Geosesarma sp. "Red Vampire Crab"

[swords]

Hi folks, I got a shipment of 11 Geosesarma species "red Vampire Crabs" they are quite new imports and apparently have a very high fatality rate due to them "all" being wild caught. I lost my first one 12 hours after unpacking and setting them loose in their new home just before lights out. Is anyone else here trying to breed these? Someone Named Orin has some actual captive bred ones on this site: http://www.petshrimp.com/discussions/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2987&start=45 is it our own Orin Mcmonigle who made that post ? If yes, how did you do with them? Did they live easy & breed for you?

I am housing them all communally in a 40 gallon naturalistic vivarium with the Nepenthes ampullaria pitcher plants that grow in the forests where these crabs dwell. Here's a few pictures:

This is the one who died almost right after taking this picture!

Perhaps it was too stressful to have stuck the camera right in his face?

 

[keri]

Beautiful setup! I'm afraid I can't help with any husbandry tips tho.

 

[Orin]

There aren't a lot of Orins out there. The captive bred vampire crabs I have are from a guy who lives about an hour from me. He's working on an article which should be in the upcoming Invertebrates-Magazine. I'd love to get a hold of those red ones.

 

[swords]

I'm documenting mine on my terrarium article site as well, just incase I don't have them long!

Do yours wrestle? How many do you have in one tank? I found a claw on the ground tonight so somebody lost a squabble. I'm thinking of dividing them all up into pairs/trios in 10 gallon tanks. As much as I like the big tank I'd much rather have 4 less interesting tanks than a communal tank full of dead and maimed crabs. I don't know how the purple or orange ones are since these are my first but the reds seem very territorial.

 

[Orin]

You probably don't want to see what'll happen when one molts at the density you have them at. If you run out of tanks send me a pair.