Aquatic Inverts Picture Thread

[Smotzer]

Figure a picture thread can be a goodway to begin this forum and get some interest and activity going started!


I'll kick it off with some photos of some of the crabs I am currently keeping and breeding:

Geosesarma cf. dennerle
Geosesamra sp. 'Ruby Red'
Geosesarma sp. 'White Orchid' Lepidothelphusa padawan
Geosesarma tiomanicum

 

[Mustafa67]

Figure a picture thread can be a goodway to begin this forum and get some interest and activity going started!


I'll kick it off with some photos of some of the crabs I am currently keeping and breeding:

Geosesarma cf. dennerle
View attachment 479513 Geosesamra sp. 'Ruby Red' View attachment 479516
Geosesarma sp. 'White Orchid' View attachment 479517 Lepidothelphusa padawan View attachment 479514
Geosesarma tiomanicum
View attachment 479518

Those are awesome, I love the Geosesamras “vampire crabs” but never gotten one. They seem really unique and I love their colours

 

[Smotzer]

Those are awesome, I love the Geosesamras “vampire crabs” but never gotten one. They seem really unique and I love their colours

You have good taste then!! In addition to their bold colors they have great behavior as well!

 

[Smotzer]

Really enjoy seeing this tank everyday beside my desk while I work! Slowly it’s filling in more and more! And two of the bromeliads are starting new ones which is great!

 

[Kada]

Having that next to your work place is the definition of relaxing! Looks great!

What is the plant just to the left of the plant behind the center divide with longleaves?

 

[Smotzer]

What is the plant just to the left of the plant behind the center divide with longleaves?

Do you mean something on the ground floor or up off the ground? I am trying to figure out which you might be referring to exactly

Are you referring to the plant on the floor here: Strobilanthes sinuata or the smaller bromeliad behind it? Neoregelia ‘Petit Minou’
Or to to this? The Nepenthes ampullaria

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Do you mean something on the ground floor or up off the ground? I am trying to figure out which you might be referring to exactly

Are you referring to the plant on the floor here: Strobilanthes sinuata or the smaller bromeliad behind it? Neoregelia ‘Petit Minou’ View attachment 479850
Or to to this? The Nepenthes ampullaria
View attachment 479849

Is that second one a carnivorous plant? It’s like so cool crabs don’t hurt the plants.

 

[Smotzer]

Is that second one a carnivorous plant? It’s like so cool crabs don’t hurt the plants.

Yes it is a Nepenthes ampullaria a species of pitcher plant that has been documented to serve as a phytotelma for either hunting needs or shelter, or both, for two species of Geosesarma in their native habitat. While the species of Geosesarma I have in the tank is not either of those documented species, I thought It would be interesting to see if there would be any use of the N. ampullaria outside of the aforementioned. And yes they haven't shown any interest in feeding off the land plants, although they do often feed on any floating aquatic plants that I put in the water feature.

 

[Kada]

Perfect, Strobilanthes sinuata! I like how that one looks in your tank. I googled it, but curious in your experience does it get very tall? Id love that as a medium sized ground cover somewhere

I had no idea crabs also used pitchers! I've seen ohwr animals use them, the microhylla in borneo were a top 10 experience to see! That would be pretty amazing to watch crabs in there as well!!

iI've never had much luck with nepenthes in my tanks, they always vine up and rot ampullaria is the go to for sure, I love how they grow low bunhes like ground cover. That's the species we saw the frogs in as well. VERY cool pitcher plant!

 

[catboyeuthanasia]

Lybia tessellata. Currently in my fishless tank. Planning to breed these. Setting up pseudokressil for when one gets eggs

 

[Jimbob]

Just got cardisoma guanhumi, not great pictures… I’ll be honest, was not anticipating how massive this crab is lol and had to make some last minute adjustments when he arrived. So I didn’t want to stress him anymore than I had to already. In a 75g tank and I feel like an upgrade could be in the future. Eating well already, just a little shy. Pretty much keeping based off hermit crab care, adding a salt pool and filters tomorrow.

Please feel free to critique my tank! I went for function to start and glad I did. Will need to really plan out how to make a nice viv with how big and powerful this guy is haha. Added some springtails, thinking of adding A. Gestroi isopods, but a little worried about them eventually being problematic with crabs.

