It is fascinating and cool having a shrimp or a crab in a tank, but have you thought about having both of them together in the same tank? If you’re reading this article, it means you have thought or imagined doing it, but the problem is, you’re not entirely sure if they could go well together in a tank. Shrimp and crab are in the same family of crustacean, so can they make good tank mates? Let’s find out.
Can crabs and shrimps live together? No, crabs and shrimps does not make good tank mates. Crabs will kill and eat shrimps at any slightest opportunity they get.
Crabs are know to kill and eat whatever they could, especially when they’re hungry or desperate, so keeping shrimps with them is very risky because they will definitely take on your shrimps.
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When it comes to crustacean family, shrimp is the weakest and the most fragile, so both crayfish and crabs can easily take on them.
So trying to keep them together with either crayfish or crab is a risky thing to do, unless you want to feed the crabs, because shrimp is one of their tasty meals.
They love eating shrimps.
Related: Can 2 hermit crabs share 1 shell?
When finding a tank mate for your pet, another thing to look at is the behavior of your pet and it’s prospective mates.
Keeping two bottom dwellers who are antagonistic to each other is very risky.
Both shrimp and crab are bottom dwellers, so keeping them together will make the crabs to easily get them, but if they’re surface dwellers, it will be very hard for them to stand on crabs way who are bottom dwellers.
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Also the water parameters and water type might not match that of the shrimps, and so keeping them in the same tank might hurt one of them and favor one of them.
So they’re not compatible to stay in one tank.
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Crabs and shrimps are not suitable tank mates, but there are some species of crabs that could not harm shrimps, like the Thai micro crabs.
Do Small Crabs eat Shrimp?
Shrimps are big and gentle, while some crabs are big too, but is it possible for small crabs to eat shrimp?
Do Small crabs eat shrimps? Crabs are scavengers and would eat anything, no matter their size.
Crab wether big or small will eat anything it can, especially dead animals like fish, shrimp etc.
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So small crabs will eat shrimp, especially if the shrimp is dead.
Can Micro Crabs live with Shrimp?
The Thai micro spider crabs are the smallest specie of crabs and so is a prey to other species of crab. They’re very gentle and peaceful, no wonder they make good tank mates to many aquarium animals.
Can Micro Crabs live with Shrimp? Yes, Thai micro spider crabs are peaceful and will not harm shrimps in a tank.
Earlier in this article, I mentioned this specie of crab as the only crab that is as peaceful as shrimp, and so will not try to harm them, and the shrimp will not try to harm it too, so they’re compatible tank mates.
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If you’re looking for a perfect tank mate for this specie of crab, then dwarf shrimp is the best mate they can have.
Can Fiddler Crabs live with Shrimp?
Also you might be wondering if Fiddler crabs will be suitable for shrimps.
Fiddler crabs cannot live together with Shrimps, or they will kill and eat the shrimps.
Related: Will Sunfish and Cichlids get along Peacefully?
This specie of crab, just like many other species could kill and eat anything they could, especially smaller animals.
So they can’t be kept with shrimps, unless you want to feed them with the shrimps because they will naturally see shrimps as potential meal.
