HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I have three that have been with me since 2008. One adoptee has been in captivity for around 16 years.

It looks very pretty, but I'm with SG on this one. It's too small and the substrate is too shallow to house anything more than a couple of the tiniest crabs safely and then only for a short time. They will very quickly outgrow this space. (IMO, a 10 gallon is also too small for the same reasons)

It's possible. The one you've had for 8 months I imagine will dig down to molt soon.

Actually, for PPs, the temp range is 75-85F so 80 is above the minimum temp. Humidity should be over 70% but over 75% is preferable. http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=92452 Though above 85F isn't harmful, especially if there's a few cooler spots in the crabitat. Other species do...

Are you sure they haven't molted? Especially the one you've had for 8 months? Do they have sharp nails and maybe very hairy legs? Can you post a picture?

My guys have been more active recently too. Funny how even though we keep temp/humidity optimal, they still seem to go through a down time through the winter.

I've always like MaraNatha nut butters.

@kieagcarm: Could your girl have been depositing eggs? What they describe in the original post is the hermit crab's grooming appendages. If you do a YouTube search on "hermit crab cleaning appendage," there's a few videos that show it pretty well. Completely different from a female's pleopods. http...

There's a crabber (SugarSelections I think?) that zipped tied plastic fake grass mats to their caddies to make them look nicer. Something like this . Edit to add: Hope this link works. Pinterest doesn't like to work on my phone without the app. :roll: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pinterest.com/a...

Fly larvae? Not the cause of death, just a clean up crew. Sorry for your loss.

I'm not familiar with the type you've named, but as long as it holds water, is deep enough for your largest crab to submerge, and you can provide easy ways in and out - many plastic, glass, or ceramic dishes work well. After that it just comes down to personal preference.

Yes, for sure PP. Color is not a good way to determine species. PPs can be various colors from pale creams, pinks, lavender, and tans -- to brighter reds, oranges, blues, and purples -- to deep dark reds and purples, almost brownish or black. It's all in the shape of the eyes, claw, and shield leg w...

MrTeacherDude wrote:Last week

Give them more time. Sometimes the crabbies just take a while to find and adjust to a new thing. Adding some more cover may help too. Fake plants are a cheap way of accomplishing this.

Sorry for your loss.


This post: viewtopic.php?f=51&t=111572, is also in the wrong subforum.

If I had the same experience, I would probably cover too. It certainly doesn't hurt anything to cover windows.

It may not have immediate results but educating others on care and why to consider adoption over purchasing is doing something . As I said, the less people buying crabs, the less crabs being ordered by pet stores. I think many people will rethink buying them once they learn they're all wild caught a...