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Characteristics:

• Hardy and easy to establish
• Make unique pets
• Social animals that do best in small groups

Name: Geosesarma bogorensis, or the Purple Vampire Crab

Recommended Enclosure Size: A 10 gallon aquarium is suitable for 1-3 crabs. 20-30 gallons (18x18x18) would be ideal for 3-5 crabs.

Enclosures should be roughly 80% land and 20% water. The water should at least be 2-3 inches deep to ensure your crabs are able to molt safely. Tropical BioBedding makes a great substrate for the land portion of your setup.

Cork bark, live oak bark, and manzanita are beneficial decorative & hardscape additions that double as climbing items for your crabs. Botanicals are attractive decor items that not only look great in a vivarium, but they also release tannins into the water, which have antibacterial properties and may even lower the pH levels in your water.

Vampire crabs will appreciate java moss and other live moss to graze upon, and they also add a spash of color to your paludarium!

Temperature (°F): 70-82 degrees

Humidity: 40-60% 

Size: At the time of sale, these will be at least 1/4 inch.

Age: On average, Purple vampire crabs live for 2 years.

Feeding: These crabs eat commercial fish diets, dried shrimp, and live insects.

Sexing: Males will typically have larger claws and brighter colors, however the sure-fire way to determine your crab’s sex is to check their pleon, or underside. 

Females will have a wide oval shaped plate covering their underside whereas males will have a tapered, almost triangular, cover.

Social Behavior: Vampire crabs will get along fine in small groups where females outnumber males—we recommend 1 male to 2-3 females. Males will fight and should be housed separately if the enclosure or group is not large enough. 

Vampire crabs are also known to attack members of different species of crabs, and for this reason they are recommended as a species-only setup.

Color/Pattern: Purple crabs have bright yellow or white eyes, purple or pink claws and face, and a black or powder blue body and legs.

Note: Each crab is unique and may vary slightly from photos and descriptions.

Breeding: Vampire crabs will often breed readily in properly set-up colonies or enclosures. During this process, the male will climb on top of the female to fertilize the eggs, and the female will carry them (~20-80 eggs) for around a month. Once they hatch, there will be fully-formed baby crabs running around! Babies are very independent, though some may stay around mom for a bit. 

We recommend housing babies separately after hatching, as vampire crabs are often cannibalistic given the opportunity. A tank with ample hiding spots is their best bet at survival!

Natural Range: These crabs are native to southeast Asia

Still not sure if a Vampire Crab from Josh's Frogs is the right pet for you? Read the reviews below and see what other customers are saying!