Lavender Vampire Crab (Geosesarma sp. "Pitya")
- In stock, ready to ship
- Backordered, shipping soon
State Restrictions
Vampire Crabs cannot be shipped to Maine due to state regulations. Questions? Contact info@aquaticarts.com before placing your order.
IMPORTANT: Vampire Crab Habitat Requirements
Vampire Crabs are semi-terrestrial animals and are NOT fully aquatic. They require a paludarium with both land and freshwater areas and should not be maintained in a traditional aquarium. We also recommend keeping only a single Vampire Crab species per enclosure.
B-Grade Notice
B-Grade Notice: These healthy specimens may display minor cosmetic imperfections, less developed coloration, or missing and regenerating limbs.
Species Overview
The Lavender Vampire Crab (Geosesarma sp. "Pitya") is one of the most distinctive Vampire Crabs available in the aquarium hobby. Its soft lavender to violet body coloration, contrasting bright eyes, and active personality make it a standout addition to tropical paludariums. While many Vampire Crab species are known for brilliant reds and oranges, the Lavender Vampire Crab offers a more subtle yet equally captivating appearance that is rarely seen in freshwater invertebrates.
Like other members of the Geosesarma genus, the Lavender Vampire Crab is a semi-terrestrial species that spends the majority of its life on land rather than underwater. These curious crabs are constantly exploring cork bark, driftwood, mosses, botanicals, and leaf litter in search of food. Their natural climbing ability and inquisitive behavior make them one of the most entertaining inhabitants of a well-designed bioactive paludarium.
Our Lavender Vampire Crabs are carefully quarantined, observed, and conditioned before shipment to help ensure they arrive healthy and ready to thrive. Whether you are creating your first Vampire Crab enclosure or expanding an established colony, the Lavender Vampire Crab offers a unique combination of beauty, personality, and fascinating natural behavior.
What We Love About This Crab
• Beautiful lavender and violet coloration rarely seen in freshwater crabs
• Active and entertaining behavior throughout the enclosure
• Excellent choice for tropical bioactive paludariums
• Fascinating climbing, foraging, and social interactions
Quick Care Guide
• Care Level: Moderate
• Temperament: Generally Peaceful
• Diet: Omnivore (Invertebrates, Fruits, Vegetables, and Prepared Foods)
• Adult Size: Approximately 1–1.5 Inches (2.5–3.8 cm)
• Lifespan: Approximately 2–3 Years
• Activity Level: Moderate to Active
• Recommended Group Size: Small Colony
• Habitat Type: Semi-Terrestrial Paludarium
• Land-to-Water Ratio: Approximately 70% Land / 30% Water
Tank Parameters
Temperature: 72–82°F (22–28°C)
pH: 7.5–8.0
General Hardness (GH): 4–16 dGH (120–300 ppm)
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Humidity: 70–90%
Minimum Enclosure Size: 10 Gallons
lthough our Lavender Vampire Crabs are captive raised, Geosesarma species naturally inhabit tropical forest ecosystems throughout Indonesia. These humid environments are characterized by warm temperatures, abundant rainfall, dense vegetation, shallow streams, seepages, and thick layers of decaying leaves covering the forest floor.
Unlike fully aquatic freshwater crabs, Lavender Vampire Crabs spend the majority of their lives on land. They seek shelter beneath fallen logs, tangled roots, moss-covered rocks, and deep leaf litter where humidity remains consistently high. These protected microhabitats provide food, cover, and ideal conditions for molting and reproduction.
Lavender Vampire Crabs are opportunistic omnivores that spend much of the day exploring their surroundings in search of insects, worms, fallen fruit, seeds, organic debris, and other naturally available food sources. Their curious nature and constant foraging behavior are among the characteristics that make this species so enjoyable to observe in a naturalistic paludarium.
Paludarium Design and Aquascaping
Habitat Preference
Lavender Vampire Crabs thrive in tropical paludariums that emphasize land area, humidity, and environmental complexity. Although access to freshwater is important, most of the enclosure should consist of usable land where the crabs can forage, climb, and establish territories.
Recommended Substrate
We recommend using a moisture-retaining substrate composed of coconut fiber, coco husk, organic topsoil, ABG mix, or a sand-and-soil blend. These substrates help maintain humidity while supporting burrowing behavior, beneficial microorganisms, and live tropical plants.
