Sand Fleas

[TonyD]

Anyone have experience keeping sand fleas in their tanks? I see them for sale every now and then from Marine Scene. Are they useful to have in a reef tank?

[jason the filter freak]

you have a link to what you're talking about, the sand fleas I'm thinking of and the sand fleas you've got to be describing have got to be two waaay different things

[gmubeach]

I think you mean like beach flea? they are a kind of large beach isopod we use them for bait.... I might be wrong though... they have two short mustace looking antena and alot of legs and 3 segments... anyway they lke to borrow and stuff ...if marine scene sells them maybe they know... I've never heard of them in a reef tank though I would check thier distrubtion I know they have them in florida... best wishes Troy

[davelin315]

Sand fleas are the same as mole crabs. They don't last too long in captivity IME as they are filter feeders that thrive in the intertidal zone where the waves crash. I have kept them before but they didn't last too long in my system, despite tons of nutrients. If you do want to keep them, I think fine particle food like cyclopeez is necessary. They are somewhat similar to a porcelain crab, but different in that they live in the sand and like tons of current.

[gmubeach]

Yep same thing ... if you have time or the desire you can get them from an ocean beach.. or some oceanic bait stores carry them...They kill the flounder that feed on them in the surf... anyway keep us updated if you decide to keep them.

[jason the filter freak]

Sand fleas are the same as mole crabs. They don't last too long in captivity IME as they are filter feeders that thrive in the intertidal zone where the waves crash. I have kept them before but they didn't last too long in my system, despite tons of nutrients. If you do want to keep them, I think fine particle food like cyclopeez is necessary. They are somewhat similar to a porcelain crab, but different in that they live in the sand and like tons of current.

 

thank you thats what i thought on a secondary note, but i immediately jumped to the buggers that bite the crap out of you while you're at assatueague

[TonyD]

I have brought them back from the beach before and they have never lasted long in my tank either. But since they burrow in the sand, I thought they might be good sand stirrers. I've also brought back tiny beach clams too, but they became food for my hermit crabs.

Edited June 28, 2010 by TonyD

[Noobalicious]

i think they depend on the intertidal area to live...very hard to reproduce the same living conditions in a home tank

[gmubeach]

Yea I know what you mean about those things that bite you at the beach I always thought they were flys or something or actual fleas... these are something diffrent.... anyway be careful some species of stuff do diffrent things in diffrent waters for instance... the narsusis snails from coral reefs are generally reef safe.. the ones from the obx are preditory .