Geosesarma sp. (Vampire crab purple)
Origin: Sulawesi, Indonesia. Appearance: Purple crab with orange eyes. Grows to approx. 3 cm (body size). The scissors and front are usually purple. The body varies from reddish to shades of blue. It often happens that the back of this crab has a yellow to white spot. However, this is not always the case. The orange eyes are characteristic of this crab. Sexing: Female abdomen plastron is round and almost covers the entire belly. Life span: 2 to 4 years. Size: 2 to 3 cm. Sexually mature: From 6 months. Gestation: About 4 weeks. Character: Friendly and not aggressive towards other species and/or fish. They like to sit on top or close to eachother, usually location bound. Once they have found a nice spot, they often stay there. They do not actively search for food, but grab everything within reach. Tank setup: Aqua terrarium. Sometimes eat some fine-leaved plants, but they don't cut them. Close the aquarium properly! It's best to keep more females than males. Preferably create a number of land sections with different levels so they can climb. Also provide shelters in the form of plants and roots. Waterconditions: Temperature 20 to 28ºC. They are more active from 24ºC. Feeding: They eat algae, excessive food, cooked vegetables, dead plant remains. Now and then a small sick/weak fish. Frozen foods such as mosquito larvae, cyclops, brine shrimp, mussel meat. Live food like earthworms. To prevent the worms from burying and rotting, it is recommended to cut them into pieces. They also like shrimps and snails. Different types of fish such as tuna, sardines, herring. Can be fresh or canned (not in oil). Breeding: Not easy, but doable. Only in fresh water. Females carry relatively large eggs.
Tank mates: Shrimp, crabs and snails (small ones are eaten). Copyright photos: © Ralf Müller i.c.m. Garnalenkweker.nl
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