HCA: Hermit Crab Association

If it turns out to be a surface molt, you will need to isolate the crab. We have guides on how to do that. Definitely read those over just in case you need to get it into iso. However crabs may drop their shells for a number of reasons. To check if the substrate is moist enough for holding a tunnel ...

Yeah definitely add more stuff like fake plants and branches. They definitely come out more when you have lots of stuff they can shelter under. Also you can get a blue light and leave it on all the time. They sell these "moonlight" bulbs at pet stores. It's not super bright but you will def be able ...

Yeah i second everything curly said. Sub def needs to go across the whole tank. Also I think it would be fine to keep offering the crabs pellets until you can get a better quality food. You can make it yourself or purchase from online sellers. Very high quality food mixes are available from online s...

Based on the problem description I'd guess it's preparing to surface molt but you definitely have enough substrate. Is it moist enough for the crabs to tunnel into? Also 77 is somewhat cold, ideally Temps should be 80+. Keep a close eye on it and let us know if anything changes.

Hi! I like how you set up the shell shop, very clever

Welcome!

I second the previous poster. Not only will it be stressful for the crabs and bad for the crabitat, but if a crab is in the process of molting it could be seriously injured or even killed if moved or transported. Best to just have the crabs live at one house.

I also use egg crate (wrapped in burlap) which goes all the way down into the sub. This holds it in place very well. I created upper levels by zip tying pieces of egg crate to the main structure. I was also thinking recently that you could probably create an egg crate structure that sits on top of t...

Ooo how exciting! Keep us posted!

Haha bonus baby

Hi all! A few weeks ago I posted on a local pet forum that I was looking for crabs to adopt. I just got a call from a girl who is having a crab emergency and needed help. She has 1 crab that is deshelled and lost most of its limbs and a second crab that is shelled but surface molting. I have never b...

Ok well the update is that I had to remove this system for the time being. The magnet that the system uses as the sensor was attracted to the wheel stand so when it would pass it it would get stuck. This could still work if the stand was plastic. I think it would be possible to construct a stand out...

Yes! It didn't record any traveling last night but I'm still figuring out how the computer part works.

Yeah unfortunately u have had that experience and I can confirm it is not fun. I'm sure he'll be fine [emoji846]

Hello and welcome to the forum! I agree with everything the previous poster said. With proper care, hermit crabs can actually live for decades. If you have tropical conditions in your home, you could have a wire cage but the vast majority of people will need to use a sealed glass tank to hold suffic...