Hardscape
Natural cork bark, driftwood, roots, rocks, and caves create secure hiding places while providing numerous climbing opportunities. Multiple hiding locations and visual barriers help reduce territorial disputes and encourage more natural behavior throughout the colony.
Plant Recommendations
Excellent plant choices include Pothos (Epipremnum aureum), Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila), Java Moss (Taxiphyllum barbieri), Bucephalandra species, tropical ferns, Selaginella, and other humidity-loving terrarium plants. These plants help maintain humidity while creating a lush tropical environment.
Ideal Setup Style
Lavender Vampire Crabs are exceptionally well suited for bioactive tropical paludariums featuring springtails, isopods, mosses, botanicals, abundant hardscape, and deep leaf litter. Naturalistic enclosures often result in more active crabs, healthier molts, and more natural behaviors.
Diet and Feeding
Lavender Vampire Crabs are omnivorous scavengers that spend much of their time searching for food among leaf litter, botanicals, mosses, and hardscape. In nature they consume insects, worms, small crustaceans, fruits, seeds, decaying plant material, and other organic matter encountered while foraging across the forest floor.
A varied diet is important for successful molting, long-term health, vibrant coloration, reproduction, and overall vitality. Quality invertebrate foods, shrimp foods, sinking pellets, crab diets, and omnivore formulas should form the foundation of their feeding program.
Lavender Vampire Crabs also readily accept quality fish flakes, making them an easy species to feed in captivity. Fish flakes provide an excellent supplemental food when rotated with specialized invertebrate diets and other nutritious offerings.
Additional foods such as bloodworms, black soldier fly larvae, mealworms, freeze-dried insects, fresh fruits, vegetables, and occasional protein-rich treats help recreate the diversity of foods Lavender Vampire Crabs would naturally encounter.
Providing multiple food sources throughout the week encourages natural foraging behavior while supporting healthier molts, stronger breeding performance, improved coloration, and overall long-term health.
Lavender Vampire Crabs are best maintained in species-only colonies. While generally peaceful toward members of their own species when adequate space and hiding places are provided, Lavender Vampire Crabs are not ideal candidates for mixed-species Vampire Crab enclosures.
We strongly recommend maintaining only a single Vampire Crab species per enclosure. Different Geosesarma species may compete for resources, establish territories, or create unnecessary stress. Keeping one species per enclosure also preserves the natural appearance and behavior of each colony.
Bioactive cleanup crews such as springtails and isopods make excellent companions. These beneficial organisms help recycle waste, consume decaying organic matter, and contribute to a healthier, more self-sustaining ecosystem without disturbing the crabs.
Aquatic Arts Shrimp Safety Rating
Adult Shrimp: 1/10
Juvenile Shrimp: 1/10
Shrimplets: 1/10
Aquatic Arts Recommendation
Lavender Vampire Crabs should not be considered shrimp safe. While isolated success may occur in very large, densely planted paludariums, Lavender Vampire Crabs are opportunistic predators that may capture shrimp whenever the opportunity arises.
For the highest long-term success, we recommend maintaining Lavender Vampire Crabs in a dedicated species-only paludarium where they can display their full range of natural behaviors without competing with or preying upon other invertebrates.
Breeding Difficulty
Moderate
Reproduction Type
Direct Development
Unlike many freshwater crabs, Lavender Vampire Crabs do not produce free-swimming larvae. Female Lavender Vampire Crabs carry fertilized eggs beneath their abdomen until fully formed miniature crabs hatch. These tiny crabs immediately begin life on land and require no marine or brackish water stage.
Successful breeding is possible in captivity when Lavender Vampire Crabs are maintained in stable, humid, species-only colonies with abundant hiding places, high-quality nutrition, and minimal disturbance. Providing deep leaf litter, bioactive substrate, and a varied omnivorous diet often results in improved breeding success and healthier juvenile development.
Are Lavender Vampire Crabs fully aquatic?
No. Lavender Vampire Crabs (Geosesarma sp. "Pitya") are semi-terrestrial animals that require both land and freshwater areas. Lavender Vampire Crabs should never be kept in a traditional aquarium without a land section.
