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Crab paludarium and java fern experiment...

Iain Sutherland

Iain Sutherland

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UKAPS Team
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Hi, i have a small tank and want to turn it into a planted paludarium for Vampire crabs. I have no experience with doing this so will be learning from trial and error (i think i know enough not to risk the lives of the crabs :)

I was just wondering if there are any hard and fast rules i should be aware of or lessons you've learnt from experience...???

Thanks
 
Re: Anyone have any experience with paludarium?

I think you will be fine as long as you keep the atmosphere warm and humid, this will stop plants drying out and keep the crabbies happy :)
 
Re: Anyone have any experience with paludarium?

On a similar note, if I grow java fern immersed does it still need to be in a damp environment? Just I've seen pics of java ferns in a goldfish bowl attached to wood but growing out of the bowl.... Or will the leaves dry out?
 
Vampire Crabs are Climbers, so need areas they can climb. A few branches of BogWood would suffice for them to clamber around on.
For Planting, what I did for my Hermit Crabs was use Marginal Pond Plants. They worked really well.
 
Thanks Gill, I think i have found a good amount of info about paludariums now (once i figured out i was spelling it wrong :oops: so am getting to grips with that and have a few bits of wood to keep the crabs happy, i want to try some aquatic plants that i already have to see how they go immersed.

The java fern is a seperate idea/experiment, something like this for my kitchen... but will it dry out or will misting be enough?

21_Java_Fern_Microsorum_pteropusb1.jpg
 
The crabs need more land than water 60/40 and it must be clean and of 25c as mentioned they're meant to be arboreal they also like to dig and are meant to prefer vegetable matter over meat based foods. German breeders are having success keeping them in aqua-terrariums but they're not pretty things.
 
Thanks for this info garuf, i didnt know they were arboreal, i knew that they arent even bothered about deep water as they are land crabs, so much so they dont migrate to the sea to breed. I have a 60/40 landmass with plenty of wood. Any ideas on the type of veg they like?
I think they are pretty awesome, purple and yellow eyes :) beauty is in the eye of the beholder i guess...
Cant help but feel this is a temporary fix before i can afford a Dart frog vivarium :D and then a riparium lol
 
They're all different you'd have to try, I've seen them take apple.
They breed in fresh water? Salt or brackish conditions will kill them.
 
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