Re: NANFA-- brackish water

Bruce Stallsmith (fundulus_at_hotmail.com)
Wed, 23 Oct 2002 18:39:36 -0400

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I'd say that your friend with the hermits is keeping them in water that
might be described as slightly high in ionic content, i.e. it's freshwater.
The crabs will live in it but face enough osmoregulatory problems so that
they're ill disposed to reproduce. Does your friend think it's an especially
good idea to keep them in freshwater? I know that it's easier than saltwater
in many ways, but... One can also keep larger crabs such as blue crabs and
lady crabs in freshwater for extended periods before the crabs will usually
suddenly die. They certainly won't reproduce, the two species I mentioned
reproduce optimally at about 20 ppt salinity if I remember correctly
(seawater being about 35 ppt).

--Bruce Stallsmith
Huntsville, AL, US of A
no estuaries around here!

>From: Moontanman_at_aol.com
>Reply-To: nanfa_at_aquaria.net
>To: nanfa_at_aquaria.net
>Subject: NANFA-- brackish water
>Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2002 18:27:20 EDT
>
>My question concerning brackish water has to with a marine aquarist that
>has
>found that blue legged hermit crabs will live in freshwater. I know there
>is
>one species of freshwater hermit crab in the same genus (Clibanarius). I
>wanted to get a grip on what he was terming freshwater and brackish water.
>His water is at 1.001 and is keeping blue legged hermits long term but
>doesn't report any reproduction.
>
>Moon

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