Do Lavender Vampire Crabs need a paludarium?
Yes. Lavender Vampire Crabs thrive in tropical paludariums that provide approximately 70% land and 30% freshwater. A humid, well-planted enclosure allows Lavender Vampire Crabs to display their natural behaviors.
What makes Lavender Vampire Crabs different from other Vampire Crab species?
Lavender Vampire Crabs are admired for their soft lavender to violet coloration, bright eyes, and active personality. While many Vampire Crab species display bright reds or oranges, Lavender Vampire Crabs offer a unique pastel appearance that stands out in tropical paludariums.
Are Lavender Vampire Crabs beginner friendly?
Lavender Vampire Crabs are suitable for beginners who are willing to build and maintain a proper semi-terrestrial paludarium. Once their humidity and habitat requirements are met, Lavender Vampire Crabs are generally hardy and rewarding to keep.
How large do Lavender Vampire Crabs get?
Adult Lavender Vampire Crabs typically reach approximately 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5–3.8 cm).
How long do Lavender Vampire Crabs live?
With proper care, Lavender Vampire Crabs typically live 2 to 3 years.
Are Lavender Vampire Crabs active?
Yes. Lavender Vampire Crabs are active explorers that spend much of the day climbing, foraging, and investigating their surroundings.
Are Lavender Vampire Crabs social?
Yes. Lavender Vampire Crabs generally do well in small colonies when adequate hiding places and territory are available.
How many Lavender Vampire Crabs can I keep together?
A small group of Lavender Vampire Crabs can often be maintained successfully in a properly designed paludarium. Providing multiple hiding places helps minimize territorial disputes.
Can Lavender Vampire Crabs climb?
Yes. Lavender Vampire Crabs are excellent climbers and frequently use cork bark, driftwood, roots, rocks, and plants throughout the enclosure.
Do Lavender Vampire Crabs burrow?
Lavender Vampire Crabs may create shallow burrows or resting areas beneath leaf litter, moss, cork bark, and other natural cover.
What humidity do Lavender Vampire Crabs require?
Lavender Vampire Crabs thrive in humidity levels between 70% and 90%.
What temperature is best for Lavender Vampire Crabs?
Lavender Vampire Crabs do best between 72°F and 82°F (22–28°C).
What pH is recommended for Lavender Vampire Crabs?
Lavender Vampire Crabs prefer slightly alkaline water with a pH between 7.5 and 8.0.
What water hardness is best for Lavender Vampire Crabs?
Lavender Vampire Crabs thrive in moderately hard water with a GH between 4 and 16 dGH (120–300 ppm), which supports healthy molting and shell development.
Do Lavender Vampire Crabs need deep water?
No. Lavender Vampire Crabs require only a shallow freshwater section with easy access in and out of the water.
Can Lavender Vampire Crabs drown?
Yes. Lavender Vampire Crabs can drown if they cannot easily exit deep water. Every aquatic area should include gentle slopes, rocks, branches, or other escape routes.
What do Lavender Vampire Crabs eat?
Lavender Vampire Crabs are omnivores that enjoy insects, worms, shrimp foods, crab diets, fish flakes, fruits, vegetables, and other prepared foods.
Can Lavender Vampire Crabs eat fish flakes?
Yes. Lavender Vampire Crabs readily accept quality tropical fish flakes, making them an excellent supplemental food alongside a varied omnivorous diet.
What foods help Lavender Vampire Crabs breed?
A varied diet rich in quality proteins, insects, prepared invertebrate foods, and fresh fruits and vegetables helps support breeding, healthy molts, and overall vitality.
Are Lavender Vampire Crabs shrimp safe?
No. Lavender Vampire Crabs are opportunistic predators and may capture shrimp if given the opportunity.
Can Lavender Vampire Crabs live with fish?
Generally no. Lavender Vampire Crabs are best maintained in species-only paludariums.
Can Lavender Vampire Crabs live with other Vampire Crab species?
No. Aquatic Arts recommends keeping only one Vampire Crab species per enclosure to minimize territorial disputes and preserve each species' natural behavior.
Can Lavender Vampire Crabs live with springtails and isopods?
