High levels of nitrite and nitrate are extremely unhealthy for all the inhabitants. Don’t allow dead larvae to contaminate the aquarium. The first stages of the larvae life is tuff on them, and you should not be surprised if a lot of them die. Megalopas swim in a more calm and stable way. The zoea groups move very quickly from one place to another, as if they were swimming away from something dangerous. Notice how zoeas and megalopas move around in the aquarium in two totally different manners. Megalopas are bigger and wider than zoea, with a tail that is thicker and straighter. The larvae are called zoea during the first stage of their life outside the egg, and megalopas during the second. After the first moult it will be easier to distinguish the different parts of the crab larvae, like the tail. Your Red Clawed Mangrove crab larvae will moult approximately every third day.
![red claw crab red claw crab](https://www.theaquariumguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/red-claw-crab.jpg)
When the larvae grow bigger they will start hunting live artemia bred in the aquarium as well. Remember to measure to levels of nitrate and nitrite regularly and keep them as low as possible. Adjustments might have to be done during feeding. Keep in mind that a heavy current in the aquarium makes it hard for the crab larvae to catch the artemia. Feeding 3-5 times a day is usually enough. Red claw crab, Sesarma Bidens - Picture by Radio KJįluid artemia is a good choice of food for the crab larvae when they are newly hatched and very small. Keep her in there until the all the eggs have hatched. This is the signal for you to put the female into the breeding aquarium. You know when the hatching is near, since the eggs will turn grey. The eggs will be red at first and then slowly change colour during the brooding. The female Red Clawed Mangrove crab will carry her eggs under her wide tail for about three weeks. Put a piece of cork or similar in the aquarium to provide the female Mangrove crab with an opportunity to climb out of the water. Small things like this might seem inconsequential, but providing the right temperature, nutrition and amount of light is crucial when raising Red Clayed Mangrove crab. Calibrate the heather, connect the lights to a timer, place a hatchery for artemia in the aquarium and buy high quality fluid food. The gravity can be checked with a hydrometer. Recommended gravity of the water is 0.010 ppm. Also add about 1 tablespoon salt per 1 litre water.
![red claw crab red claw crab](https://hugglepets-19b27.kxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/red-claw-crab.jpg)
Take water and bogwood from the already running aquarium and use it to cycle the rearing aquarium. To make sure the aquarium is properly oxygenated and circulated equip it with air stones or similar. Place a 2 cm thick layer of fine sand at the bottom. The breading aquarium can be a regular aquarium with a capacity of at least 100 litres. To successfully raise the frail larvae you will also need a separate rearing aquarium where conditions can be kept optimal and there are no predators present. Female mangrove crabs often get eggs if they are kept in a holding aquarium with males. To begin with, you will of course need a female Mangrove crab and her eggs. Raising Red Clawed Mangrove crabs from tiny eggs, through the larvae stage and into impressive adults is not the easiest project you can venture, but it’s not impossible either.