Woohooo! Two females with eggs! Update P.6! BABIES! (PPs)

This area is dedicated to the pioneers who have captive bred crabs, and for those who wish to learn more or attempt it themselves. Also for inquiring about the gender of your crabs.
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wodesorel
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Re: Woohooo!! Two females with eggs!! Update P.6! BABIES!!

Post by wodesorel » Mon Aug 06, 2012 8:57 am

I hope you're doing okay. :) Just keep thinking about seeing Tiger, and I'm sure the flight won't be too bad! :hug99::

Oyster shells would work, as would anything you have on hand. I wasn't suggesting running out for anything! I know you beachcomb and have loads of stuff already, on top of the stuff you have for the adult crabs.

If you go the false bottom route (which is what the epoxy sand beds are called), make sure to make something outside of the tank that you can drop into place. Many a big expensive tank has been lost when a reef keeper tried to pour the epoxy into the tank to make it permanent. The heat from the curing epoxy, along with the fact that it expands and contracts as it cures will crack and/or shatter the glass.

I got to meet one of the mods from the Roach Forum in person yesterday and was telling him about your endeavors, and he suggested maybe at this point they would have to be separated from each other for safety. I forgot that in with arachnids (and some insects) cannibalism of siblings is a normal thing that occurs over time. If I get that far I will probably try keeping some communally and some separately because of this. It might just be normal, or it might be in response to lack of proper food. (But what that food would be, I don't know. :( )

I still think it's absolutely amazing that you got this far!!! Everything you have shared is advancing what we know about breeding them. :D There are no guides for this, and so much of it is experimental that them not making it is in no way a failure. You got them farther than anyone in the home hobby so far, and you got them as far as the scientific journals have reported. (ONE got that far in the papers - you have hundreds!!) That's a win. That is totally a win! And that's also how breeding programs get started - you try things, and then the next time you build upon what worked and what didn't and you get farther, and the times after that you keep refining it until you make it work. You just gave everyone here a very solid base to start on, and it will hopefully only take a few more tries to get it working. :) You documented everything, and those photos are incredible! For all you know you're inspiring more research into this by some grad student somewhere and we may be learning even more about them and captive breeding in the future.

You are my hero right now for putting yourself out and trying this, I really hope you know that!! Everyone I know has been told of "Wolf and her babies" whether they have hermit crabs or not, and everyone I know is pulling for those little guys and thinks that you're one awesome lady for being so ground-breaking. (For them you're already awesome for living in Alaska, so trying this makes you even more awesome. :lol: Must be an Ohio thing. ;) ) You inspired me to put my absolute all into trying it as well, and I hope to heck that I can make you proud by getting just as far. :)
Want to see all my crazy pets? @waywardwaifs on Instagram

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CallaLily
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Re: Woohooo!! Two females with eggs!! Update P.6! BABIES!!

Post by CallaLily » Mon Aug 06, 2012 9:25 am

Wode said it perfectly! You've done great Wolf!! :grouphug:


Squeaky
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Re: Woohooo!! Two females with eggs!! Update P.6! BABIES!!

Post by Squeaky » Mon Aug 06, 2012 10:03 am

wodesorel wrote: For all you know you're inspiring more research into this by some grad student somewhere and we may be learning even more about them and captive breeding in the future.
I was wondering about this - is there a way to find a grad student or professor that is interested in the subject and willing to do some more conrolled studies using the info we're gaining from this endeavor?
Last edited by Squeaky on Mon Aug 06, 2012 11:17 am, edited 1 time in total.

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CrabbyMom33
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Re: Woohooo!! Two females with eggs!! Update P.6! BABIES!!

Post by CrabbyMom33 » Mon Aug 06, 2012 11:06 am

Wode put it perfectly! You have done a fantastic job of getting them to this stage and documenting the process carefully so that others can learn from it and possibly try to raise their own!
Owner of 4 PPs

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wolfnipplechips
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Re: Woohooo!! Two females with eggs!! Update P.6! BABIES!!

