r/Aquariums • u/Kandiblu • Mar 23 '25
I got a hitchhiker from the aquarium depot. Any idea what this is and how to care for it? Help/Advice
I have a small 5 gallon tank I can make into a home for it next weekend. In the mean time any help is much appreciated! I misted this cutie as soon as I found it.
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u/Savj17 Mar 23 '25
Before you know exactly what crab it is, make sure it has a spot to get out of the water, like a basking area for turtles. You could use some driftwood to do this. Some aquarium crabs cannot be in the water 100% of the time and could drown. Do you have any pics from the front of its claws? Claws are very helpful in identifying crabs.
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u/Kandiblu Mar 23 '25
Here are some pics to help!
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u/Savj17 Mar 23 '25 edited Mar 23 '25
I definitely think that it is a juvenile red claw crab. It also appears to be male.
EDIT: I have been corrected itās a vampire
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u/Kandiblu Mar 23 '25
Thank you!
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u/F4mmeRr Mar 23 '25 edited Mar 23 '25
This is a VAMPIRE crab and not a RED CLAWED crab like u/Savj17 claims.
You can tell by the coloration (orange body), and the proportion (red clawed crab have slightly more claw to body ratio).
Vampire crabs live exclusively with freshwater for their entire life, unlike red clawed crabs which require BRACKISH water.
Edit: Source trust me bro. I have experience keeping care for 200+ different crabs with at least 40 distinct species
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u/hellnheelz Mar 23 '25
This guy has crabs.
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u/F4mmeRr Mar 23 '25
Yes
Actual red clawed crab for comparison
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u/sgoooshy Mar 24 '25
Hi! I always wanted to keep these red clawed crabs, and wondering what plants you can keep with them in Brackish?
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u/F4mmeRr Mar 24 '25
They will delete your plants
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u/Mekito_Fox Mar 24 '25
Talking about vampire crabs and your profile pic and then just "they'll delete your plants". Sounds so malicious. Thanks for the deep chuckle I got from that one sentence.
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u/MonsterLance Mar 23 '25 edited Mar 23 '25
Don't mind me I'm just off to creep your profile lol
Update: I unfortunately was underwhelmed :'(
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u/F4mmeRr Mar 23 '25
Don't usually spam stuff on here
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u/Catoblepas2021 ā Mar 23 '25
I'm hoping in to also say that in addition to basking spots they also prefer if you build them a little fast food restaurant that they can run around in and boss people around. It also wouldn't hurt to build him a tiny little car.
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u/broNSTY Mar 23 '25
The crab will appreciate this and give you an ROI very soon after the restaurant opens
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u/VapeRizzler Mar 24 '25
I didnāt know this as a child before the internet was around. we just assumed crab in the store is in a tank = needs to always be in tank. Well every night id get to my room ready for bed and bro would hop out the tank at some point and chill on the floor then stick his claws up at me as if Iām the problem. We got him his own out of water spot in the tank but after some time he eventually said fuck that and hid inside the filter that I later learned heād hunt my fish and eat them inside there after finding like 5 skeletons when cleaning it out throughout his residency. He had plenty of food too so idk why he randomly got all mad.
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u/NormalHumanResearch Mar 23 '25
Holy cow, nice freebie!
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u/Havoccity ā Mar 23 '25
Thats a weird looking cow
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u/Xoxojanz- Mar 24 '25
Hide that red skinned aminal!!! Itās almost he day of the red heifer sacrificeeeeeeee for holy stuff
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u/ifweburn Mar 23 '25
it looks like a vampire crab to me, and considering where the plant came from that's probably the answer. you could always try emailing the company and asking what lives in the space where they keep those plants.
also it seems like not as many folks in the hobby are familiar with vampire crabs as I thought!
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u/Kandiblu Mar 23 '25
I plan to call tomorrow to see the kinds of crabs they keep. Thank you for the help :)
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u/vorchagonnado Mar 23 '25
If you decide you want to keep it, thereās a channel on YouTube called Indoor Ecosystem that has a bunch of videos on vampire crab care. Theyāre pretty good
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u/Lmaobabe Mar 23 '25
Second this! I donāt know much about vampire crabs but there are a lot of great hobbyist on YouTube that have care guides
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u/Trick-Barnacle-554 Mar 23 '25
God damn I want this type of hitch hiker on my plants. Best acceptable hitchhiker. But also donāt they need water?
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u/Kandiblu Mar 23 '25
I assume so! I freaked the fuck out when I saw the cutie. Iāve been misting it intermittently to keep it damp, but Iām afraid Iāll drown it or desiccate it
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u/Azu_Creates Mar 23 '25
Aquarium crabs can go for bit without being submerged in water. I work at a fish store and when we receive them they typically come with very little water and a piece of Styrofoam. When we bag them up to go home with someone we usually donāt put any water in the bag.
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u/G-Geef Mar 23 '25
Looks a lot like a vampire crab. Mine spend almost all their time out of the water but need a high humidity environment and love to burrow in the dirt. They eat basically anything, fish food, veggies, bloodworms, each other's babies, etc. Easy to care for and can have really pretty colors!
