We've got crabs-by accident!

Help us please. We have been to the beach at Southport today, and the kids have collected shells and brought them home. They have washed them out-and in one we found baby crabs-AAARRRGGGHH-panic stations. We have a tropical aquarium, so the choice is this-how do I save these tiddlers and keep safe until I can take them back, or--and don`t go mad-do I feed them to my fish?? I will have to do it later when the kids are in bed ( if my son doesnt take them up to his room-he is talking like they are his pets now), but this is a moral dilemma because they would have been fine if we hadnt interfered-but the fish havent ate live food for a while. Not that that is an excuse or anything.

 

The question is.....are you going to be able to keep them alive until you can get them back to the beach? I don't think that you are going to be able to recreate their environment or food sources. If this is the case, putting them in your fish tank would probably be better than a slow death.

 

I tend to agree-I have three huge clown loach-they cleared out the tank of water snails it would be a very quick death for them.

I will table a quick family meet to discuss it with them all.

 

Okay, we discussed it and they made the very hasty decision to chuck em in with the fish. Not quite the bleeding hearts I took them for it seems.

They sank to the bottom hid under some of the gravel-and its between them and the fish now.

 

They won't survive in fresh water for long anyway. Under the circumstances it seems like the best option.:(

 

Lesson learned, THOROUGHLY clean out shells at the beach from now on.

 

Just wait until they colonise your tank and eat the fish:D

 

Well if they can make it they can, I would give em a fighting chance.

 

never fancied havin crabs but my mate had em said they nip like mad:D:D

 

Inter, he should have put honey on them, it doesn't kill them but it rots their teeth.:D