Found some info on an african species that appears to do well in rift lake setups:
Written by Antonis Roussos:
Clibanarius africanus is an African type of a hermit brackish water crab not very well known known in the hobby. This is mainly due to the prohibition of import of crustaceans from many countries around the world; it is very difficult for the average hobbyist to find it and keep this magnificent species in his tank.
What is a hermit crab? A hermit crab is surely one of the most enchanting creatures on the planet. In order to survive and protect themselves from predators they inhabit shells whose previous natural owners have died. The hermit crab selects a shell appropriate to its size. That is to say, not very big to be moved with this attached on his body, but at the same time not too small either.
Once a shell is chosen the action begins! A hermit continuously envies and desires the shells of others; it patrols around checking shells and when it decides it likes one it begins a fight to get it. Considering that shells do not exist always in abundance and that the crab’s body grows continuously, it is easy to understand why there is so much envy between these creatures for their shells.
Natural habitat and behavior
Clibanarius africanus lives in small lakes of West Africa, situated near the Atlantic Ocean. The waters of these lakes are brackish as fresh waters get mixed with tidal waters from the ocean twice daily.
These lakes are home to rich underwater life. It is maybe true that their biodiversity cannot compare favourably to the diversity of the big lakes in the Rift Valley of Eastern Africa; on the other hand it is very interesting and impressive. The lakes are also home to the gastropods Tympanotonus fuscatus which live there in large numbers. There they mate and die, leaving a substantial number of shells at the disposal of our hermit crabs Clibanarius africanus.
This particular type of hermit crab lives where the waters of the ocean meet the freshwater of the lakes. The explanation for this is their feeding needs: hermit crabs are scavengers feeding on the remails of dead animals, which are deposited there having being carried away by the strong currents in the area. The hermits' diet diet consists of bodies of mammals, jellyfishes and fishes. When they do not eat, the hermits fight. They are aware that the shell they carry cannot be their one and only house for the rest of their lives so they constantly engage in disputes to acquire a new dwelling: a new shell of a dead Tympanotonus fuscatus!
Fighting in my tank
I put 4 individuals of the species with 6 Altolamprologus calvus. From the very first moment the crabs were very active. They were constantly moving, exploring every inch of their aquarium, checking the bottom for the smallest piece of food. They where eating every kind of food I was offering them and did not seem to have any problem with the parameters of the fresh - as opposed to brackish - water in their tank. In addition they did not seem to be aggressive and they would pass by each other without initiating fights or even showing any kind of curiosity about each other's shells.
All was going well until on my return home one evening I witnessed a battle. The larger of the crabs in the aquarium was fighting for a smaller shell! In the end it succeeded to strip the other crab from its shell. The smaller crab was in the middle of the tank “naked” trying desperately to regain his lost house. I began to feel pity for the small creature. Fortunately, the big crab realized that his own shell was much better and bigger so he left it again at the disposal of his ex-holder. All this resulted in a unprotected – for at least some minutes- crab and a lot of tension. Fortunately the battle happened in a dark aquarium and the micro-predatory Altolamprologus calvus did not have the chance to attack the small unprotected crab.
The unhappy end
After a few weeks Clibanarius africanus began to attract the attention of my Altolamprologus. Cichlids, by comparison to the majority of other fishes, are extremely intelligent. Thus my Altolamprologus found a way to cause important damage to the relatively small decapoda. After realizing that their lives were in danger I tried to transport the hermits to a new tank. This proved to be impossible as the hermits took refuge amongst the big piles of rock in the tank. I decided to remove the rocks in order to get to them; yet the Altolabrologus were quicker than me. By the next day they had killed the hermits without however eating them. Yes, that is right: my Ciclhids killed the hermits to play and satisfy their curiosity. They were not hungry, they were just curious. I felt very bad for the small creatures. But I learned my lesson.Clibanarius africanus requires a careful choice of tank mates. Aggressive fish, predators and micro-predators should be avoided. The hermits' shells do not offer sufficient protection against smart and quick Cichlids.
My cichlids were faster than me … I felt very angry with myself but I believe that mistakes are part of the hobby and that our experiences should be shared to ensure fellow hobbyists learn from them. Putting a non-Tanganyikan crab into a Tanganyika tank was just a big mistake. Compatibility is one of the biggest chapters in the history of fishkeeping and should never be underestimated.
Photos by the author.
