THE BEST FISH SPECIES TO KEEP WITH VAMPIRE CRABS
The best fish species to live with vampire crabs
A lot of people who keep Goesesarma Vampire Crabs also want to keep fish with them but there are some really important things you need to take into account before adding any kind of fish species to your Vampire Crab tank. While keeping fish with any species of vampire crabs is possible, there are some risks to both the fish and crabs so in this guide we’re going to be taking a look at the best fish to cohabit with vampire crabs.
THE RISKS OF KEEPING FISH WITH VAMPIRE CRABS
Let us first address the primary concern, predation, when housing fish and vampire crabs together. The most significant challenge lies in the fact that fish tend to prey on baby vampire crabs. Baby crabs spend the majority of their time at the water’s edge, and when they hatch, they are extremely small, small enough to be easily consumed by even the tiniest of fish species, including nanofish. Consequently, any fish that encounters them will readily view them as prey. To further complicate matters, baby vampire crabs take several months to mature, providing ample time for the fish to prey on them during this vulnerable period.
It’s not only the baby crabs that are at risk though, any fish species kept with Vampire Crabs is at risk of being eaten. Vampire Crabs are really good hunters and will try their very best to catch and eat any fish in their environment. So if you are planning to keep fish with Geosesarma species you need to make sure you have plenty of space for your fish. Absolutely no less than 5 gallons (25 liters) of pure swimming space. But you should be meeting your chosen fish’s requirements. Most of which require more space than that. This is why shrimp are a better option to cohabit with vampire crabs.
A baby vampire crab less than 24 hours old. They are only a few millimeters in size when born.
WHAT FISH SPECIES CAN LIVE WITH VAMPIRE CRABS?
If you’re ok with the risks, and have enough space, these are the best fish species to keep with Vampire Crabs. The list is based on their water requirements, size, and most importantly speed! Small, fast fish that don’t need a lot of space is the best option!
Ember Tetras - Hyphessobrycon amandae
These fish are a common tetra found in Brazil that are super tough, nice and colourful and only grow up to 0.8” (2cm). They are also super fast and very agile. They are also quite a skittish fish so are hyper-aware of their surroundings, giving them a decent advantage against vampire crabs. They also eat the same kinds of foods you will be feeding your crabs and can live in the same water parameters as your crabs without any issues. While they are super tiny, baby vampire crabs are still on the menu if they are spotted.
Ember Tetras - Hyphessobrycon amandae
Chili Rasboras - Boraras brigittae
Chili rasbora are found in the rainforests of Borneo and Indonesia, which means makes them ideal for keeping with vampire crabs as they essentially come from the same rough environment. Quite possibly the exact same environments in some locations. This makes them a really, really good choice to keep with vampire crabs. They are also one of the smallest fish species in the hobby and should be the least risk to baby vampire crabs.
Because they share the same water parameter requirements as vampire crabs you don’t have to do anything extra to keep them happy. Just provide them with enough swimming space and plenty of plant density to hide from vampire crabs and they should do quite well. They are a little less agile than Ember Tetras though so might be a little more of an easy target.
Chili Rasboras - Boraras brigittae
Green Neon Rasboras - Microrasbora kubotai
Microrasbora kubotai come from the Ranong and Phang Nga provinces of Thailand which means they have quite similar water requirements as Vampire crabs. They are quite similar in appearance and size to ember tetras and behave quite similarly as well (for the most part). This makes them a decent option for keeping with any species of Geosesarma crab. They will also eat all the same kinds of food as vampire crabs.
As with all the other species here as well, they do pose a risk to baby crabs and aren’t as tough as the other species in this list. They are also usually, a little more expensive so you may not want to take the risk of them coming food.
Green Neon Rasboras - Microrasbora kubotai
Celestial Pearl Danios -Danio margaritatus
Celestial Pearl Danios are one of the prettiest nano fish in the hobby but can be quite shy. They also prefer to be kept in lower light setups with lots of dense vegetation and floating plants, so depth is important. Unless you have at least 15-20 cm 6-8” of depth in your water area I would give these a miss. They also work best in groups of at least 10-20.
CPD’s are super fast, and super agile which makes them a great option for a Vampire Crab paludarium but they are one of the most active hunters I’ve seen in the hobby, so baby crabs are pretty much out of the question with these fish around. Interestingly they also breed really easily so with the right tank, you might even be able to get them to breed if you play your cards right.
The biggest issue with Celestial Pearl Danios though is that you’ll want to keep your tank below 27c (80) which might be tricky. They do best in water between 23c and 27c (73-80f). However, they will tolerate temps up to 30c (86f) for a few days. But any longer than that and they’ll die. Keep them at 25c (77-78f) they’ll do great!
Celestial Pearl Danios -Danio margaritatus
Endler’s Livebearers - Poecilia wingei
Endlers are another good fish option you can keep with Vampire Crabs, though for completely different reasons than all the other fish on this list. They make a fantastic food source for Geosesarma crabs to hunt. Again, you’ll need a decent amount of water volume for this to work as endlers are quite slow and clueless fish. They are fairly easy targets for vampire crabs compared to the other fish listed. They breed super fast though, so they will almost always breed faster than your crabs can eat them.
They also have similar water parameter requirements and are quite tough fish. You’ll want at least 1 male for every female to keep the peace, otherwise, males will harass females to death just like vampire crabs do.
Endler’s Livebearers - Poecilia wingei
OTHER fish to keep with vampire crabs?
This is just a short list to give you some ideas for starting out, however, there are plenty of other fish you can keep with vampire crab. Just make sure that whatever species you choose fits the following criteria.
It’s small.
It’s fast.
It has similar water parameter requirements.
it’s not a betta fish.
it’s not a pleco.
it’s not an otocinclus.
It’s slow it needs to breed fast.