Hello, I just finished my first tank last night for my two vampire crabs. Def took some inspiration and tips from your setups. It was wonderful watching the crabs enter their new home and go straight for the warm waterfall to wash off (unfortunately we had the crabs before the tank so the poor crabs had to live in a plastic shoe box for over a week). They look really happy now :)
Sounds like a really nice tank for them ☺I always love it when you first add them and they explore everything. Especially when you make something you really think they will like. Don't worry too much about the little plastic shoe box! Mine have all lived in similar on and off while I set tanks up for them 😉Keep it handy though just incase you get a mean one that needs a time out!
@@IndoorEcosystem The sad thing is I rarely get to see my crabbies anymore! They're so quick to hide when I approach. I also discovered they only really like blood worms, is there anything else you'd recommend feeding them?
@@mayamagick they are most likely wild caught. They are always like that. The next generation you get of babies will be different just make sure you hang around your tank and do maintenance and feed them regularly to show you aren't a threat. My crabs are all captive bred now and almost never run away. I can hand feed them and they come out during the day a lot as well. As for food I have a video on all the different stuff I feed mine it's quite a long list so have a flick through it 😊
@@IndoorEcosystemGood to know! Right after I i posted my reply I found the female up front in the tank where I built a little crave for her. She's been out and visible since! Seems like my male is way more skittish.
I took this to heart and added lots of clay into my crabitat. They really do love burrowing! They spend all their time lurking in there. Funny enough, I only had males, so they had to work to make them.
I'm using clay at the moment in a few builds! It's been really interesting! It's hilarious you made your males work for their homes! Aahaha Mine just steal them from females then fight over the few holes that are around!
They'll take what they can get 😅They are interesting because they'll chill in the tops of the ferns and underground so they really do use the entire range of the tank if you give them options.
Great video! Will be keeping vampire crabs too, but have a few questions. The paludarium will be about 9.5g (17.5x11x11 inches) it will be like 20-30% water and the rest land with plenty of plants, hiding spots and burrowing area. I want to keep like 4-5, is that a smart idea or would they fight? If 4-5 crabs is possible would i get like 2 males 3 females? or 1 male 3 females? Also probably gonna keep shrimps in the water section, I don't mind if one gets eaten once in a while
It's a bit small for that many crabs. You're better off with a long tank over a tall tank if you haven't yet bought one. I have a video about tank sizes and types with more information on why. But it basically comes down to the space at the bottom of the tank. The soil area on the bottom will be the prize and they will all really really want to hold that area so you might have issues with fighting. But if you're adament in that size I'd only go 3 crabs one male 2 females and try to make a design where you can have soil patches all the way up the vertical spaces as well maybe with ledges that have pockets of soil. Design is super important in Vertical tanks.
They have been super busy since you asked about it! Tons of little holes all over the place. I tried to film inside but it's really tricky. I need to get a tiny little light source or something next time.
When i was breaking down the beaver graveyard build you could see where they had tunneled under logs and stuff and things started to sink a little bit. It's most noticable when you left up moss. There are little networks underneath sometimes. Having the moss on top seems to keep things quite stable.
Thank you 🙂I don't bother with foggers the tank stays humid and moist enough without them. I only mist once maybe twice per week as well so a fogger or mister would be wasted. You can happily add one though if you want the foggy look. As for moss I'm just using hypnum moss and fern moss I collect from the forest here. In the water section I have a little bit of java moss and Christmas moss. They are all super super easy! The only trick for the land mosses is not to let them get soaking wet or too dry. There's a happy spot in the middle where they get lots of light but are just slightly damp.
How are you able to only mist once a week? Wouldn’t your moss be dry by then? Also how do your plants like that? Sorry for the bombarding of questions it is just so much different hahaha
@@happyface98765 No problem at all ☺Part of it is probably tank design (airflow) The front vents are fully closed except in front of the water section. So the moss on both sides doesn't get the cooler dry air directly. The main vent along the top is only open about 3% so almost fully closed. (winter) This keeps the heat and humidity in nicely. With the lights on for 8 hours a day and everything pretty much sealed up the humidity stays super high and everything stays happy. In summer when it's warmer I open things up a lot to maybe 40% open. But it really depends on the room temp. The light is the perfect hieght and not to bright to dry everything out. I also picked plants that are easy to look after. You'll find that once you have had a tank for a while you know exactly what works and doesn't work inside of it for airflow, lighting etc. It's all the little things you pick up while you build and observe things. This tanks only issue is it's height. I can't put really tall growing things inside so I always sick with low growing plants. But that's easy enough to control.
