TankBud

Red vampire crab

Geosesarma hagen

Also known as Red devil crab, Vampire crab

FreshwaterCrab

Red vampire crab (Geosesarma hagen)
Constantin93 · CC BY 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
pH
7.5–8.0
Adult size
2 in
5 cm
Minimum tank
10 gal
38 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Common
Family
Sesarmidae
Origin
Indonesia (Java, Sulawesi, Riau Islands)

Overview

Keep them as a species setup only, since they will hunt small fish and other crab species. Give a group of 38 liters or larger, with more females than males, because males are territorial and can kill each other. They are aggressive bottom dwellers that climb and forage across the land area, spending little time in the water. Keep the water warm at 22 to 28 C, hard and mineral-rich, with a pH around 7.5 to 8. Feed a mix of dried foods, blanched vegetables, and protein like bloodworms or bits of fish, and add a calcium source such as cuttlebone for molting.

In the wild

Red vampire crabs come from Indonesia, across Java, Sulawesi, and the Riau Islands, where they live along damp forest floors and stream banks rather than in open water. They spend most of their time on land, so build a paludarium that is mostly land over a shallow water area, with high humidity and a tight lid to hold it in. Keep the air warm at 22 to 28 C and use mineral-rich water, not plain RO, since they need the hardness. Aim for a pH of 7.5 to 8 in the water section.

Good to know

This is Geosesarma hagen, a small land crab in the family Sesarmidae. Adults reach about 5 cm across including the legs. Unlike many crabs, it breeds in fresh water and releases fully formed young rather than free-swimming larvae. Most crabs in the trade are wild collected.

Did you know

They breed right in the tank without a brackish phase, which is unusual for a crab. A female carries her eggs until they hatch as tiny, fully formed crabs that can walk straight away. The catch is that the adults will eat the young, so move any babies you want to raise into their own container.

Common questions

What size tank does a Red vampire crab need?

A Red vampire crab needs at least 10 gal (38 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Red vampire crab need?

A Red vampire crab is comfortable at 72–82°F (22–28°C) with a pH of 7.5–8.0.

How big does a Red vampire crab get?

An adult Red vampire crab reaches about 2 in (5 cm).

Related species