HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Our community uses a lot of abbreviations on a daily basis, which can be confusing for newer members. Here's a handy list of the most commonly used shortcuts.


Locations:

• HCA =Hermit Crab Association
  or HCA = Hermit Crab Addiction (store)
  HCP = Hermit Crab Patch (store)
  or HCP = Hermit Crab Paradise (forum)
  LHC = Live Hermit Crabs (store)
  or LHC = Land Hermit Crabs (forum)
  Deltona = Shell store
  Naples = