Took me a while, but it's finally set up

[NickAu]

I love it.

I didn't realize anubias can live in or out of water?!

Yup sure can

 

[Zante]

funny little critters!
I didn't realize anubias can live in or out of water?!

There are several aquarium plants that can live above water. Java fern, crypts (I have them in the terrarium), amazon swords, many mosses (I have java moss in the terrarium), and many more I can't think about right now.

 

[thrujenseyes]

There are several aquarium plants that can live above water. Java fern, crypts (I have them in the terrarium), amazon swords, many mosses (I have java moss in the terrarium), and many more I can't think about right now.

that's so interesting! I had no idea!

 

[Zante]

Took the temperature of the air down from 27 celsius to 24 celsius after reading an article about these crabs. They appear to like the lower temperature better as they're more in the open and appear to be more active.

They're going to experience higher temperatures this summer anyway, so they will experience seasonality, and who knows... maybe that'll trigger breeding.

Too soon to tell though. I've had these critters for too short a time.

We'll see.

 

[SnailPocalypse]

Does the air have to be humid for anubias to live outside of water?

 

[Zante]

Does the air have to be humid for anubias to live outside of water?

Yes, quite a bit. A lot of these aquarium plants are marginal, and that means they are sometimes above water all the time, sometimes below the water all the time and sometimes it depends on the season. In any case they're always in a humid environment.

Some can live quite happily in drier, not rainforest-humid air, they might come from less humid environments even if marginal.

There's a lot of info out there since ripariums have become a thing, and I've been doing a lot of research about them because I want to set up a large discus tank with just a couple of swords under water, but a lush vegetation above to suck in all the nutrients from the water and take advantage of the CO2 in the air.

 

[Zante]

The plants seem to be doing ok. It took them some time to adjust but now the crypts hace started putting some "dry" leaves

here you can see another one

this one still has the "wet" leaves lying on the soil. Might be because it's a bit wetter and they lasted a bit longer.
The stone on the right, with the string, that was covered with java moss. Not a dense covering, but enough to get it started, or so I hoped. The crabs must have eaten it, but I don't think it was doing too well to be honest. The moss on the soil is growing sllloooowwwwllly but it's in better shape than that on the stone, and the stone glistening in the top right corner of the pic is also doing very well, but that is under the direct outflow of the filter.
So, lesson learnt: either nutritious water or nutritious soil. No amount of humidity will be enough on a bare rock unless it's submerged. Obvious really, but I didn't think that far.

I've given the crabs some squished peas and they seem to enjoy them very much. They'll grab a piece and run for cover to munch on it.

So far they seem to enjoy eating peas, crickets, flies, moss, flake and pellets, shrimp, snails, flies, and pretty much anything I throw in.

I remembered I have these tiny terracotta dishes for tiny plant pots. I'm not using them so I placed one in the terrarium to put the food on.
They lost no time in making use of it!

 

[thrujenseyes]

holy crap, so cute!
That's kinda funny that they ate the moss off the rock, but also a bit of a bummer.
funny little critters.

 

[Zante]

When they told me that a tight lid is needed because they're climbing wizards they weren't kidding!
That's climbing up the back glass on a few strands of Java moss growing against the glass itself.

 

[thrujenseyes]

what a great shot!
pretty little critters!

 

[NickAu]

They sure are pretty.

 

[SeanTrollope]

Oooooo. Aahhhhhb

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