Substrate

Substrate is an important part of a Geosesarma enclosure in the TGD Team's opinion and that Geosesarma appreciate the ability to burrow in the substrate and create territories.

Substrate used can be any of the commonly used invertebrate hobby standards such as coco-fiber, peat moss, or topsoil, or customs or premade mixes. One of the The Geosesarma Database authors prefers to use a light weight mix using peatmoss, crushed up leaves, bark and wood pieces, some horticultural perlite and some crushed charcoal either mixed in or above drainage layer, as it is also constructed for plant growth in addition to animal life. Whatver one uses it is imporatant that it is free from fertilizers and chemical additives as those may have the ability to kills an invertebrate such as terrestrails crabs.

Geosesarma in the wild are fequently found as adults and juvenilles in dug out burrows on the walls of the banks of streams and using substrate that allows for the addition of burrow and digging seems to be appreciated by these crabs. One of the TGD authors constructed multiple premade starter burrows underneath very small pieces of corkbark covered with moss in one of their vivarium and withing the first day of adding the crabs they had immediately taken these burrows up as their home bases and have been observed deeping and altering these burrows overtime.

One key aspect about substrate with regards to the succesful keeping and breeding of Geosesarma is subsrtate depth and moisture. At all times one should give Geosesarma as ample substrate depth as possible for burrow formation and the establishment of seperate burrow territories. Some species more so than others will extensively utilze the subsrtate depth to excavate underground cavaties and tunnels. Substrate should also be evenly moist and never swampy or soaking wet, because of this it is advisable to always include a drainage layer that allows excess water to drain out. Light-Expanded-Clay-Aggregate or Leca is a common choice, and is lightweight. Other types of false bottoms include filter foam, stone pebbles, aquarium stone, etc. Whenever including a drainage layer do not forget to use a screen or mesh barrier inbetween the drainage layer material and the subsrtate. This author prefers crabon fiber window screen mesh, but other materials such as landscape barriers can also work. This author has found that the window screen offers the best drainability over the landscape cloth barriers.

Yet to be tried in captivity by the TGD team is constructing a vivarium to match the high clay soil composition Geosesarma are documented burrowing into in the wild, but may be an option for substrate composition in a vivarium.

Options for substrate:

Cocofiber, Peatmoss, Topsoil, Clay, Custom Mixes, ABG mix, etc.

Never use any soil specifcally made for plants such as "potting soil". Subsrtate must be free of chemical additives and fertilizers, always double check the ingredient labels!