@@IndoorEcosystem Thanks for the answer, I actually realized that right before you answered watching one of your older videos. Thank you for making these videos!!
How do you control humidity and prevent excess condensation in your paludarium? I don't want to keep pumping it out into my room as I'll start having mould issues. Any ideas?
@@DanielDerwich it depends on the tank type you have on your options but you need it to be mostly sealed so they can't escape and so the humidity builds up. Air flow is key to reducing condensation so ventilation is important. However each room/environment is vastly different so you'll need to experiment a little for your particular situation. You might need more airflow or less. Humidity entering your room is unavoidable though. But one tank won't cause any issues. I have 12 and don't have any mold issues. But I have an open window a lot of the time to help.
@IndoorEcosystem thanks for the quick response. I'll have a play around and see what seems to work best but it's reassuring to know that you're not getting any mould problems with so many tanks 😅
@@DanielDerwich No problem! They all have lids on them or door and only have small vents so most of the humidity stays in the tanks. Whatever escapes the open window will happy extract. So one little tank shouldn't be an issue at all.
Sadly my Ole Kevin didn't make it. He got 18 weeks without claws but I think he actually died of old age though he was over the average age vampire crabs live for. I have a community post about the whole situation if you want a bit more detail. He was a little champion!
Sealing is very bad! You don't need to seal the tank to keep good humidity levels. You need a lid with small holes or vents for air exchange. If you've seal it they'll die.
@@IndoorEcosystem okay thanks . i am from sri lanka and tempeture and enviroment almost similar to their natural habitats . so i dont need to heat the tank right ?
@@sasikafish should be fine with your local temps. You'll probably have more problems keeping it cooler so maybe invest in a little fan if the heat breaks 30c
Hello, It's basically just plain dirt. You can check out the full build video linked in the description for more into. But honestly for Vampire Crabs basic organic soil works best. You don't need any fancy mixes for them. Unless you are trying to keep certain species of plants happy.
@@IndoorEcosystem Wow. But I thought that it was necessary to take soil with various additives. Well, organic soil is even better, but not all aquarium plants are suitable for organic soil?
@@YANTARNIY It depends on what plants you want to use at the end of the day but for the crabs simple is best. I plan everything around the crabs not the plants. So I use simple tough plants like ferns that like wet humid environments as well. The crabs, isopods and springtails and left over food are all adding to the ecosystem over time as well. If you want ot keep fancy plants you might need to chance some areas of the soil you use but that is not something I cover 😊 As for aquatic plants the don't use the soil. If you plant them on the land section some will work fine others might not but it will also depend if they were grown under water or above the water. This usually means they might melt. Honestly though. I would just plant land plants on the land and water plants in the water. Don't over complicate things for yourself if you are just starting out.
@@YANTARNIY No just some cheap bags from the local garden shop. But foil from the forest works but you have to be prepared to get some hitch hikers if you use that method,. Sometimes pests will come.
Bonjour, j'ai un paludarium avec 3 crabes vampires et de base je le chauffais avec un chauffage dans la partie aquatique mais je me suis tournée vers un tapis chauffant. Le tapis fait 15W et il est placé sur le côté droit du paludarium collé sur la vitre, sauf que le soucis c'est qu'il est tiede et la température du bac ne dépasse pas les 20 °C. J'ai donc demandé qu'on m'en revoie un autre mais c'est la même chose. Savez-vous pourquoi il ne chauffe pas et vers quoi me tourner pour chauffer dans les 25°C le paludarium. Merci d'avance et bonne soirée 😊
Bonjour :D À quel point votre chambre fait-elle froid pendant l'hiver ? Je parle avec quelqu'un d'autre qui a un problème similaire avec son tapis chauffant. Lorsque la pièce devient très froide, certains tapis chauffants ne peuvent pas suivre la température. Combien de watts as-tu ?
