The Captivating World of Ornamental Crab Keeping

Next to Ha Xuan Loc’s (37, Hanoi) 500m² rectangular crab pond is a 10-meter-high natural stone wall, where thousands of colorful crabs, the size of three adult fingers, crawl.

As diverse as the colors of the crab…

The colors of ornamental crabs are diverse, with four primary hues: red, orange, green, and blue, and about 13 secondary shades. Additionally, crabs can exhibit albinism if they are crossbred or undergo genetic mutations. Rare features such as curved pincers, long legs, and red eyes also increase the value of these ornamental creatures. The Hainan Potamon, a species of freshwater crab in the Potamon genus, also known as the Indochina crab, is commonly kept as a pet. They are usually found deep inside river and stream stone crevices.

The color of ornamental crabs is influenced by the water and soil quality. Loc often collects soil from crab habitats to construct artificial caves. Black soil produces crabs with shades of green, while reddish soil results in crabs with red and yellow hues. The crabs’ unique colors are determined by the soil they consume over time. In addition to soil, their daily diet includes delicacies such as fishmeal, algae, shrimp, and specialized crab food.

Vietnam boasts several rare and beautiful crab species that can be exported for thousands of dollars. However, reproduction and domestication remain challenging. Ly Son Island is home to a unique species with a deep purple shell, long legs, and short pincers. These crabs inhabit freshwater caves and crevices along the coastline, only migrating to the sea during the breeding season. In Con Dao, there is another fascinating species called the tank crab, which can grow up to 10 cm in length and requires seawater to survive.

“In Bac Giang and Lang Son, there is a species of crab with legs twice as long as their carapace, but they tend to lose their legs and pincers when kept in captivity,” Loc shared.

Loc now has hundreds of customers across Asian countries. During the crab breeding season (November), he can sell up to 1,000 crabs per day. The European market also presents a significant demand, but their regulations on importing live animals are stringent, requiring health certificates and disease screenings. To navigate these restrictions, Loc often works through intermediary countries, resulting in reduced profits.

Loc revealed: “Foreign customers adore ornamental crabs. While the crabs themselves may cost a few hundred to a thousand USD (approximately 26 million VND), the custom tanks with miniature landscapes and various water types can cost up to 10,000 USD (around 260 million VND). In Vietnam, people often keep crabs with fish in the same tank, reflecting a simpler and more rudimentary approach to this hobby.”

Building a Business Around These Tiny Crabs

Loc’s journey into the world of crab farming began in 2016 during a trip to Thailand. Today, he owns a one-hectare crab farm in Hoa Binh, housing around 5,000 pairs of crabs, including many rare species.

The breeding season occurs in June, and each pair can produce up to 10,000 baby crabs, primarily sold to individual crab enthusiasts and exported. An adult crab, approximately three centimeters long, can fetch a price between 100,000 and 500,000 VND.

“During peak demand, my monthly earnings can reach hundreds of millions of VND,” shared Ha Xuan Loc.

As Vietnam lacks comprehensive literature and research on crab farming, Loc often consults with experts. On occasions, he has even flown Vietnamese crabs to Thailand and China to seek advice from specialists for identification.

Exporting ornamental crabs is lucrative but demanding. Loc recalled a time when he received an order for tens of thousands of crabs, feeling both excited and anxious. His entire family stayed up for several nights, packing each crab individually with water and food. Any loss of limbs during transportation meant a total loss for that particular crab.

The longer he kept crabs, the more fascinated he became. Once, he caught a brief glimpse of a chocolate-backed, orange-legged crab on a TV show set in Phu Yen. Intrigued, he spent considerable time and effort researching this species, eventually driving from Hanoi to Phu Yen to ask locals about it. Eventually, he discovered that this crab, known for its aggressive nature, was a stone crab, not suitable for keeping as a pet.

Whenever he encountered unique and beautiful crabs, Loc would send their pictures to locals, asking them to catch these specimens for him. Heavy rains provided the best opportunity to catch these crabs, sometimes yielding hundreds of them. Even if he only obtained a few, he would still drive to collect them himself, as public transportation could not ensure their survival during the journey.

“I sell these crabs, but I also keep a collection of Vietnam’s most beautiful crab species. When the opportunity arises, I will showcase them to the world,” Loc shared.