EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VAMPIRE CRABS | Geosesarma SP
Vampire crabs, Geosesarma SP, are small, freshwater crabs (crustaceans) native to the rainforests of Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia. They are low-maintenance pets but there are some really important things you need to know to keep them happy and healthy. I’ve also listed quite a few videos in this guide, so make sure you check them out.
If you are keeping Lepidothelphusa SP | Sarawak land crabs | by The Arbitrary Lens 🎲 | May, 2023 | Medium < This guide is for you!
ENCLOSURE & ENVIRONMENT BASICS
Vampire crabs are quite small, with a maximum size of about 2 inches, so they do not require a large enclosure. That said there are still some important rules to follow A 5-gallon tank is the minimum size recommended for a group of three crabs (1 male 2 female), but a larger tank will provide more space for the crabs to explore and establish territories.
It is important to provide plenty of hiding spots for the crabs, as they are shy and prefer to have places to retreat to. Coconut coir, cork bark, and live plants can all be used to create a natural and comfortable environment for your crabs. The more natural you make it the more active and visible your crabs will be. Remember they are rainforest crabs so try to emulate that.
Vampire crabs need a warm, humid environment, with a humidity level of 75% or higher. A humidifier can be used to increase the humidity, or you can mist the enclosure regularly with a water bottle.
WATER SECTION RULES:
Water temperature: 22–25°C (71–78°F)
PH: Between 7.5–8.0
KH (carbonate hardness): Between 0–10
GH (general hardness) Between 4–16
Nitrate: Lower than 20 ppm
Air Temperature: 22–28°C (71–82°F)
Overnight lows and daily highs are normal, so if your tank goes from 20–30c over a 24hr period (slowly) that is perfectly fine. This is very similar to what happens in nature. Though you will need a heater for your tank during colder months of the year.
CAN YOU MIX VAMPIRE CRAB SPECIES? (COLOURS)
The simple answer to the question is NO and the complicated answer to this question is NO. Mixing Geosesarma species with any other species of crabs will lead to warfare and death! It might not happen right away but it’s a ticking time bomb and eventually the different species will start killing eachother.
What kind of Water Should You Use?
Do not use RO (reverse osmosis water) unless you plan to remineralise it. Vampire crabs need a lot of minerals in their water to survive so RO on it’s own will eventually kill them.
Tap water works fine as long as you dechlorinate it first. Typical aquarium dechlorination products work fine.
IMPORTANT! It is important to have a lid on the tank to prevent the crabs from escaping.
SUBSTRATE & LAND
Vampire crabs require a substrate that is able to hold moisture and maintain a high level of humidity. Coconut coir or sphagnum moss work well as substrate materials. However, I’ve found that the best substrate you can use is just plain old fashioned dirt. It allows vampire crabs to burrow the best and seems to promote breeding much more than fancy soil mixes.
In the water section of the enclosure, a sandy substrate is recommended. On the land area, a dry/moist soil mix that the crabs can burrow into is needed. Bonsai soil mixed with coconut fibre is a good option. It is important to avoid using materials that can become compacted and make it difficult for the crabs to burrow.
ENVIRONMENT SETUP RULES
Vampire crabs require an environment that is heavily planted, with about 80% land and 20% water. Taller plants and branches that the crabs can climb on and hide in are recommended. A variety of hiding spots, both in the water and on land, should be provided. Some suggested plant ideas include:
Pilea Peperomioides
Hypoestes
Climbing ivy
Asparagus fern
Peace lily
Tradescantia
Dwarf banana plants
and any type of ferns or moss.
Any plant commonly used in a terrarium will work well. In the water section of the enclosure, any aquarium plants can be used. Vampire crabs have been observed to catch and eat Salvinia, a floating plant, in captivity.
VAMPIRE CRAB BEHAVIOUR
Vampire crabs are social creatures and should be kept in groups. It is recommended to have a ratio of one male to two females and to keep no more than three crabs per 5 gallons. It is important to provide plenty of hiding spots and enough space for all of the crabs to coexist peacefully.
While they are generally peaceful, males are territorial and will fight over females and resources. Each crab has a different personality and some may be more aggressive or social than others. Some can be outright murderous.
