patrick timlin wrote:No, not at all. Normally, at least with the US Gulf Coast species that I am familiar with, water quality within their burrows is usually very bad (high in Nitrogenous compounds and sulfides). The tidal movements handle refreshing the water in a daily basis. I offered a general guideline to salnity requirements. I do not know a lot about their physiology but from a zoogeographical standpoint, speciation is determined by levels of salnity within a range. In areas of higher salnity, one species is dominant -- while in areas of a lower salnity, another would be. In Mobile Bay, here in southern Alabama, we have 4 or 5 species of Fiddler Crab. Their ranges are strictly defined by the various salnity regiments within the bay. However, if I take an average salinity (say around 15ppt), I find that all of the species adjust quite well to it. Reasons, I do not know. I am a fish biologist anyway. : )
> My other understanding is that they are VERY particular about good
> water conditions and really require (again for long term health) very
> clean water.
patrick timlin wrote:I agree with the water changes statement but disagree that water quality would be hard to duplicate in the home aquarium. In many cases, the tidal waters are not that clean (in a water quality sense). Perhaps in totally marine habitats along coastlines and such but not always the case in the typical salt marsh or estuary. Usually in enclosed waters, high amounts of Nitrogenous compounds, Phosphates, Sulfides compounded with high biological oxygen demands from organics and sediment loads in the water column produce poor water quality. An aquarium would be a dream compared to this.
> They are really tidal creatures who spend almost ALL of
> their time out of water, but in a damp area where the tides
> bring in organic stuff to feed off of, while at the same time
> providing very clean (tides are like endless water changes
> for them) water conditions. These are two things hard to
> duplicate in the home aquarium.
Last modified: December 22, 2001