#1152 Nature’s Reclamation

About This Aquascape

I originally built this tank as a paludarium for a rare species of vampire crab called *Geosesarma notophorum*. At the time, very little was known about this species, as it had only just landed in the hobby, and information about them in the wild was essentially non-existent. After observing their behaviour over nearly a year, I noticed that, unlike other vampire crab species, this particular species didn't use the water section. Instead, they hydrated themselves in small pools of water that collect in certain areas of the tank. After learning this, I converted the paludarium into a riparium to better suit their needs. This change made more of the tank available to them, and they now graze in the *Riccia fluitans* that carpets the lower foreground. This area simulates the very edge of a stream or swamp, with enough water for the crabs to hydrate and forage for food. It's extremely low-maintenance. At the time of taking this photo, this tank had been running for 2.6 years. |Its original paludarium form placed 2nd in the 2024 competition, if you would like to see its previous iteration.