DON’T EXPECT TO SEE THEM OFTEN
Vampire crabs are nocturnal and will be most active at night. During the day, they will usually be found hiding in their burrows or among the plants in their enclosure. They are not particularly active creatures, but they do enjoy exploring their environment and may be seen climbing on plants or rocks. A blue RGB strip light can be used to observe the crabs at night. Captive-bred crabs are less shy and skittish so try to source captive-bred ones if you can.
VAMPIRE CRAB DIET & FOOD
Vampire crabs are omnivorous and will eat a variety of foods. In the wild, they primarily feed on small invertebrates and detritus (dead plant and animal matter). In captivity, they can be fed a variety of foods, including fruit, vegetables, and commercial crab pellets. Some suggested food options include boiled nettle, boiled spinach, boiled beans, boiled peas, boiled corn, boiled zucchini, banana, fish, shrimp, clams, snails, crickets, and other small bugs. Shrimp pellets are also a good option. It is important to provide a varied diet to ensure that your crabs receive all of the nutrients they need.
Live and fresh foods like cricket, mealworms shrimp fish, snails etc are also very good for their diet.
COINHABITANTS (LAND ANIMALS)
Springtails are super important to have in your vampire crab paludarium and without them your tank will more than likely fail.
Isopods are also beneficial to have in a crab enclosure, as they help to clean up any leftover food and crab waste. Though it’s best to have a side colony going as vampire crabs are prone to eating isopods to extinction pretty fast.
REMEMBER! Only keep one species of crab together. Mix colours/species almost always ends in death.
I highly suggest keeping a species only tank for vampire crabs with the exception of your cleanup crew of isopods, springtails and earthworms. Especially if you want the best chances of breeding and raising babies.
COINHABITANTS: FISH
This is where things get a little more tricky! A lot of people want to add fish to their vampire crab tanks which is perfectly ok BUT! There are some important things to consider!
First you need to make sure the fish you select has the required minimum amount of space (water volume) If your chosen species needs 10 gallons of water. Make sure you have 10 gallons of water for them to use.
Fish selection is also important, fast fish are best as they can usually escape any attempts to eat them. Most importantly avoid Beta fish as they have long fins and are easy targets for the crabs to catch. If they don’t catch them the first time. They will slowly rip your fishs fins.
Adding fish will also reduce you chance of vampire crab babies by more than 90% as vampire crab babies spend a lot of time in the water and on the waters edge the fish will pick them off pretty fast.
COINHABITANTS: SHRIMP & SNAILS
If fish are out of the question because you tank is a little too small you can consider adding shrimp Shrimp are a really good option to add as they are super fast and can almost always avoid being eaten.
While they have good survival odds your crabs will occasionally catch some shrimp and eat them, though if your tank is set up well your shrimp should breed faster than your crabs can eat them. Just make sure you only get neocaradina shrimp and not caradina shrimp as neos have very similar water requirements as vampire crabs.
Snails are also a given in vampire crab tanks so add as many as you like. With Ramshorn snails being the best option. Vampire crabs love to eat them and they bred pretty fast. I consider snails in the water as important as having springtails on the land.
BREEDING VAMPIRE CRABS
Vampire crabs are relatively easy to breed in captivity. They are sexually dimorphic, with males having larger claws and a more prominent abdomen than females. This video will explain the differences.
It is important to provide a suitable environment for breeding, including a high level of humidity and a substrate that is suitable for burrowing (Plain soil is best)
VAMPIRE CRAB MOLTING
Vampire crabs shed their skin from time to time in a process called molting. They will do so in the water, so it is important to ensure that they have easy access to the water and a soft substrate to dig around in. Once they shed their skin, they will usually hide for a week or so.
Their colour will also change during this period. Molting allows the crabs to regenerate lost limbs and to grow. It is a stressful process for the crabs and they should not be disturbed during this time.
Note: There are some species of Vampire Crabs (Mandarins) molt on land. How common this is among other species is not yet.
VAMPIRE CRAB LIFE SPAN
The average lifespan of a vampire crab is 2 -2.5 years. Sadly not very long.
BUYING VAMPIRE CRABS ONLINE & SHIPPING.
