Breeding Thai Micro Crabs(Limnopilos naiyanetri)

[DarrylR]

Today while entertaining the two little aunts who are about 10 years old, they were sitting in my room looking at the 4 tanks in my bedroom. Than I saw one of my huger crabs having a brownish looking butt and looked like an egg-sac. And after closer inspection I saw her fan the sac and saw all the individual eggs. I was stoked!

So with the aunts bouncing on my bed, I kicked them out and started taking non-stop pictures of the crabs trying to get a decent picture.

Feeding-
I feed the whole tank:
Tropical Flakes
Frozen bloodworms/brine shrimp
Live Microworms
Shirakura Pellets
Kens Veggie Sticks
Cucumber Slices

My thoughts:

1) I am unsure when the egg sac was made, and only saw the sac today.
2) The female was wandering around the tank, and one male got close and locked claws but than a bigger male scared the smaller crab away, and the female did not scare this one away. Instead this male got on top of the female crab and locked on, without letting go. I even nudged the female with the male on top with a BBQ stick, and both crabs clutched the egg sac at the same time.
3) This bigger male could mean that these micro crabs are monogamous, meaning only have one partner.
4) OR, the bigger male could be the alpha/dominant male who breeds with all the females.
5) CPO's/RCS/CRS/MTS, any of these that cross-passed with the two crabs either the shrimp or crawfish jumped away, or the crabs stood their ground and let the snails pass them by.
6) I myself had to move them into a terra cotta pot and covered the entrance with java moss.
7) Caves such as terra cotta pots, or pvc piping make great hidey holes.
8) Hopefully the eggs hatch and grow into crabs !
9) Haven't seen 100% information about breeding/spawning and actual larvae surviving to adulthood. I have seen videos of supposed thai micro crab larvae, via youtube.

Here comes the pictures :D, would be best to Save As the photo if you really want to zoom in closely:

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs159.snc3/18654_1253137848323_1225830773_31014475_898811_n.j pg

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs139.snc3/18654_1253137968326_1225830773_31014478_1431959_n. jpg

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs139.snc3/18654_1253138008327_1225830773_31014479_2992371_n. jpg

Egg sac:

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs159.snc3/18654_1253138048328_1225830773_31014480_2417873_n. jpg

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs159.snc3/18654_1253138088329_1225830773_31014481_7721845_n. jpg

Both sets of claws clutching the egg sac:

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs159.snc3/18654_1253138128330_1225830773_31014482_7523768_n. jpg

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs159.snc3/18654_1253138168331_1225830773_31014483_2456749_n. jpg

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs139.snc3/18654_1253138208332_1225830773_31014484_7708680_n. jpg

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs139.snc3/18654_1253138248333_1225830773_31014485_4679116_n. jpg

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs139.snc3/18654_1253138288334_1225830773_31014486_1688085_n. jpg

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs139.snc3/18654_1253138328335_1225830773_31014487_4818781_n. jpg

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs159.snc3/18654_1253138408337_1225830773_31014489_5445180_n. jpg

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs139.snc3/18654_1253138448338_1225830773_31014490_6628735_n. jpg

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs159.snc3/18654_1253137928325_1225830773_31014477_5011477_n. jpg

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs159.snc3/18654_1253137888324_1225830773_31014476_304054_n.j pg

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs159.snc3/18654_1253137808322_1225830773_31014474_7588412_n. jpg

[odinthejd]

That is sweet!

[daphilster08]

Nice!! You have those with CPOs?

[Rbishop]

Nice shots!

[DarrylR]

Nice!! You have those with CPOs?

Yuppers. Neither one bothers each other. And if a CPO happens to cross paths with a crab, either the CPO jumps out of the way or the crab stands his/her ground and the CPO just walks on top of the crab :S.

Saw one of the egg sac pictures was broken, wish I had a better macro shot with this digi camera :/.

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs159.snc3/18654_1253138048328_1225830773_31014480_2417873_n. jpg

[Bubbles2112]

Nice!

[Chrisinator]

Congrats man!

[Dwarf Puffers]

Wow, cherries, crystal reds, orange dwarf crays and micro crabs in one planted tank? You're living the dream, man. Here's to some surviving crab-fry :cheers:

[DarrylR]

Wow, cherries, crystal reds, orange dwarf crays and micro crabs in one planted tank? You're living the dream, man. Here's to some surviving crab-fry :cheers:
:headbang2:hopefully some micro crab larvae turn into adults! And I have my first berried CRS, so hopefully I can pop some babies out of that mama to.

Also forgot to put in the first post, the tank is a 20 gallon Long.

[msjinkzd]

I am fairly certain I sent that one berried, good luck with the larvae!

[cam191919]

cool! good luck

[jm1212]

interesting...good luck with them!

[Stargazer53]

I heard breeding the micro crabs is a difficult process but I wish you the best of luck! :)

[DarrylR]

Second berried female Thai Micro Crab, smaller than the first female.

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs125.snc3/17254_1253449576116_1225830773_31015546_3016060_n. jpg

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs125.snc3/17254_1253449656118_1225830773_31015547_7334311_n. jpg

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs145.snc3/17254_1253449696119_1225830773_31015548_2143076_n. jpg

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs145.snc3/17254_1253449736120_1225830773_31015549_4732898_n. jpg

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs125.snc3/17254_1253449816122_1225830773_31015551_334033_n.j pg

[toddnbecka]

What's the current status of the larvae? Did any survive?