@@IndoorEcosystem merci pour votre réponse, il fait 18/20°C et le tapis fait 15 watt. Je suis obligé de mettre les 2 tapis de 15 watt pour chauffer à 23°C. Alors qu'il est pourtant marqué sur la notice que le tapis peut chauffer jusqu'à 40°C
@@NinapP-nt8bw C'est assez étrange. J'ai un chauffage de 14 W sur mon réservoir et il monte en température sans aucun problème. Ma chambre mesure également entre 19 et 20 degrés, donc ce n'est pas très différent. Je n'ai également réglé le mien qu'à environ 50 %. Votre tapis est-il entièrement en contact avec le réservoir ?
@@IndoorEcosystem à la base j'avais un thermostat avec mais je lai enlevé car même en branchant le tapis sans thermostat la température est faible. Oui il est scotché directement sur la vitre
@@IndoorEcosystem c'est peut être juste le tapis qui ne fonctionne pas bien mais sachant que on m'en a renvoyé un autre je trouve ça bizarre que les 2 ne fonctionnent pas...
yep, it's allways female and the baby crabs are the one makeing the burrows. it's same for other crabs, so it's such a pain to make paludarium for bigger crabs, bigger semiterrestrial likes to have water in there burrows. for the male, they really don't bother about there burrow so they will happily use there coconut shell but female will dig like there's no tomorrow, they stop this behavier only if this two condition have achieved 1, there's enough space for the crab to molt 2. the water level in the burrow is high enough for the crab to use i usually use aqua soil for the land and use coconut shells for the top of there burrow becaus of the 2nd condition, but ir only works for the crab with carapace less then 3cm, bigger one just dig and dig and dig so they can hide under the water line but then it can't have there burrow to mach the 1st condition, because it collapse.
The bigger ones would be total chaos. Vampire Crabs are pretty small and no where near as destructive as some of the other ones. When they can't burrow do they just make an even bigger mess digging further and further down without any luck? Vampire Crabs don't really seem to dig all that deep. At least not that I've seen. Maybe about an inch and a little bit.
@@IndoorEcosystem vempire crabs are very terrestrial semiterrestrial crab, so they don't like water in there burrows. That's why they don't make there burrow deep. But panda crab and kuli crab and warrior crabs are not terrestrial enough to do so so they want water in there burrows and it make them to dig like crazy. Panda crabs are small so it's not a big deal. cus even though they make deeper burrows then vempier crab, it's not deep and big enough to mass with your set up But bigger crab will mass with it. ps. acutually most of the fresh water crab in the habby is really semiterrestrial. But vempire crabs are more like terrestrial. They are semiterrestrial so they need water. But not much
@@IndoorEcosystem even without any luck bigger crabs will try to make there burrow They will keep dig and dig and mass up you tank. And some species will die cus of stress if they don't get there burrows
@@craby6449 yeah they don't really use the water all that much to be honest. I wouldn't be surprised if they evolved not to need it at all eventually. It would be easier for them.
❤Geosesarma Vampire Crab Species Posters Now Available: www.etsy.com/shop/IndoorEcosystem
Hello, I just finished my first tank last night for my two vampire crabs. Def took some inspiration and tips from your setups. It was wonderful watching the crabs enter their new home and go straight for the warm waterfall to wash off (unfortunately we had the crabs before the tank so the poor crabs had to live in a plastic shoe box for over a week). They look really happy now :)
Sounds like a really nice tank for them ☺I always love it when you first add them and they explore everything. Especially when you make something you really think they will like. Don't worry too much about the little plastic shoe box! Mine have all lived in similar on and off while I set tanks up for them 😉Keep it handy though just incase you get a mean one that needs a time out!
@@IndoorEcosystem The sad thing is I rarely get to see my crabbies anymore! They're so quick to hide when I approach. I also discovered they only really like blood worms, is there anything else you'd recommend feeding them?
@@mayamagick they are most likely wild caught. They are always like that. The next generation you get of babies will be different just make sure you hang around your tank and do maintenance and feed them regularly to show you aren't a threat.
My crabs are all captive bred now and almost never run away. I can hand feed them and they come out during the day a lot as well.
As for food I have a video on all the different stuff I feed mine it's quite a long list so have a flick through it 😊
@@IndoorEcosystemGood to know! Right after I i posted my reply I found the female up front in the tank where I built a little crave for her. She's been out and visible since! Seems like my male is way more skittish.
@@mayamagickthat's pretty interesting it's usually always the opposite.