Yes. Springtails and isopods make excellent bioactive cleanup crews for Lavender Vampire Crab paludariums.
Do Lavender Vampire Crabs need leaf litter?
Yes. Leaf litter provides natural cover, supports beneficial microorganisms, and encourages natural foraging behavior.
What plants are best for Lavender Vampire Crabs?
Lavender Vampire Crabs do well with Pothos, Java Moss, Creeping Fig, Bucephalandra, tropical ferns, Selaginella, and other humidity-loving plants.
Can Lavender Vampire Crabs breed in captivity?
Yes. Lavender Vampire Crabs can breed successfully in captivity when maintained in stable, humid, species-only colonies with high-quality nutrition and abundant hiding places.
Do Lavender Vampire Crabs have free-swimming larvae?
No. Lavender Vampire Crabs exhibit direct development, meaning fully formed miniature crabs hatch from the eggs without a free-swimming larval stage.
How can I tell male and female Lavender Vampire Crabs apart?
Male Lavender Vampire Crabs typically have a narrower abdominal plate, while female Lavender Vampire Crabs have a broader abdomen designed for carrying eggs.
Should I buy a male or female Lavender Vampire Crab?
Both male and female Lavender Vampire Crabs make excellent display animals. Purchasing both sexes provides the opportunity to establish a breeding colony.
Would Aquatic Arts recommend Lavender Vampire Crabs for my paludarium?
Absolutely. Aquatic Arts recommends Lavender Vampire Crabs for hobbyists seeking a colorful, active, and fascinating semi-terrestrial species for tropical bioactive paludariums.
How are Lavender Vampire Crabs shipped?
Lavender Vampire Crabs ship via UPS Next Day Air in our Aquatic Arts Live Arrival Guarantee Box to help ensure they arrive healthy and ready to thrive.
Are Lavender Vampire Crabs covered by the Live Arrival Guarantee?
Yes. Every Lavender Vampire Crab is backed by our 100% Live Arrival Guarantee and supported by the experienced Aquatic Arts team.
For the safety of our animals, we only ship live fish, crabs, and select other inverts exclusively via UPS 1 Day Air. If your order contains this item, you will only see UPS 1 Day Air as a shipping option during checkout. If other items are in your cart that can ship with 2 day or standard shipping options the only shipping method you can still select is UPS 1 Day Air.
UPS 1 Day is a description of the duration of time a shipment will spend in transit once it has been shipped. This does not guarantee the package will be shipped the same or next day from which the order was placed.
Shipping Schedule for this service
Current Handling Time:
1-9 business days
Here at Aquatic Arts, we consider the welfare of the live animals we are shipping to be of the foremost importance. This process is much more involved than simply creating a shipping label and affixing it to a box. Depending on the order, it takes from 4 to 7 people to complete this process properly. We check the weather conditions here where they fly out of the Indianapolis UPS facility and the destination for each shipment. We start early each morning and go through a multi-step process to have the day's shipments prepared in time for the UPS pickup. The volume of orders in our system also affects the processing time. Therefore our stated handling time is 1-9 business days.
Shipping Rate
Pricing is by size of package needed to fill entire order and distance it must travel. It will be calculated at checkout.
We stand behind the health and quality of every animal we ship. Each Lavender Vampire Crab (Geosesarma sp. "Pitya") is carefully quarantined, observed, and conditioned before leaving our facility to ensure it arrives healthy and ready to thrive in its new home.
Every order is backed by our 100% Live Arrival Guarantee. If an issue occurs during transit, please email photos of the animal and packaging within the timeframe outlined in our policy to info@aquaticarts.com so our team can assist you.
Every Vampire Crab order ships in our specially designed Aquatic Arts Live Arrival Guarantee Box at no additional charge. This insulated shipping system helps protect your animals from temperature fluctuations during transit and is included free with every qualifying order.
For complete guarantee details, reporting requirements, and claim deadlines, please review our Live Arrival Guarantee Policy:
https://aquaticarts.com/policies/refund-policy
In addition to our Live Arrival Guarantee, every purchase includes access to our experienced support team. Whether you have questions about acclimation, enclosure design, humidity, feeding, breeding, compatibility, or long-term care, we are here to help you succeed.
Best Fishes,
The Aquatic Arts Team