp and can be mixed with mild small fish, and medium-sized fish. But it needs to pay attention that the feeding density is 5 in 30 liters fish tanks, and 100 liters fish tanks breed about 20.

It is worth mentioning that mini chili crab has a unique regenerative property. It has a strong regenerative power as its legs can be truncated by self-perception, and can soon grow back through cell division. They can be cultured in deep water under an artificial environment and is very dependent on oxygen, and deep water culture requires oxygen pumps to replenish. Mini chili crabs generally will die due to unstable water quality. Now the mini chili crab sold in the market is this freshwater crab, also known as the desalinated Tan’s mud crab, generally does not recommend bare tank deep water farming.

How to keep mini chili crab in grass fish tank

The mini chili crab is not smart, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get them to thrive. If you’re considering adding this crab to your fish tank, you should know the right way to do it.

First, know that they need warmer water than most fish. Usually, they prefer water temperatures of 10-28°and you can get an aquarium heater to set the temperature. The water portion of the tank should be filtered well. A standard hang-on canister filter or an under-gravel system are both good options. The mini chili crab can also go well with peaceful fish in the tank.

Here are more details about caring for mini chili crab.

Food：

Mini chili crab will feed by filtering food residues and particles from the sediment and scraping fruits, vegetables, and meat. In captivity, they can be fed algae flakes or meat, general fish feed, etc. Occasionally add some fruits and vegetables as nutritional supplements, and make sure to fish out any food that you can’t finish in time to avoid decay and deterioration.

Daily maintenance：

Keep the water clean, change the water 1/5 once a week. If there is a mud and sand bottom environment in the tank and an obvious sour smell, then you need to clean the substrates promptly.

Cautions:

1. Mini chili crab feeding without special salt, will not affect health.

They will eat a variety of feed, food scraps, or the carcasses of other fish and shrimp, and will even filter the excrement from other creatures to eat the incompletely digested parts.

2. They will hardly harm other fish and shrimps, but will eat other creatures that have died.

Feeding attention:

1. Raising fish first, good water quality is necessary for the survival of the fish.

2. It is usually recommended to use tap water that has been left for about 3-5 days so that the substances used for disinfection in tap water can evaporate.

3. Please try to add a water purifier, nitrifying bacteria, salt, and other products before entering the crab, if you add them halfway, please reduce the amount or try a small amount first.

4. Depending on the environment, fish, shrimp, crabs, and other living organisms will have different expressions. A cold, dark, and crowded environment often makes the creature’s color particularly deeper. In addition, the lighter environment leads to their lighter color of them.

Health:

Mini chili crabs are animals that require extra attention to health. It is best to disinfect the substrate before use. For sand and gravel substrate, soak in potassium permanganate for 20 minutes before use. Remember to wash your hands absolutely after replacing the substrate.

How to keep the Mini Chili Crab in a deep fish tank

Generally speaking, not every mini chili crab can adapt to a deep water environment, so raising alone or keeping it in shallow water is preferable. However, chili crabs can also be successfully raised in deep water, it requiring two conditions. First, an adequate supply of oxygen from the air pump; and second, it needs to set up a ladder for the crab to climb up for air (water feature trees are also available).

Since mini chili crabs are likely to be considerate feeders, and the water in a grass tank is often clear to the bottom, such an environment is not convenient for these little cuties to feed, so it is recommended to build a feeding box, (next to a breathable ladder, so that chili crabs can climb up), on top of the grass tank.

The water depth should preferably be kept at about 13 cm, and the bottom of the water can be covered with some sand or put sunken wood so that it can climb and rest. As an omnivore, you can usually feed some spirulina powder or fungus shrimp eggs.