HCA: Hermit Crab Association

What size tank are you looking for, and where are you?

Right! More climbing is actually better for them! Just like us, they need to move.

Okay, so I was not understanding the background of these two crabs--they are a male and female who have been in captivity for some time (how long?), but just recently came into your possession?

If you do decide to do the silicone thing, bear in mind that (as I understand it) you can't just do that with crabs in the tank. The fumes are highly toxic; you need to take them somewhere else, and let the silicone cure until all the smell is entirely gone (1-2 days, depending on humidity), before ...

Why not just put another railing across the front? That way, they can climb up and into it, but it would be much more difficult for them to knock the shells off onto the lower level (they would have to lift them up over the railing first, which would be unlikely).

To keep loose shells from cluttering up the walking space, and keep them off the substrate (and thus cleaner), I usually put them in some kind of basket or shower caddy, hung up somewhere, with a way to climb up to it. A big enough basket with steep enough sides keeps them from bunging them down; th...

Go as big and tall as you can, if you are limited to that footprint (and keep numbers of crabs as low as possible, to limit possibilities of crabs encountering molters underground!). I can't reach down inside my 120 high if I'm standing on the floor, so I just got a little step-ladder from the hardw...

Wodes, is it likely that recent rescues would be trying to mate, though? I thought they didn't really go in for that unless they were really healthy and in stable, excellent conditions for a while?

I think that's fine. If she was still able to dig, she wasn't fully into "molting mode" yet--or if she is again able to dig, you may be correct that she is almost ready to come up anyway. I would go ahead and VERY CAREFULLY change to some kind of system (for both water sources) that allows something...

When you say "you never seem to catch" the other two crabs--do you mean you haven't seen them up and moving around in a while? If so, they may be molting, and it is really not recommended to disturb a molter if you can possibly help it--disturbing a crab mid-molt can be very dangerous for the crab. ...

This happens a lot. I think it is because the water dish (or other objects) help to somewhat compact and therefore stabilize the substrate, so it seems to the crab that under those objects is a better place to make a cave. I think you've done the best you can for now, as well, and in the future, you...

No, it looks a lot like fighting, or a shell jacking. The male will ride the female around for hours or sometimes days, and when its time he flips her over and pins her down and won't let go. Afterwards he continues to guard her for a while, and he'll be fighting off any approaching males as well. ...

That's resourceful!

I'm still curious as to how you closed off the other side of the axle of the wheel itself. Can you show a pic of the open side of the wheel as it is now?

Yes, eventually (if they survive), they do get that big, and then you'll need huge tanks and very deep substrate, etc.--but that will be a while. Yes, I saw that there seemed to only be an issue with this one crab, but you never know how things will go as things continue. Sometimes, just one of the ...