I took this to heart and added lots of clay into my crabitat. They really do love burrowing! They spend all their time lurking in there. Funny enough, I only had males, so they had to work to make them.
I'm using clay at the moment in a few builds! It's been really interesting! It's hilarious you made your males work for their homes! Aahaha Mine just steal them from females then fight over the few holes that are around!
@@IndoorEcosystemwhat type of clay do you use?
@@Noone-l6g Not sure on the exact type. It's Terrarium clay I got from a local terrarium store.
That's good to know. I would have just made some caves and crevices for them, but I didn't know they like digging so much
They'll take what they can get 😅They are interesting because they'll chill in the tops of the ferns and underground so they really do use the entire range of the tank if you give them options.
Interesting and really neat to watch the one crab about 1:03 trying to balance on the floating plants! 👍🙂
You'd laught watching them trying to pull themselves up frogbit roots 😂
Great video! Will be keeping vampire crabs too, but have a few questions. The paludarium will be about 9.5g (17.5x11x11 inches) it will be like 20-30% water and the rest land with plenty of plants, hiding spots and burrowing area. I want to keep like 4-5, is that a smart idea or would they fight? If 4-5 crabs is possible would i get like 2 males 3 females? or 1 male 3 females? Also probably gonna keep shrimps in the water section, I don't mind if one gets eaten once in a while
It's a bit small for that many crabs. You're better off with a long tank over a tall tank if you haven't yet bought one. I have a video about tank sizes and types with more information on why. But it basically comes down to the space at the bottom of the tank. The soil area on the bottom will be the prize and they will all really really want to hold that area so you might have issues with fighting. But if you're adament in that size I'd only go 3 crabs one male 2 females and try to make a design where you can have soil patches all the way up the vertical spaces as well maybe with ledges that have pockets of soil. Design is super important in Vertical tanks.
@@IndoorEcosystemthe tank is 17.5 inches long and 11 inches tall
Finally, the borrow video! 🤘
They have been super busy since you asked about it! Tons of little holes all over the place. I tried to film inside but it's really tricky. I need to get a tiny little light source or something next time.
@@IndoorEcosystem great to hear they are busy. Would be sick to see the inside of one of the burrows!
Witam serdecznie dziękuję za pokazanie piękne akwarium pozdrawiam z Polski miłego wieczoru życzę
dziękuję 🙂
Most important video ever
Certainly up there! 😉
First 🏆
Second 🥈
Third 🥉
Fifth I think
@@IndoorEcosystem 😁
I wonder if eventually all the soil will cave in if you just leave them to make as many burrows as they’d like
When i was breaking down the beaver graveyard build you could see where they had tunneled under logs and stuff and things started to sink a little bit. It's most noticable when you left up moss. There are little networks underneath sometimes. Having the moss on top seems to keep things quite stable.
@@IndoorEcosystem Oh cool, not only does the moss look nice it also helps keep the tunnels in tact. Definitely going add moss to my future tank
@@shannarafryer3111 Moss is basically a cheat code for vampire crabs! The babies love picking at it all day and night as well.
do you ever use foggers in your setups? also what kind of moss do you recommend? been having terrible luck with my moss. Great vid as always!
Thank you 🙂I don't bother with foggers the tank stays humid and moist enough without them. I only mist once maybe twice per week as well so a fogger or mister would be wasted. You can happily add one though if you want the foggy look. As for moss I'm just using hypnum moss and fern moss I collect from the forest here. In the water section I have a little bit of java moss and Christmas moss. They are all super super easy! The only trick for the land mosses is not to let them get soaking wet or too dry. There's a happy spot in the middle where they get lots of light but are just slightly damp.
How are you able to only mist once a week? Wouldn’t your moss be dry by then? Also how do your plants like that? Sorry for the bombarding of questions it is just so much different hahaha
@@happyface98765 No problem at all ☺Part of it is probably tank design (airflow) The front vents are fully closed except in front of the water section. So the moss on both sides doesn't get the cooler dry air directly.
The main vent along the top is only open about 3% so almost fully closed. (winter) This keeps the heat and humidity in nicely.
With the lights on for 8 hours a day and everything pretty much sealed up the humidity stays super high and everything stays happy.
In summer when it's warmer I open things up a lot to maybe 40% open. But it really depends on the room temp.
