# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna > Invertebrates >  New mini crab

## dzylim

I just got the below crab from a LFS. they are only as big as a 10 cents coin max and are already adult. i have 1 female that is already carrying eggs. They are just soooo cute.  :Grin:

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## Orion

These crabbies are fully aquatic?

How are they going to be fed and they look like land-based to me.

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## EvolutionZ

interesting! i have a empty guppy tank just thinking of something to add in.. can pm me how much you bought? and is that your crs tank?

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## Orion

Ya. Let everyone interested to know where to get them. :Wink:

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## dzylim

i got them from a LFS along Hougang ave 8. near the macdonalds. very limited stock. shop's name is natural view. 

they are semi aquatic like most crabs. full freshwater. so far they take frozen bloodworm well. 

this is my spare 1 ft tank

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## genes

They don't look aquatic to me because the hind legs are missing the flat paddling thingy? Perhaps thats why they are all hanging on top of your pipe above the water? Too long in the water, they drown.

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## skratikans

does anyone know their scientific name or common name?

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## Orion

The first picture is amusing...

Remind me of a sinking ship :Laughing:  now where is the captain?

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## Jungle-mania

> They don't look aquatic to me because the hind legs are missing the flat paddling thingy? Perhaps thats why they are all hanging on top of your pipe above the water? Too long in the water, they drown.


Yeah, you are right about that. Certainly doesn't look like an aquatic one. By the way, isn't most freshwater crabs more terrestrial than aquatic?

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## genes

> These crabbies are fully aquatic?
> 
> How are they going to be fed and they look like land-based to me.


They probably will try to grab onto any fishes they can with their pincers when hungry  :Grin: ... I would keep them in seperate tanks instead.

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## mackeith

do yo think they could live together peacefully with shrimps? or will become food for them?

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## Orion

Should we create a desert biotope for them and an oasis in between?

BTW AVA now very strict, bet these are legit :Opps: 




> do yo think they could live together peacefully with shrimps? or will become food for them?


Wow. Crabs and shrimps. I 
for the shrimps.

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## bliss01

> i got them from a LFS along Hougang ave 8. near the macdonalds. very limited stock. shop's name is natural view.


I frequent there too. went there yesteday,boss david show me the crabs and he told me that one of his regular brought away one crabbie heavliy pregnant

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## EvolutionZ

anyone got the scientific name? want to do some research on it.. might be keen on getting some though..

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## dzylim

I do not know the name for them too. i am keeping them in a separate tank from my shrimps with baby guppies in it. been feeding them frozen bloodworms which they take without any problem. they spend most of the time on the dry area rather then in the water and are expert escape artists. they are able to climb onto silicon tubes and make their way out of the tank.




> I frequent there too. went there yesteday,boss david show me the crabs and he told me that one of his regular brought away one crabbie heavliy pregnant


yes.. that would be me. Muahahahaha!

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## EvolutionZ

i think they can hook their sharp legs on on the tank's silicon and climb out too..

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## Orion

Care to update us your crabbies?

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## Quixotic

I'll take a shot in the dark and suggest this to be _Geosesarma_ sp. "Orange/Mandarin", which is not an aquatic crab, but a terrestrial one. So I would suggest to provide some significant amount of land area for them. Supposedly from Sulawesi (perhaps also other parts of Indonesia), _G._ sp. "Mandarin" is actually not new in the trade, but may be new to our shore.

Look like your crabs?
http://www.aquarium-glaser.de/en/fis...product_id=900
http://www.insektenkoenig.de/shop/in...nkrabbe590.htm
http://www.panzerwelten.de/v/Geosesa...in/2008-10-04/
http://www.odenwaldexoten.de/crustacea.html

Don't know if the crab expert has time to have a look to confirm this or provide some suggestions.  :Razz:

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## Orion

Thanks Moderator for the links to these excellent websites.

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## dzylim

> Care to update us your crabbies?


they are doing fine in my tank. so far there is not casulty and no succesful prison break as of yet. 

from my observation, they stay mainly on land but will go into the water to forage for food. 

the berried female has yet to deliver her load. it would be interesting to see how the crablets look like.

I think Quixotic got the name correct. haha. somehow i am not good with scientific names.

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## stonespot

Use a breeder partition box to keep them. Good idea? Maybe can do a super nano tank using the box. No need filter, no need to worry where to keep them and becomes new tank mate for the shrimp lol. :Grin:

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## Quixotic

> I'll take a shot in the dark and suggest this to be _Geosesarma_ sp. "Orange/Mandarin", which is not an aquatic crab, but a terrestrial one. So I would suggest to provide some significant amount of land area for them. Supposedly from Sulawesi (perhaps also other parts of Indonesia), _G._ sp. "Mandarin" is actually not new in the trade, but may be new to our shore.


