Is this what I think it is?!?! Edit: Yep, babies!

Mama Crabs · Post by **Mama Crabs** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 3:56 pm

I don't know how you ever went to sleep that night, thank you so much for all the great photos, you'll go down in history! Please keep us updated, this is exciting stuff!

SojMad · Post by **SojMad** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 5:06 pm

Thank you all!

Gabrielleh wrote:Cue the Marvin Gaye music!

Haha, that is truly amazing to witness! So, do we call you Grandma now?

Yay, I'm a grandma!

samurai_crab wrote:Ya, as far as I know you are the only one keeping your hermit crabs in an actual aquarium that has had their hermit crabs mate/produce eggs. All the scientific studies of hatching/raising hermit crabs were done with already fertilized eggs found on females (as far as I know). Any other occurances, Bob for one example at ELHC, keeps his in a huge building from what I've heard and Tammi from HCP has only had her crabs in their outdoor enclosure produce eggs. I'm not sure if she ever successfully raised any babies though, the info in their site is a few years old I believe.

This really is amazing, congrats.

samurai_crab wrote:You could email Suebee, (she can contact Bob I believe) or the Hermit Crab Patch, either one might be able to direct you more in how to raise them, assuming its something you want to invest the time/money in and they produce eggs again.

I'll write to THCP after this message, so I know what to do next time. I still have a couple of hundred hermit crab babies left, alive and well. I've just separated the live ones from the dead, and given them some fresh saltwater. I'll see how they make it.

I also have some in the hermit crabs salt water bowl, since the female where walking in the water bowl last night/this morning, so there's like hundreds of them in there too. :roll:

Anyone who knows what to feed the little ones with??

Crab Addict wrote:I would speak to your local fish store. Fish stores(good no petco/petsmart fish stores) usually have breeding tanks in the back, and they're bound to have a cycled tank with a sponge filter(Will keep the babies from getting sucked up). If you explain how rare it is that your land hermits have reproduced in captivity then they would probably be excited to allow you to use a tank to keep the babies and attempt to rear them.
This is really exciting, I would see if you could get in contact with Bob from ELHC.com, he would be excited to hear about this.

Petco/Petsmart doesn't exist in my country, and in my town, salt water aquariums aren't especially common. None of the pet stores have any breeding tanks. If they had, I know they wouldn't mind me trying to raise hermit crab babies in them.

elch.com doesn't seem to exist anymore?

Mama Crabs wrote:I don't know how you ever went to sleep that night, thank you so much for all the great photos, you'll go down in history! Please keep us updated, this is exciting stuff!

I barely could.

Of course I'll keep you all updated, I find this just as interesting as you all.

My boyfriend is getting crazy, this is all I'm talking about right now, haha.

SojMad · Post by **SojMad** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 10:21 pm

They are still alive!

Do you think they eat spirulina? Thats the only algae I have at home - and when should I start feed them?

Mama Crabs · Post by **Mama Crabs** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 10:26 pm

Did you hear from Tammy or Kurt yet at THCP? You can call them if it doesn't cost too much (see website), it may be worth the conversation!

I’m glad you still have some alive!

My son shared your news with his great grandma and I made my husband see your photos, I think we’re just as excited as you!

SojMad · Post by **SojMad** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 10:50 pm

Mama Crabs wrote:Did you hear from Tammy or Kurt yet at THCP? You can call them if it doesn't cost too much (see website), it may be worth the conversation!

I’m glad you still have some alive!

My son shared your news with his great grandma and I made my husband see your photos, I think we’re just as excited as you!

I've sent an email to THCP, but they haven't answered it yet, and I live in Sweden, so I can't really call them. I don't know how much it would cost, but I'm NOT that good in speaking English.

It's a lot easier to write than talk another language. ^^
I hope they see my email as soon as possible!

Haha, that's great.

I've told like everyone I know, and spoke about it on four different Internet forums!

People probably think I'm crazy now, if they didn't already.

Mama Crabs · Post by **Mama Crabs** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 11:29 pm

I usually hear back by the next day when I’ve emailed them, so maybe you'll hear from them soon.

By the way, do you have bubblers in your water dish?