This is where things get really complicated! Purchasing Geosesarma SP (Vampire Crabs) is difficult. Most online sellers are usually sold out with no restocking times. Especially in the US. Which pushes people to international sellers.
The problem with international sellers is that the crabs are in transit for an even longer period of time which increases their chances of dying dramatically. Finally, international sellers usually don’t follow all the required custom and biosecurity rules properly so you may be liable for costs and penalties when they finally do arrive. Wild caught crabs may also be carrying diseases. So please do not use international sellers to buy these crabs online.
Below is a video that talks about all of the main causes of death.
Even with domestic and semi-local shipping a lot of crabs die in the shipping process. So if you are purchasing them online there is a high chance you will receive dead crabs or crabs that die within the first 2 weeks. Before you make a purchase online, check if there are any local breeders or sellers in your area, or nearby. You’re better off going for a short road trip to pick up crabs.
Finally, avoid any sellers that are offering rainbow packs or rainbow mixes. They clearly do not have your best interests in mind.
GRAB A POSTER & SUPPORT MY WORK
If you’d like a poster of the most popular vampire crab species in the hobby you can check out my store IndoorEcosystem You’ll also be able to grab an ebook that covers all of the stuff in this guide in far more detail soon. So keep an eye out for it over on Amazon! Thanks for the support!
Most of the Known Species of Vampire Crab
Geosesarma species at a glance
- Geosesarma aedituens Naruse & Jaafar, 2009
- Geosesarma albomita Yeo & Ng, 1999
- Geosesarma amphinome (De Man, 1899)
- Geosesarma angustifrons (A. Milne-Edwards, 1869)
- Geosesarma araneum (Nobili, 1899)
- Geosesarma aurantium Ng, 1995
- Geosesarma bau Ng & Jongkar, 2004
- Geosesarma bicolor Ng & Davie, 1995
- Geosesarma bintan T. M. Leong, 2014
- Geosesarma cataracta ng, 1986
- Geosesarma celebense (Schenkel, 1902)
- Geosesarma clavicrure (Schenkel, 1902)
- Geosesarma confertum (Ortmann, 1894)
- Geosesarma danumense Ng, 2003
- Geosesarma dennerle (Ng, Schubart & Lukhaup, 2015)
- Geosesarma foxi (Kemp, 1918)
- Geosesarma gordonae (Serène, 1968)
- Geosesarma gracillimum ((De Man, 1902))
- Geosesarma hagen (Ng, Schubart & Lukhaup, 2015)
- Geosesarma hednon (Ng, Liu & Schubart, 2003)
- Geosesarma ianthina Pretzmann, 1985
- Geosesarma insulare Ng, 1986
- Geosesarma johnsoni (Serène, 1968)
- Geosesarma katibas ng, 1995
- Geosesarma krathing Ng & Naiyanetr, 1992
- Geosesarma lawrencei Manuel-Santos & Yeo, 2007
- Geosesarma leprosum (Schenkel, 1902)
- Geosesarma maculatum (De Man, 1892)
- Geosesarma malayanum Ng & Lim, 1986
- Geosesarma nannophyes (De Man, 1885)
- Geosesarma nemesis Ng, 1986
- Geosesarma noduliferum (De Man, 1892)
- Geosesarma notophorum Ng & C. G. S. Tan, 1995
- Geosesarma ocypodum (Nobili, 1899)
- Geosesarma penangense (Tweedie, 1940)
- Geosesarma peraccae (Nobili, 1903)
- Geosesarma protos Ng & Takeda, 1992
- Geosesarma rathbunae (Serène, 1968)
- Geosesarma rouxi (Serène, 1968)
- Geosesarma sabanum Ng, 1992
- Geosesarma sarawakense (Serène, 1968)
- Geosesarma scandens ng, 1986
- Geosesarma serenei Ng, 1986
- Geosesarma solomonense (Serène, 1968)
- Geosesarma starmühlneri Pretzmann, 1984
- Geosesarma sumatraense Ng, 1986
- Geosesarma sylvicola (De Man, 1892)
- Geosesarma ternatense (Serène, 1968)
- Geosesarma teschi Ng, 1986
- Geosesarma thelxinoe (De Man, 1908)
- Geosesarma tiomanicum Ng, 1986
- Geosesarma vicentense (Rathbun, 1914)