Post by wolfnipplechips » Mon Aug 06, 2012 3:11 pm

You guys are making me teary. :P I'm definitely glad that I was able to document everything. I hope one of us someday is able to breed them 100% all the way through. It would also be neat to have like...1st, 2nd, 3rd generation captivity crabs in the future. :)

I know in the eyes of science and exploration, them not making it isn't failure, but it's just hard to lose living things that I'm raising, so it gets me down. I really am proud of myself for getting them this far. :) And not all are dead yet. There were like 20 normal ones swimming around this morning before I left (I'm in Juneau now). I put oyster shell on one half of the tank, so I hope that will help them. And I told my husband not to suck up dead ones so the cannibals will have something to eat. I don't think it will foul the water too much. There is just a lot of water to a small number of dead babies.

Wode, I think we are going to learn so much from you. I am so excited!!
Crabby since May 2009
Hermit Crab Food Store: http://alaskahermit.com/
Pets: crabs, cats, lizards, flesh eating beetles, isopods, betta fish

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Careyenz
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Re: Woohooo!! Two females with eggs!! Update P.6! BABIES!!

Post by Careyenz » Mon Aug 06, 2012 4:07 pm

You did fantastic! The fact that they got this far is miraculous! Not to mention what it did for this community. Look at how many people were following this thread. You really pulled everyone together to root for the little babies. I think we all felt like we were involved (even though you did all the work!!). If they don't make it this time, we all learned so much. You've really enlightened us all!
Careyenz, mom to Collin-7, Lily-4, 4 Straws, 5 Blues, 2 Violas, 2 E's, 2 PP's, and 3 cats.

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Re: Woohooo!! Two females with eggs!! Update P.6! BABIES!!

Post by Bridgitmac80 » Mon Aug 06, 2012 6:29 pm

This is an amazing journey that you are taking us on! I know you hated to leave, but your husband has been there with you during all of it and will do his best I'm sure.

Between you and Wode, imagine all the knowledge this world is gaining about hermits!!! While not being able to 100% know what would happen to them in the wild from hatching to coming ashore, your doing your best and have done AMAZING!! The two of your have been able to show others out there that want to "try" breeding how much time and care it takes and that it's very time consuming. It's not like you went out and bought two rabbits and put them in a cage and out pops a bunch of younins! You have done a fantastic job, and no matter the out come, we are rooting for you still and will be next year as well. You learn by doing and honey you have conquered so much in these past weeks, you put Einstein himself to shame!
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Re: Woohooo!! Two females with eggs!! Update P.6! BABIES!!

Post by Skymall007 » Tue Aug 07, 2012 6:21 am

You are incredible! I second everything that has been said. I can't wait to tell my marine biology professor (she studies inverts, crabs in particular). Not only have you gotten further than scientists could dream of with captive hermit breeding, but the knowledge you have brought to the hobby could end up saving huge populations of hermit crabs in the wild. With more care and cost in captive breeding, perhaps hermit owners will start seeing hermits as real pets instead of throw away animals. You've done an amazing thing for these little guys. Thank you for letting us be a part of it by taking amazing pictures and sharing your experiences with us. You are an inspiration to us and to science.
2Es- Sputnikt+Strangeship 1PP- Bluebug
RIP Spatula, HerbitHermenBatSquash, Kiwi, Flour, and Friendlyfeat, Mi6, Grape, Umo, and Upsidedown

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Curlz
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Re: Woohooo!! Two females with eggs!! Update P.6! BABIES!!

Post by Curlz » Thu Aug 09, 2012 2:04 am

Hello wolfnipplechips,
hello all Hermit Crab Asssociation members :)

I am Curlz from Germany (so please excuse my english ;) ) and I am a big Land Hermit Crab fan :)
My german bulletin friend and colleague of mine just gave me this link here. Yesterday I have read this exciting breeding experiment documentation! And I only can say: Awesome :)

Great job, wolfnipplechips!


I have already wrote a note to wolfnipplechips. Just to tell her, that I got a documentation about a successfully Land Hermit Crabs breeding.