The light is the perfect hieght and not to bright to dry everything out. I also picked plants that are easy to look after.
You'll find that once you have had a tank for a while you know exactly what works and doesn't work inside of it for airflow, lighting etc. It's all the little things you pick up while you build and observe things.
This tanks only issue is it's height. I can't put really tall growing things inside so I always sick with low growing plants. But that's easy enough to control.
Thank u for the info.
You're welcome, they are very interesting little creatures! Always something new to learn!
I was wondering what you use to buffer the water to get the ph to 7.5?
Water comes out of my tap at 8 so I don't have to do anything. But some stones can help with this also coral works well too.
@@IndoorEcosystem Thanks for the answer, I actually realized that right before you answered watching one of your older videos. Thank you for making these videos!!
@@Kasbananaman No problem 😊 Questions help me figure out what topics to cover. There's always something new to learn.
Awesome
Cheers! 🙂
How do you control humidity and prevent excess condensation in your paludarium? I don't want to keep pumping it out into my room as I'll start having mould issues. Any ideas?
@@DanielDerwich it depends on the tank type you have on your options but you need it to be mostly sealed so they can't escape and so the humidity builds up. Air flow is key to reducing condensation so ventilation is important.
However each room/environment is vastly different so you'll need to experiment a little for your particular situation. You might need more airflow or less. Humidity entering your room is unavoidable though. But one tank won't cause any issues. I have 12 and don't have any mold issues. But I have an open window a lot of the time to help.
@IndoorEcosystem thanks for the quick response. I'll have a play around and see what seems to work best but it's reassuring to know that you're not getting any mould problems with so many tanks 😅
@@DanielDerwich No problem! They all have lids on them or door and only have small vents so most of the humidity stays in the tanks. Whatever escapes the open window will happy extract. So one little tank shouldn't be an issue at all.
Hey!! what happened to kevin?? did he survived?
Sadly my Ole Kevin didn't make it. He got 18 weeks without claws but I think he actually died of old age though he was over the average age vampire crabs live for. I have a community post about the whole situation if you want a bit more detail. He was a little champion!
Hi there. Great update Hi there. Great update to the paludarium.
Also first 😁
IMPOSSIBLE! 🤣🥶
@@IndoorEcosystem 😆😝
@@IndoorEcosystem Isn't it great how the impossible may just be possible. I know. It's awesome. 😆
@@IndoorEcosystem All jokes aside the vid is so much appreciated. Keep up the good work 😃
@@Cow_Juice 30 seconds too slow!
is sealing the tank good or bad ? how can they breath air if i sealed the tank for a humid enviroment
Sealing is very bad! You don't need to seal the tank to keep good humidity levels. You need a lid with small holes or vents for air exchange. If you've seal it they'll die.
@@IndoorEcosystem is smaller area is enough bro , if i keep a 22' x 1.5 inch or 2 inch area is it enough
@@sasikafish should be plenty. But you need to keep an eye on it and adjust according every environment is slightly different
@@IndoorEcosystem okay thanks . i am from sri lanka and tempeture and enviroment almost similar to their natural habitats . so i dont need to heat the tank right ?
@@sasikafish should be fine with your local temps. You'll probably have more problems keeping it cooler so maybe invest in a little fan if the heat breaks 30c
Hi! What kind of soil is featured in this video?
Hello, It's basically just plain dirt.
You can check out the full build video linked in the description for more into. But honestly for Vampire Crabs basic organic soil works best. You don't need any fancy mixes for them. Unless you are trying to keep certain species of plants happy.
@@IndoorEcosystem Wow. But I thought that it was necessary to take soil with various additives. Well, organic soil is even better, but not all aquarium plants are suitable for organic soil?
@@IndoorEcosystem I assume you took the organic soil from the forest?
@@YANTARNIY It depends on what plants you want to use at the end of the day but for the crabs simple is best. I plan everything around the crabs not the plants. So I use simple tough plants like ferns that like wet humid environments as well. The crabs, isopods and springtails and left over food are all adding to the ecosystem over time as well.
If you want ot keep fancy plants you might need to chance some areas of the soil you use but that is not something I cover 😊 As for aquatic plants the don't use the soil. If you plant them on the land section some will work fine others might not but it will also depend if they were grown under water or above the water. This usually means they might melt.
