Crab Live Box

[HARDY26]

My old crab Live box finally bit the dust and now it is time to build a new one. My old box was 5' x 4' x 3 foot deep and it was hard to dip the crabs out of it. I have seen larger box's like 7 x 4 that look to be about 8 inches deep. I would like some opinions on the best type of live boxes and maybe if someone had a design I could follow I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks..Tim

[POLECAT]

I helped my grandfather build several of them when I was in my early teens. Not much to building one............ Most of the lumber we used was found floating after storms. Typical dimention was 8' L X 3' or 4' W X 12" Deep. About 2" to 3" from the top edge we attached a 1" X 8" board that was perpindicular to the side walls. This board was attached completely around the perimeter and it provided additional buoyancy so the sides would ride higher above the water surface. There was also another 1" X 4" board attached to the extreme top, encasing the inside wall, which prevented the crabs from climbing out.
Nowadays, 4" schedule 40 (or lighter) PVC is used to encircle the live box for buoyancy.

[Durado]

I'm in the process of making a large one as well. Using angle Iron (Galvanized) and steel mesh. Welding it all. I'll post pics when it's complete. It will not float (obviously) but rather sit on the bottom when the upper water column gets too warm as well, haven't seen a heron yet that can spear a crab 8 ft down. [smile]

[POLECAT]

Durado,
Ya gotta show us a picture of the winching system when your project is complete.[grin]
Make that cage big 'cause they don't like to be cramped up. Too many in a small container will cause lots to die.
I found out the hard way.[sad]

[Durado]

I sure will.
Any help and tips would be greatly appreciated.[smile]

[Burchbeer]

Interesting!
No Cramping like Jerry said or they will die.

Post a Pix when done if able!

[Capt.Nick]

Cramped.... I used to have a simple live box that I made out of 2x4s & chicken wire.It was 4x8ft.by 2ft.deep.with floats on the sides & ends.A bushel was max.or they would eat eachother up.

[HARDY26]

I saw a live box over the weekend that I believe it is what I'm looking for, my only question is about using treated lumber somebody told me that there is toxins in the treated lumber that will kill the crabs. Has anybody ever heard of this?

Tim
.

[Durado]

I know treated lumber is full of arsenic, so it wouldn't surprise me.
The key to keeping crabs from eating each other is keeping them feed. Feed them everyday and they'll be fine.

[paxfish]

What's this about the "cramping" of crabs? I typically collect a couple of dozen over the course of a week, and they seem to survive fine in a keeper pot about the same size as a crab pot.

Once in a while, I'll find an empty shell in there, but my guess is that a crab had shed and the other guys ate it.

Other than that, I don't really see any undue mortality.

How cramped is cramped?