Shrimps And Crabs

Shrimps and crabs have been familiar oddball additions to aquaria for years but are now starting to get the attention they deserve.

Fancy shrimp have become very popular and many colour varieties have been bred from wild ancestors which are drab in comparison. A great choice for small tanks, species such as Crystal and Cherry shrimps are a tempting snack for large fish and vulnerable to many of the medications which may be required to keep a community tank healthy. For these reasons, they’re usually kept in specialised set ups alongside carefully selected tankmates.

Crabs are often unsuitable for a general aquarium, with many of them requiring areas of dry land and the more aquatic species being rather predatory. In the right conditions they make excellent pets, especially those such as the Vampire crab which reproduce readily in captivity.

Crayfish complete the set and are represented by a single species in the UK market, all others being banned by current legislation. The Red-clawed crayfish is a rather lobster-like beast capable of catching and eating fish tankmates but a fascinating pet in the right home.