Honestly though. I would just plant land plants on the land and water plants in the water.
Don't over complicate things for yourself if you are just starting out.
@@YANTARNIY No just some cheap bags from the local garden shop. But foil from the forest works but you have to be prepared to get some hitch hikers if you use that method,. Sometimes pests will come.
Bonjour, j'ai un paludarium avec 3 crabes vampires et de base je le chauffais avec un chauffage dans la partie aquatique mais je me suis tournée vers un tapis chauffant. Le tapis fait 15W et il est placé sur le côté droit du paludarium collé sur la vitre, sauf que le soucis c'est qu'il est tiede et la température du bac ne dépasse pas les 20 °C. J'ai donc demandé qu'on m'en revoie un autre mais c'est la même chose. Savez-vous pourquoi il ne chauffe pas et vers quoi me tourner pour chauffer dans les 25°C le paludarium. Merci d'avance et bonne soirée 😊
Bonjour :D À quel point votre chambre fait-elle froid pendant l'hiver ? Je parle avec quelqu'un d'autre qui a un problème similaire avec son tapis chauffant. Lorsque la pièce devient très froide, certains tapis chauffants ne peuvent pas suivre la température. Combien de watts as-tu ?
@@IndoorEcosystem merci pour votre réponse, il fait 18/20°C et le tapis fait 15 watt. Je suis obligé de mettre les 2 tapis de 15 watt pour chauffer à 23°C. Alors qu'il est pourtant marqué sur la notice que le tapis peut chauffer jusqu'à 40°C
@@NinapP-nt8bw C'est assez étrange. J'ai un chauffage de 14 W sur mon réservoir et il monte en température sans aucun problème. Ma chambre mesure également entre 19 et 20 degrés, donc ce n'est pas très différent. Je n'ai également réglé le mien qu'à environ 50 %. Votre tapis est-il entièrement en contact avec le réservoir ?
@@IndoorEcosystem à la base j'avais un thermostat avec mais je lai enlevé car même en branchant le tapis sans thermostat la température est faible. Oui il est scotché directement sur la vitre
@@IndoorEcosystem c'est peut être juste le tapis qui ne fonctionne pas bien mais sachant que on m'en a renvoyé un autre je trouve ça bizarre que les 2 ne fonctionnent pas...
yep, it's allways female and the baby crabs are the one makeing the burrows. it's same for other crabs, so it's such a pain to make paludarium for bigger crabs, bigger semiterrestrial likes to have water in there burrows. for the male, they really don't bother about there burrow so they will happily use there coconut shell but female will dig like there's no tomorrow, they stop this behavier only if this two condition have achieved
1, there's enough space for the crab to molt
2. the water level in the burrow is high enough for the crab to use
i usually use aqua soil for the land and use coconut shells for the top of there burrow becaus of the 2nd condition, but ir only works for the crab with carapace less then 3cm, bigger one just dig and dig and dig so they can hide under the water line but then it can't have there burrow to mach the 1st condition, because it collapse.
The bigger ones would be total chaos. Vampire Crabs are pretty small and no where near as destructive as some of the other ones. When they can't burrow do they just make an even bigger mess digging further and further down without any luck? Vampire Crabs don't really seem to dig all that deep. At least not that I've seen. Maybe about an inch and a little bit.
@@IndoorEcosystem vempire crabs are very terrestrial semiterrestrial crab, so they don't like water in there burrows. That's why they don't make there burrow deep. But panda crab and kuli crab and warrior crabs are not terrestrial enough to do so
so they want water in there burrows and it make them to dig like crazy.
Panda crabs are small so it's not a big deal.
cus even though they make deeper burrows then vempier crab, it's not deep and big enough to mass with your set up
But bigger crab will mass with it.
ps. acutually most of the fresh water crab in the habby is really semiterrestrial. But vempire crabs are more like terrestrial. They are semiterrestrial so they need water. But not much
@@IndoorEcosystem even without any luck bigger crabs will try to make there burrow
They will keep dig and dig and mass up you tank.
And some species will die cus of stress if they don't get there burrows
@@craby6449 yeah they don't really use the water all that much to be honest. I wouldn't be surprised if they evolved not to need it at all eventually. It would be easier for them.
@@IndoorEcosystem actually some species of vempire crab are allmost terrstrial. They molt on the land and don't need water in there set up