Might add an auto mister. Also struggling with putting a lid on that can keep this guy contained while also being easy to open…

 

[Jimbob]

Some more for fun

 

[TheraMygale]

Was able to find a bunch of these still alive after a big storm. Urchins and cucumbers. All those i found in pools, that would lead to their death, were put in pools that get constant refresh to possibly give them a chance.

 

[Smotzer]

I went for function to start and glad I did. Will need to really plan out how to make a nice viv with how big and powerful this guy is haha.

You have a truly magificient crab there!! I am definitely jealous!! But you made the right choice about pivoting and deciding to go for function over form, always most important to put the animal care first!

I am curious to hear how its still doing now, 6+ months later since you first got it!

Was able to find a bunch of these still alive after a big storm. Urchins and cucumbers. All those i found in pools, that would lead to their death, were put in pools that get constant refresh to possibly give them a chance.

View attachment 481552 View attachment 481553

Wow these are really beautiful!! And hopefully your relocation to better pools was successful!

 

[Jimbob]

You have a truly magificient crab there!! I am definitely jealous!! But you made the right choice about pivoting and deciding to go for function over form, always most important to put the animal care first!

I am curious to hear how its still doing now, 6+ months later since you first got it!

Thank you I think I’ll be going on almost 8 months already with this guy. He’s been doing great by the looks of things and I’ve upgraded his tank quite a bit. Thinking I’m going to move him to a 48x24x30” tank this summer(when I find one) with some cool features.

He’s still pretty skittish, but acts healthy to my knowledge. Has funny tendencies that drive me crazy. Like if I put food at his main burrow entrance, he will spend an entire night dumping dirt and rocks(he will take sw pool liverock and throw it in his freshwater pool) in the water. If I don’t do that he leaves everything be. To plan out a decent viv for him I learned the secret was to let him remodel everything. Move the bark, rocks, build burrows, slopes etc(they’re really amazing at doing the scaping themselves lol). Then plant and adjust the details from there. His plants have been holding up and growing. I think he eats the snails out of his pool too, but they reproduce fast.

 

[Tentacle Toast]

‘“What crabs? Are you mad? What crabs? Ah! Yes. Well, yes… The crabs are men. And so? Where did I get that idea? Real men, good and beautiful, on all the balconies of the centuries. As for me, I was crawling in the yard; I imagined I heard them speaking: ‘Brother, what’s that?’ That was me. Me the Crab…’''
-Sartre

Alright, you've convinced me...I want in. Tell a guy with no experience what he needs to do to gaze into some yellow, red, & orange eyes directly. Point me in the right direction...

 

[Smotzer]

Alright, you've convinced me...I want in. Tell a guy with no experience what he needs to do to gaze into some yellow, red, & orange eyes directly. Point me in the right direction...

Definite first step is to decide what species of crab you are interested in keeping most!

 

[Tentacle Toast]

Honestly, all three of those Geosesarmas appeal to me, but the "white orchid" especially so (yellow is my favorite color). Are there books on the subject? These are really ringing my bell...most I've kept in the past has been regular ol' hermit crabs, & I loved em'...

 

[Smotzer]

Honestly, all three of those Geosesarmas appeal to me, but the "white orchid" especially so (yellow is my favorite color). Are there books on the subject? These are really ringing my bell...most I've kept in the past has been regular ol' hermit crabs, & I loved em'...

Yes I too love the Geosesarma sp. 'White Orchid', Edit never mind yes I forgot I have these HAHA. There are a few books, ill try and get them off the shelf and send you photos, theres also a link in my sig file to my site on them. And between various species some are much easiuer to breed, such as G. tiomanicum, G. hagen, g. dennerle, and others that seem to need some more specific seasonal cues.

 

[Tentacle Toast]

Yes I too love the Geosesarma sp. 'White Orchid', Edit never mind yes I forgot I have these HAHA. There are a few books, ill try and get them off the shelf and send you photos, theres also a link in my sig file to my site on them. And between various species some are much easiuer to breed, such as G. tiomanicum, G. hagen, g. dennerle, and others that seem to need some more specific seasonal cues.

LoL, you're like the Viper of crabs with the data link, sorry I missed it there. I'm going to read up on these guys..thier set-up looks like it SOUNDS peaceful. I've been thinking of having something with a water feature in my den for a while; this might be what the Dr ordered here, I have to read into these guys.
Thanks a bunch, man! I appreciate it