Bibliography:
Pauly, D., On the ecology of a small West-African lagoon, 1974
Webb, J. E.., The Ecology of Lagos-Laggon. I. The Laggoons of the Guinea Coast, Phil Trans (B) 241, 1958, pp. 307-317
Written by Antonis Roussos:
Clibanarius africanus is an African type of a hermit brackish water crab not very well known known in the hobby. This is mainly due to the prohibition of import of crustaceans from many countries around the world; it is very difficult for the average hobbyist to find it and keep this magnificent species in his tank.
What is a hermit crab? A hermit crab is surely one of the most enchanting creatures on the planet. In order to survive and protect themselves from predators they inhabit shells whose previous natural owners have died. The hermit crab selects a shell appropriate to its size. That is to say, not very big to be moved with this attached on his body, but at the same time not too small either.
Once a shell is chosen the action begins! A hermit continuously envies and desires the shells of others; it patrols around checking shells and when it decides it likes one it begins a fight to get it. Considering that shells do not exist always in abundance and that the crab’s body grows continuously, it is easy to understand why there is so much envy between these creatures for their shells.
Natural habitat and behavior
Clibanarius africanus lives in small lakes of West Africa, situated near the Atlantic Ocean. The waters of these lakes are brackish as fresh waters get mixed with tidal waters from the ocean twice daily.
These lakes are home to rich underwater life. It is maybe true that their biodiversity cannot compare favourably to the diversity of the big lakes in the Rift Valley of Eastern Africa; on the other hand it is very interesting and impressive. The lakes are also home to the gastropods Tympanotonus fuscatus which live there in large numbers. There they mate and die, leaving a substantial number of shells at the disposal of our hermit crabs Clibanarius africanus.
This particular type of hermit crab lives where the waters of the ocean meet the freshwater of the lakes. The explanation for this is their feeding needs: hermit crabs are scavengers feeding on the remails of dead animals, which are deposited there having being carried away by the strong currents in the area. The hermits' diet diet consists of bodies of mammals, jellyfishes and fishes. When they do not eat, the hermits fight. They are aware that the shell they carry cannot be their one and only house for the rest of their lives so they constantly engage in disputes to acquire a new dwelling: a new shell of a dead Tympanotonus fuscatus!
Fighting in my tank
I put 4 individuals of the species with 6 Altolamprologus calvus. From the very first moment the crabs were very active. They were constantly moving, exploring every inch of their aquarium, checking the bottom for the smallest piece of food. They where eating every kind of food I was offering them and did not seem to have any problem with the parameters of the fresh - as opposed to brackish - water in their tank. In addition they did not seem to be aggressive and they would pass by each other without initiating fights or even showing any kind of curiosity about each other's shells.
All was going well until on my return home one evening I witnessed a battle. The larger of the crabs in the aquarium was fighting for a smaller shell! In the end it succeeded to strip the other crab from its shell. The smaller crab was in the middle of the tank “naked” trying desperately to regain his lost house. I began to feel pity for the small creature. Fortunately, the big crab realized that his own shell was much better and bigger so he left it again at the disposal of his ex-holder. All this resulted in a unprotected – for at least some minutes- crab and a lot of tension. Fortunately the battle happened in a dark aquarium and the micro-predatory Altolamprologus calvus did not have the chance to attack the small unprotected crab.
The unhappy end
After a few weeks Clibanarius africanus began to attract the attention of my Altolamprologus. Cichlids, by comparison to the majority of other fishes, are extremely intelligent. Thus my Altolamprologus found a way to cause important damage to the relatively small decapoda. After realizing that their lives were in danger I tried to transport the hermits to a new tank. This proved to be impossible as the hermits took refuge amongst the big piles of rock in the tank. I decided to remove the rocks in order to get to them; yet the Altolabrologus were quicker than me. By the next day they had killed the hermits without however eating them. Yes, that is right: my Ciclhids killed the hermits to play and satisfy their curiosity. They were not hungry, they were just curious. I felt very bad for the small creatures. But I learned my lesson.Clibanarius africanus requires a careful choice of tank mates. Aggressive fish, predators and micro-predators should be avoided. The hermits' shells do not offer sufficient protection against smart and quick Cichlids.
My cichlids were faster than me … I felt very angry with myself but I believe that mistakes are part of the hobby and that our experiences should be shared to ensure fellow hobbyists learn from them. Putting a non-Tanganyikan crab into a Tanganyika tank was just a big mistake. Compatibility is one of the biggest chapters in the history of fishkeeping and should never be underestimated.
Photos by the author.
Bibliography:
Pauly, D., On the ecology of a small West-African lagoon, 1974
Webb, J. E.., The Ecology of Lagos-Laggon. I. The Laggoons of the Guinea Coast, Phil Trans (B) 241, 1958, pp. 307-317
