Successful Captivity Breeding!!!

MornaStar · Post by **MornaStar** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 4:09 pm

Hey Everyone,I read through this whole thing and I'm surprised to hear about this!!! https://docs.google.com/file/d...UJ2cmh ... li=1Really awesome!!! *Star*

Laurie LeAnn · Post by **Laurie LeAnn** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 5:00 pm

nothing comes up, it has been done before but most of them die if everthing is not perfect

Curlz · Post by **Curlz** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 9:14 pm

Hi there,that's my document. And there is already a thread about my successfull captivity breeding experiment (this one was with my permission to post the google doc link) ...hm @ Laurie? it has not done before successfully. There are no documents and pictures about successfull experiments.Actually there are two successfull breedings. C. variabilis (Aussies - see HCA Forum) and C. violascens) mine.

MornaStar · Post by **MornaStar** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:26 am

I heard that it was never done successfully before as well, but that's interesting. I was wondering if any of the few survived past the first few molts, but that information wasn't posted. I think that captive breeding would be good, then maybe they wouldn't have to be harvested and put in the horrid conditions that they are in. Perhaps they would be kept in better conditions because they don't want them to be treated badly if it cost a pretty penny to make sure they survived...although...I guess the price for crabs would go up in theory...

Curlz · Post by **Curlz** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:49 pm

from my 17, who got to land, survived 15 their final molt (to be a land hermit crab.)Now, round about one year later, are still 13 alive. (counted some month ago)But I do not count them daily, because they are hidden. And I do not want to disturb them too much. I can see up to 4 breedings hanging around the cork backboard, daily Sometime I see no one, sometimes all more.

Theodora · Post by **Theodora** » Mon Apr 08, 2013 4:53 am

I am happy to hear that it is actually possible to breed in captivity! I have always wanted to try breeding..... bu firs my crabs hav to get eggs. LOL

KittyCaller · Post by **KittyCaller** » Fri Jun 07, 2013 2:46 am

Congrats! This is awesome news! It's a first to get the fry to this point! AWESOME! Let me know if you intend to sell. I'd SO rather buy a captive born and raised.

jgfceit · Post by **jgfceit** » Fri Jun 07, 2013 8:23 am

WOW!!! I would SO like to have some baby crabs to take care of! Best of luck to you with future breedings!

Crabber85 · Post by **Crabber85** » Fri Jun 07, 2013 10:19 am

@Curlz, there actually hasn't been any successful captive breeding and rearing of land hermitcrabs until very recently because not enough was known about the diet and water conditions to actually get the zoea to live long enough to make it to land stage so this is a big achievement on your part and congrats are in order. I don't think the pet industry is going to be switching to captive bred hermies any time in the near future because of cost reasons and the fact that it's simply easier to go out and wipe out an entire colony in the wild than to spend the time getting breeder pairs to actually copulate and have a successful clutch.It takes wild hermitcrabs several years to become sexually mature usually happening around their seventh year which means every mature adult female will have to have at least fifty percent of her eggs hatch, molt and make it to shore and survive past that to actually replace her which sadly can't happen with the overharvesting and total wipe out of available shells by tourists that has been going on for the last decade.I would rather have hermitcrabs come from a captive source and actually taken care of before I get them as this lessens the need for isolation time and makes for longer living hermits.