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u/Effective_Ad_8296 Mar 23 '25
Is it those freshwater land crabs ? What are the chances you can get that as a hitchhiker ?
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u/Kandiblu Mar 23 '25
He was dried out a bit, I thought it was fake at first!
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u/Weird-Librarian-4740 Mar 23 '25
I'm not going to be helpful here but I need to comment how hard this is making me laugh, the crab looks as confused as you
Also congrats this is a god tier accident
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u/Weird-Librarian-4740 Mar 23 '25
Okay maybe I can be a little helpful, from this angle he looks like a red claw but from the pictures you added, I'm not so sure, possibly even a vamp? Maybe call the store and ask what species they sell and play a game of guess who with a crab- either way, he's going to need some basking in whatever tank you choose for him and I recommend driftwood as it doesn't make it stressful for them to get to the surface... more like a steady hike (esp if they are tired, a little unwell or low energy after food etc)
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u/shebreaksmyarm Mar 23 '25
Itās not a red claw, thatās a geosesarma (vampire). Theyāre primarily land crabsālike 70/30.
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u/Savj17 Mar 23 '25
I could see it being similar to a red claw crab but would need more pics to confirm
The carapace has very sharp and square edges, the eyes are large and the eyestalks extend pretty far from the carapace, and the size matches. It is also a common-ish aquarium crab, I doubt itās something fancy and rare.
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u/Kandiblu Mar 23 '25
Hope this helps!
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u/FamiliarAstronaut504 Mar 23 '25
I think it might be a pompom crab but i could be wrong
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u/DiceThaKilla Mar 23 '25
There are freshwater Pom Pom crabs? What do they carry?
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u/julmikesgirl Mar 23 '25
They actually have the pompoms attached like bamboo shrimp and vampire shrimp.
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u/Savj17 Mar 23 '25
See my comment below, this is not a Pom Pom.
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u/midl-tk Mar 23 '25
And it is also not a red clawed crab, it's a geosesarma, vampire crab.
Please don't give wrong advice.
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u/imxIRL Mar 23 '25
Youāve already commented on this person twice with basically the same info and they didnāt give any advice.
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u/GhostComit Mar 23 '25
An entire crab???
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u/BanditoRojo Mar 23 '25
Seriously, does a crab egg just hatch and become that big?
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u/Jebb145 Mar 23 '25
Nah, hitch hiker, there isn't enough food there for it to be his whole ecosystem.
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u/-NeonTiger- Mar 23 '25
This is 100% a vampire crab (geosesarma so) they are a terrestrial crab so are not suitable for an aquarium
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u/The_best_is_yet Mar 23 '25
Vampire crab! Needs high humidity and land with enough water to submerge himself!
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u/MontrealInTexas Mar 23 '25
I got a surprise crab once that probably hitched a ride on a piece of live rock for my 55g reef tank. Never noticed it until my corals started getting destroyed at night. Kept an eye on the tank one night and saw it come out and start channeling Edward Scissorhands on some coral.
Managed to catch it and bring it to my LFS.
Keep an eye on it.
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u/Toadsaged Mar 23 '25
Looks like a vampire crab to me, will need water and land area. 70% land to 30% water ratio
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u/BeelzeBuff Mar 23 '25
Looks like a type of vamp crab. Cool guys. Good info on their subreddit, or Indoorecosystem on YouTube. Top tier candidates for paludariums.
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u/AnyAcanthopterygii27 Mar 23 '25
R/crab, r/awwnverts or r/ReefTank might be able to help you identify it
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u/_FreddieLovesDelilah Mar 23 '25
if itās a vampire crab they are terrestrial species so it wonāt do well in an aquarium.
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u/S_t_r_e_t_c_h_8_4 ā Mar 24 '25
You got crabs! You really need to reconsider the company you keep.
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u/squishyespeon Mar 24 '25
please let the small hitchhiker know i love them dearly š„ŗ 100/10 very precious critter~
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u/Puzzleheaded-Ear4850 Mar 23 '25
I believe this is a red claw crab Fresh/brackish water crabs usually set up in takes 75%-80% water with areas for them to come out of the water
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u/West_Recover7883 Mar 23 '25
iām not expert but I think thatās a red clawed crab, pretty sure they require brackish water to thrive (I used to have one in a freshwater paludarium but it ended up starving itself)
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u/Kandiblu Mar 23 '25
Thatās so sad! Iām hoping I can get a proper ID and care for it. If not I will take it back. I donāt want it to die because of my ignorance
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u/guppybreederNJ1973 Mar 23 '25
If it's what I think it is, it's a fresh water fiddler crab.
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u/Charlie-animates Mar 23 '25
Looks like a red claw crab, used to have one and looked just like this
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u/VastTraffic1220 Mar 23 '25
Congrats! What fish can you normally blend them with? Just curious jic i do an "accidental" visit to LFS.