My female crabs (I think 2 or 3 of them) hatch eggs continuesly nearly every month, with little breaks between.
In January / February my C. violascens female hatched her eggs in the saltwater pool in my tank. And at this time it was my 4th try to breed the larvae. With help from marine breeder, I build up a "Kreiseltank". A tank like a barrel. With an air stream in it. So that the larva are always in motion.

As far as I know, yout bulletin board already got the link to my english translation of my successfull experiment and the "Kreisel tank" documents.
you can find them here:

4th experiment diary https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bxr0FH ... aUJ2cmhQQQ
Kreisel tank https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bxr0FH ... jc4ZElrb0E


But back to wolfnipplechips experiment. There are several points here that I have experienced exactly the same :) I got only one scientific journal (of Renae Brodie) too. So I know how helpless you feel. But I was as excited as wolfnipplechips ;)

it is definitely a "Woohooo" experience!


Edit says: I forget the pictures and movies!
@Shadoe, your pictures and movies are GREAT! *wow*. My cam did not get the mini larvae. Its macro function is not good enough to get through glas, water and acrylic glass ;)

May we can use some of your picture to add them into our germany Land Hermit Crab bulletin board? (http://www.landeinsiedlerkrebs-forum.de/)
With them I can create a larvae development documentation, to show our german LHC fans this amazing process. My picture are not good enough for such documentation.
Love sincerly,

Curlz
and her pinchers

my Hermit Blog http://curlz-crabs.blogspot.de/

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Skymall007
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Re: Woohooo!! Two females with eggs!! Update P.6! BABIES!!

Post by Skymall007 » Thu Aug 09, 2012 2:51 am

Curlz that is so cool! Those little baby pictures you have are incredibly cute! I can't wait to read your whole experiment :crabbigsmile: .
2Es- Sputnikt+Strangeship 1PP- Bluebug
RIP Spatula, HerbitHermenBatSquash, Kiwi, Flour, and Friendlyfeat, Mi6, Grape, Umo, and Upsidedown

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Curlz
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Re: Woohooo!! Two females with eggs!! Update P.6! BABIES!!

Post by Curlz » Thu Aug 09, 2012 2:57 am

Hi Skymall007,

thank you :) and yes they are very very very cute. At the moment there are still up to 10 alive.

Hope that my documentations will help you to have such cuties, too!
Love sincerly,

Curlz
and her pinchers

my Hermit Blog http://curlz-crabs.blogspot.de/

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Skymall007
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Re: Woohooo!! Two females with eggs!! Update P.6! BABIES!!

Post by Skymall007 » Thu Aug 09, 2012 3:11 am

Mine have yet to have any eggs but maybe someday =) That would be so wonderful :crabbigsmile:
2Es- Sputnikt+Strangeship 1PP- Bluebug
RIP Spatula, HerbitHermenBatSquash, Kiwi, Flour, and Friendlyfeat, Mi6, Grape, Umo, and Upsidedown

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kuza
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Re: Woohooo!! Two females with eggs!! Update P.6! BABIES!!

Post by kuza » Thu Aug 09, 2012 5:36 am

wow curls that's some great info, and gratz!!


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Re: Woohooo!! Two females with eggs!! Update P.6! BABIES!!

Post by Happy Crabber » Thu Aug 09, 2012 9:08 am

WOW- this is amazing work! I'm stunned!
AKA: hermitmommy
PP: Scieny, Hermione, Hermasaurus Rex, Kitty, Cat, Twyla, Jupiter
E: Lilly McDiggington, Thunder, Lightening, Pocito Tito, Universe, Dawn
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Crabbielover1031
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Re: Woohooo!! Two females with eggs!! Update P.6! BABIES!!

Post by Crabbielover1031 » Thu Aug 09, 2012 10:36 am

Curlz, I couldn't view the links. :( But did you actually raise the larvae into little crabby babies yet?
I have 8 crabs available for adoption, please PM me if interested.

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