[owenp]

Has anyone heard of an additive which causes hardback crabs to peel in a tank?

A couple of people have told me about it but I'm not convinced it's true.

Owen

 

[terry f.]

Don`t know about getting them to peel.....but how does a crab manage to drive a tank......I`d have thought there little claws would be too small.

Sorry mate....couldn`t resist.
Terry F.

 

[dai english]

hi m8, don't realy know but , i do know that you can buy farmed crabs ,so i don't see why not . although it might take some time to sort out water temps and sutch like .you might won't to have a chat to chrisP in the chat room, i know he knows a lot about tanked bait and would be glad to help .let us know the out come please hope it helps .

 

[stinky]

Make sure they have fresh sea water regularly and they should peel with higher temperature of your set up.

 

[ChrisP]

You have to undersand crabs to get them to peel in a tank. Crabs you will be surprised to hear have their skeleton on the outside, now that causes problems when it comes to the birds and bees bit of crabbys life. The male has to have a new dangly bit to be able to mate so as soon as the temperature of the water is high enough he peels to get ready for loooooooove, first in the queue. He can do this about twice a year on average as loosing the shell and creating a new one takes a lot out of him.

Now he has his new bits he goes in search of a female. The females send out a scent into the water, Pheromones, that tells the males she is ready to peel. Whilst she is in her armour it works like a chastity belt, males cannot mate but as soon as she sheds the shell she can which is why you get a male carry a female round. She will allways be a peeler or a softy.

The peeling process is temperature dependant as they need warmth to harden their shells off, that is why you quite often find a softy just under the weed, it is warmer than in water or tucked under a rock.

What you need to do is create a tank with warmth, shelter and oxygenated sea water. Put crabs in there that have not peeled yet this year and you will make them peel. Check them every day and you will find the ones that are popping. You take these out and put them in the fridge. This slows down the process and holds them at the popping stage. If you leave them in the tank they will peel and suck in water to expand their soft shell to leave room for this years growth. That is why softies are so watery and peelers are so concentrated as they expell water to shrink the new soft shell away from their old one.

Fish must be able to sniff out the pheromones the females release which make peeler such a good bait. Once the female has shed the shell she stops making the pheromone as within a couple of tides she will be in her chastity belt again and not able to mate until the next time she peels.

 

[owenp]

You have to undersand crabs to get them to peel in a tank. Crabs you will be surprised to hear have their skeleton on the outside, now that causes problems when it comes to the birds and bees bit of crabbys life. The male has to have a new dangly bit to be able to mate so as soon as the temperature of the water is high enough he peels to get ready for loooooooove, first in the queue. He can do this about twice a year on average as loosing the shell and creating a new one takes a lot out of him.

Now he has his new bits he goes in search of a female. The females send out a scent into the water, Pheromones, that tells the males she is ready to peel. Whilst she is in her armour it works like a chastity belt, males cannot mate but as soon as she sheds the shell she can which is why you get a male carry a female round. She will allways be a peeler or a softy.

The peeling process is temperature dependant as they need warmth to harden their shells off, that is why you quite often find a softy just under the weed, it is warmer than in water or tucked under a rock.

What you need to do is create a tank with warmth, shelter and oxygenated sea water. Put crabs in there that have not peeled yet this year and you will make them peel. Check them every day and you will find the ones that are popping. You take these out and put them in the fridge. This slows down the process and holds them at the popping stage. If you leave them in the tank they will peel and suck in water to expand their soft shell to leave room for this years growth. That is why softies are so watery and peelers are so concentrated as they expell water to shrink the new soft shell away from their old one.

Fish must be able to sniff out the pheromones the females release which make peeler such a good bait. Once the female has shed the shell she stops making the pheromone as within a couple of tides she will be in her chastity belt again and not able to mate until the next time she peels.

Thanks for that Chris.

Could you give me an idea of how warm the water in the tank should be?

Thanks,

Owen

 

[ChrisP]

Never got technical enough to measure the temp of the water to be honest. It is, I would immagine, at the mean air temperature which is bound to be higher than the temp of the sea, that is enough. As soon as you tank them, if they havn't allready peeled this year they will start to pop within a few days.

The hard bit is recognising the crabs that have not peeled yet, when you work that one out give me a shout.

 

[Tozer]

would this work say collecting crabs in becember and keeping them in tanks? how hand y would it be to have a supply of fresh peelers then!!!
i'm gooing to try it next winter i think, if i just keep them like fish and feed them up i might get lucky!!!

 

[Fishery Pokery]

What do you feed them whilst they are in the tank?

 

[ChrisP]

Aquariums use frozen sandeel

 

[Tozer]

i just thought any old bait i have, they seem to enjoy stripping the hooks when i'm fishing often enough,