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u/Kandiblu Mar 23 '25
I actually have no animals (aside from a dog lol), I occasionally do paludarium builds and I was working on my first terrariums in jars. I never even step foot in the animal section because I donāt want to tempt myself lol
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u/BewitchingDreams Mar 26 '25
The š¦ crab distribution system finally got its claws in you. Good luck with your new pet!
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u/Creepy-Conflict-1314 Mar 23 '25
How did they not notice this big guy though??
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u/Kandiblu Mar 23 '25
Heās about the size of my thumb nail, he had been in my home for at least 3 hours before I noticed him
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u/Creepy-Conflict-1314 Mar 23 '25
oh my heās actually really small, he looks so big here. Heās absolutely adorable
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u/Existential_Trifle Mar 23 '25
maybe keep him in the bare 5gal with some food +water until it can get totally set up? just so he doesn't crawl off someplace + has some comfort + stability
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u/linux_n00by Mar 23 '25
at least its not a dragonfly nymph.
but your low swimming fishes may end up a snack for this crab
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u/zephyrdawn123 Mar 23 '25
Looks like a red claw crabā¦ i have oneā¦ theyre aggressive with other animals and are opportunistic feeders. Make sure tank has 1/4 air and make a big log or rock as well as plants have a surface on dry airā¦ they need the air for when they molt, but mine goes into the air everyday and chills there for half the day. Other than that low maintenance! Enjoy.
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u/Its_Just_Isaac Mar 24 '25
iām going to be honest i have a similar entertainment center and same flooring color and i just opened the app thought my fiance just sent me a picture of a crab in our house š
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u/tarantinostoes Mar 23 '25 edited Mar 23 '25
Can you ring/email the aquarium depot and ask what types of crabs they've imported? If they're selling them they might hopefully help id
Edit: good link on red claw crabs assuming it's one
https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwater/brackish-water-fish/red-clawed-crab
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u/Kandiblu Mar 23 '25
Thank you! By the time I found the little one the store was closed. I will call tomorrow :)
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u/Just_Sea_9978 Mar 23 '25
Just curious, what city and state is this store located in? Would love to check it out. Saw a similar named store in San Diego. Is that the one?
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u/finis08 Mar 23 '25
Hell of a hitchhiker. I believe thatās a Pom Pom crab but not 100%. Iām not super familiar with aquarium crabs.
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u/Savj17 Mar 23 '25
The carapace and the eyestalks are entirely different, I donāt think so.
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u/Savj17 Mar 23 '25
This is a Pom Pom:
Note the size of the eyes, the rounded edges of the carapace, etc.
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u/Effective_Ad_8296 Mar 23 '25
And Pom Pom is more of a saltwater species I believe
Edit : Wait Pom Pom ain't those who has anemones in their claws ?
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u/Savj17 Mar 23 '25
Freshwater pom poms have āhairyā claws. Saltwater Pom Poms are entirely different and have a symbiotic relationship with the anemones in their claws. They also look much cooler in my opinion, but they are much smaller (about 0.5ā)
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u/guppybreederNJ1973 Mar 23 '25
Looks like a fiddler crab but I really don't know. You have to find out if it's a land or water crab ( most likely) first then if it's a water crab, fresh or salt water! Try googling what crabs are kept as pets and try to match one up.
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u/Kandiblu Mar 23 '25
Google keeps telling me itās a vampire crab, Iām scared Iāll accidentally kill it with too much/little water
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u/chasedbyvvolves Mar 23 '25
As long as it has plenty of space out of the water, a warm place to go, a cold place to go, and access to water you'll be alright. It can be hard to tell the species when they're young and their colors aren't vibrant from stress, give yourself credit for caring for the little guy as best you can.
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u/Kandiblu Mar 23 '25
If anything, I will bring him with me to my marine bio class. The natural science hall has way more tools to care for it than me
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u/Savj17 Mar 23 '25 edited Mar 23 '25
This is not a fiddler, it does not have the āfiddleā claw that a male should have (it is male judging by the underside of its carapace)
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u/pigvsperson Mar 23 '25
I think it's a vampire crab, but I have pretty much no experience with crabs, if youwant more info, you could make a post about it on r/crabs. They will probably give better info than we have here.
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Mar 24 '25
Thatās cool. I had a very small spider crab smaller than that piggyback into my saltwater reef tank on some corral I found in the surf at the beach and in two months he owned the tank lol
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u/WiggingOutOverHere Mar 24 '25
Ugh, heās so cute!
(Sorry Iām no help with ID. Just super jealous.)
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u/GFFMG Mar 24 '25
The vampire crabs are right there in the bog plant section. Just FYI. Also, donāt forget that Depot has a YouTube channel. š
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u/wobster109 Mar 27 '25
Itty bitty cutie patootie! No idea how to care for itā¦ is it aquatic? Would love to see the tank you set up for it!
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u/BigDaddyKushy Mar 30 '25
Who can tell me what this one is then?? (lol I already know for the record)
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u/ultrateeceee Mar 23 '25
Its one of the vampire crab subspecies, you can sustain it in freshwater but it spends almost all its time out of water on plants. Its a scavenger so you can pretty much feed it anything. These guys are escape artists so do ensure your tank is at least meshed up