# barnacle and fiddler crab question saving



## surfmom (Nov 3, 2012)

How should I store barnacles? Freeze them or frig? fiddler crabs how long will they stay alive?


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## surfmom (Nov 3, 2012)

no one knows?


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## Windjinx (Oct 15, 2011)

The fiddler crabs will live quite a while if you keep them cool, damp, and a little food. You can keep them for weeks that way. Or you can vacuum pack them live and freeze. But keeping them live would be first option. Barnacles I would probably, salt those down and freeze.


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## surfmom (Nov 3, 2012)

what kind of food? and keeping them damp should I just use ocean water or can I use water and sea salt?


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## Windjinx (Oct 15, 2011)

Any water but tap water will do. Just dampen newspaper or cardboard eggs cartons. They will eat just about any type of food scraps or left over bait. Just a few small pieces. They don't need much.


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## LTB (Nov 14, 2012)

I've kept them alive for weeks using damp loaf bread. One slice goes a long way.


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## John Smith_inFL (Nov 22, 2009)

I just put up 3 dozen fiddlers from last weekend - - - 
rinse them with fresh water, let air dry a little bit, put in small paper bag,
vacuum seal and freeze.

the reason for the paper bag, or just wrap in newspaper is so their sharp elbows won't drop your vacuum.
Or, just put in zip-top bag and suck the air out with a soda straw as much as you can. then freeze.

I have really wanted to start a crab box - like at the bait store. Some salt water, sand, rocks and recirculating
water pump from Lowe's. The salt kit is available in stores and e-bay.
I can't find information online yet as to the life cycle and mating habits of fiddlers.
am sure they need the right salinity, sunlight, warmth and rock/water habitat to mate and lay eggs. (just a thought)


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## RoryGoggin (Jan 6, 2005)

Barnacles? No clue. Sorry.

Fiddler crabs? Here's what I've got. At the shop we keep them in a large plastic storage bin with egg crates that we keep re-moistening with water from the bait-fish tank and sometimes add sugar to it which they seem to like. However, we are only trying to keep them alive at most two weeks, as they sell quickly and we can get more every time the tide-cycle comes around until the weather is too cool to get them. (And that is why we freeze about 1/2 of them during the season. But remember, freeze them ALIVE.) 

We do have a customer that told me he set up a baby-pool with a "beach" set up inside it and he said he keeps his last harvest of fiddler crabs alive in that with brackish water never changed and doesn't feed them, just the mud they came with. They need the water and they need to be able to get out of it and they need to be able to get away from each other and they eat detritus. 

Hope this helps.


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## surfmom (Nov 3, 2012)

thanks all!


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