Just a note of interest, _Geosesarma_ sp. "Orange/Mandarin" has been positively identified as _Geosesarma notophorum_ (Ng, P. K. L. & C. G. S. Tan, 1995).

However, it is still unsure if the crabs here are actually _Geosesarma notophorum_ (aka sp. "Orange/Mandarin").

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## silane

oh bro dzylim, any update on these crabs?

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## stonespot

:Smile: HI I bought a set of mini purple crab but i'm not sure if they are the vampire mini crabs. Orange eyes, purple claws, purple/black/orange light shell. When crawling it's slightly bigger than a rummy nose. But it can stretch to at least 5cm with its legs when trying to climb over the container. The female is bigger than the male.

http://www.panzerwelten.de/v/Geosesa...en/2007-01-13/

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## guqin

Probably _Geosesarma notophorum_. They are semi terrestrial crabs. Don't put them under water, they will drown.

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## stonespot

I just bought a container for the vampire crabs. The container shape like a liver swimming pool and it has an island in the centre with a fake coconut tree. I filled up the tank with 1 inch water and they are swimmining happily in there for hours. I pushed them onto the island but they still prefered the water.  :Smile:

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## guqin

Let them be. Maybe they are scared of you and that is why they are hiding in the water :Laughing:

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## luenny

Wow, looks like quite a few people getting into crabs nowadays. I wonder if they're good with the fishes. Will they attack cories?

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## EvolutionZ

> Wow, looks like quite a few people getting into crabs nowadays. I wonder if they're good with the fishes. Will they attack cories?


i don't think they are 100% submersed. they may drown in your cory tank.. :Grin:

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## stonespot

Mum mum what's that thing in the CRS tank..... A boy shouting to his mother... Then the boss spoke in a very low tone " That's the latest Mini Crab" in Mandarin. 
(What are you waiting for) While stock lasts.... That little boy just bought 1...hours ago.

Price - Same with Sulawesi Cardinal. Really crazy cheap.

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## stonespot

wow according to the LFS, he already sold 2 batches in that week. This morning i saw left only 5~7 pcs. (male and female mixed)

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## dzylim

i still do not know the name of the crab. haha. as of now i am starting my 2nd batch. the first batch has all disappeared into some part of my house.

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## BEASTIEPENDENT

Hi there  :Wink: 




> Just a note of interest, _Geosesarma_ sp. "Orange/Mandarin" has been positively identified as _Geosesarma notophorum_ (Ng, P. K. L. & C. G. S. Tan, 1995).
> However, it is still unsure if the crabs here are actually _Geosesarma notophorum_ (aka sp. "Orange/Mandarin").


Exactly, but the crabs shown in the first post look more like G. notophorum than the very similar species G. krathing to me. Although both have a slightly different "look" they can be only identified definitely (!) by morphological details (or good photographs of these details).

They don't drown – just as "Vampire crabs" can't drown, but there ARE Geosesarma species that CAN drown, e.g. G. nemesis.

Nonetheless both need a terrarium (or aquaterrarium) with a water part. For G. notophorum a dish with fresh water is enough, Geosesarma sp. "Vampire" needs a true water part.

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## ash

bro, does this mandarin crab rear its young like the vampire crab? :Grin:

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## BEASTIEPENDENT

Hiho  :Wink: 

G. krathing breeds the same way as the "Vampire crab". G. notophorum has another form of brood care: After hatching the younglings are taken for two or three days on the carapax of the mother  a behaviour not known for any other Brachyuran crab. But both reproduce easily in a terrarium with fresh water. They don't have pelagic zoeas larvae.

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## ash

thanks bro..

could you post a pic of their setup?
also what kind of substrate is best for them?

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## BEASTIEPENDENT

Hideho ;-)

Sure, which one do You mean? I post all.


Geosesarma notophorum, 30 cm cubicle, 5 specimen:


Geosesarma krathing, 30 cm aquarium, 2 "girls":




Geosesarma sp. "Vampire", 60 cm tank, a whole "family":


Geosesarma sp. "Blue" (also called sp. "Yellow Eyes"), 40 cm tank:



As substrate we always advice "terrarium humus", that's pressed rainforest ground. Sand or soil usually starts to foul and get moldy. Terrarium humus accomplishs best with moisture and food remains  and the crabs can dig in that substrate. Since it can always be moist it is also good for the climate in the tank which should contain high air humidity.

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## Kiff

Seeing as there's been no activity on this thread for 2 and a half years, this is merely a shot in the dark: Would anyone here be able to direct me to a supplier or endemic habitat in Peninsular Malaysia or Singapore where I might find some of these mini crabs?

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