# Have you kept Vampire crabs?



## ghostsword (27 Jul 2011)

@ghostsword - I would like to do a small emersed tank for vampire crabs, has anyone on the forum set one up before?

From the web they just need some water, lots of area above the water to burow and stay, and some live food. 

Any help is appreciated.


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## Garuf (27 Jul 2011)

Email chris lukhaup. I've been after them for what seems like forever and always manage to miss out on getting them. 
They basically need CLEAN water at 25c, 2/3rds land and high humidity, they're suspected to be arboreal so complex stacks of wood would be appreciated by them. Food wise they will take live food but are meant to prefer fruits such as apples. If you could help me get my hands on some I'd be eternally grateful.


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## ghostsword (27 Jul 2011)

Thanks, I know where to get them, ADC would be able to order. 

Did not know about arboreal, so will get something made for them. 

Will ask Lukaup for more information especially if he has seen their habitat. 


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## Gill (28 Jul 2011)

I really Like these crabs, and there are some interesting tanks on youtube. 
They are always for sale on Ebay. 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VAMPIRE-C...3?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item3f097a0365


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## sanj (28 Jul 2011)

Please note, they turn to ash if you expose them to sun light.


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## Garuf (28 Jul 2011)

Placed an offer lets hope they get back to me positively.


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## nayr88 (16 Aug 2011)

Any updates on this?

Did it ever materialise?


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## ghostsword (16 Aug 2011)

I just built a frame for the vivarium back, will fill it up with expanding foam, then glue coco coir on top using gorilla glue.

For plants will use rotala's, polygonum sp, hydrocotyles and lots of different hygros. Currently training Araguaya to grow emersed.

When all of this is done then I can get the crabs. 


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## ghostsword (16 Aug 2011)

This is one of the photos of the aluminum mesh.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51548939@N00/6042146575


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## nayr88 (16 Aug 2011)

Ah good to hear mate, good idea with the expanding foam, you could cut into it like a tray and have an area with soil?
What is coco coir?

Iwill the water area be big enough for any plants or shrimp?
Ive only just ( past 10mins ) been looking at these crabs, are they ok to share there water area with fish or shrim?

Cheers


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## ghostsword (18 Aug 2011)

This is the background. Very low diy, my first built background, but it is easy and cheap, about £20 spent, most of the money gone on the aluminium mesh.

After spraying the background with plastikote, and coco coir added. It was sprayed with green and black, like a camuflage. 

Will add a coat of clear gorila glue, and then more coco coir, this to assist ferns and mosses to get a grip. 

The ferns I intend to use are bolbitis difformis, heretoclyta and some java fern. Will also use anubias and some mosses.

The pots are to have hygrophilas, and some amazon swords on the bottom. 

Hydrocotyle tripartita will be placed on the top pots, so that it will cascade down. 


Paludarium Background by GHOSTSWORD, on Flickr


Paludarium Background by GHOSTSWORD, on Flickr


Paludarium Background by GHOSTSWORD, on Flickr


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## Gill (18 Aug 2011)

This is will look excellent, Once the plants have matured.


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## ghostsword (18 Aug 2011)

Yep, just as well that I go large plants already, they are setup on the garden. 

The pots will be hidden with hanging basket mats, cut to size and glued, then sprayed green and black. 

I have to get some moss, but that is easy to get. 

The bottom will be filled with stems, lots of hygros an rotalas, got Araguaya ready. 


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## Gill (19 Aug 2011)

ghostsword said:
			
		

> Yep, just as well that I go large plants already, they are setup on the garden.
> 
> The pots will be hidden with hanging basket mats, cut to size and glued, then sprayed green and black.



Very Good Idea, Will make it look even better.


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## Bungy (13 Sep 2011)

I had 4 x Vampire crabs from MH Aq's at the begining of the year and put them in my missus cory tank. They all climbed out up the plants and sat mainly on the glass bracing bars where I fed them pretty much anything..!  The did however eventually go for walkies and my dog usually found them, howling aloud and alerting us to the fact that the crabs had done a runner...!  I lost 2 that way and the other two I found dead in the tank.  The molt is a perfect representation of the crab so dont get caught out thinking they are dead...!!!!


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## GrowPod (12 Dec 2019)

The problem is that they are sold as aquatic, but they are mainly land creatures needing water to moult


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