Also, can you post pics of your whole tank, it would be fun to see it!

wolfnipplechips · Post by **wolfnipplechips** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 11:45 pm

I am so excited for you! And I love seeing the pics (and the vid) of all the cute little crab babies. It's weird to think that all our crabs used to be that tiny and fragile.

Makes you wonder what their mothers and fathers looked like or if any of their siblings survived to adulthood. hehe

Anyways, congrats again on your babies, and I'm looking forward to reading any updates!!

Whole new territory for all of us!

SojMad · Post by **SojMad** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 12:04 am

Mama Crabs wrote:I usually hear back by the next day when I’ve emailed them, so maybe you'll hear from them soon.

By the way, do you have bubblers in your water dish?

Also, can you post pics of your whole tank, it would be fun to see it!

No, I don't have any bubblers in any of my water dishes.

Of course, but it has to be more than one picture, I can't get a good pic on the whole tank with my camera.

Right side, with the salt water dish and some of the tiny little hermit crab babies.

Saturnus, my E, takes a peek at me too.

Behind the giant mangrove root is some cork bark

:

The middle (the picture is a bit blurry):

The left side with the ceramic heat lamp, though I won't need it now since we have more than 25°C indoors.

SojMad · Post by **SojMad** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 12:11 am

wolfnipplechips wrote:I am so excited for you! And I love seeing the pics (and the vid) of all the cute little crab babies. It's weird to think that all our crabs used to be that tiny and fragile. Makes you wonder what their mothers and fathers looked like or if any of their siblings survived to adulthood. hehe

Anyways, congrats again on your babies, and I'm looking forward to reading any updates!! Whole new territory for all of us!

I know! I wonder how many of all of those thousands of babies actually survives in the wild.

To think that our wonderful hermit crabs actually have survived to adulthood, when they have been that tiny and defenseless..

It's amazing.
I wonder if our hermit crabs parents are alive somewhere in the world, and how many siblings they have? Wow..

Thank you!

They are still alive, swimming like crazy, hihi!

SoulLonely · Post by **SoulLonely** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 12:33 am

Your tank is awesome looking! Thanks for posting!

SojMad · Post by **SojMad** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 12:41 am

SoulLonely wrote:Your tank is awesome looking! Thanks for posting!

Thank you!!

Mama Crabs · Post by **Mama Crabs** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 1:00 am

Ooohhh I love your tank! Where did you get the cork bark and the plant with the tiny round leaves?

MudCrabDude · Post by **MudCrabDude** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 1:05 am

SojMad wrote:The male ruggie apparently want to mate again, since he won't let go of her even for a second!

This is seriously the most amazing thing I have ever experienced!

Cool pics. This is actually the first I've ever seen pics posted here of "precopulatory guarding" of rugosus hermits (I've heard of other crabbers here who have said their own crabs did so, other species, that is, but this is the first pics I've seen myself.)

Congratulations, and good luck with the babies.

You are most fortunate in finding two compatible male/female crabs - here's hoping that they mate some more in the future!

SojMad · Post by **SojMad** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 1:29 am

Mama Crabs wrote:Ooohhh I love your tank! Where did you get the cork bark and the plant with the tiny round leaves?

Thank you so much!

I bought them at one of our local pet stores. The fake plant with the round leaves is a "Fluval Chi"-decoration, so it should be sold in your pet stores too.

http://www.aquariumguys.com/fluval-chi- ... ament.html

MudCrabDude wrote:Cool pics. This is actually the first I've ever seen pics posted here of "precopulatory guarding" of rugosus hermits (I've heard of other crabbers here who have said their own crabs did so, other species, that is, but this is the first pics I've seen myself.)

Congratulations, and good luck with the babies.

You are most fortunate in finding two compatible male/female crabs - here's hoping that they mate some more in the future! Wink

Thanks!

He didn't let go of her at all, and when I finally went to bed, he still had a hold of her. Now they're both gone, so they are probably hiding somewhere together.

SojMad · Post by **SojMad** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 10:27 am

I just have to tell you all that mommy and daddy crab has resurfaced.

I saw the food dish starting to bump up and down, and then the female stuck her head up under it.

The male came up right after, so they were buried together at the same place. Is it possible that hermit crabs mate underground?

And the babies are still alive.

I've just changed most of their water, and they seem pretty active. ^^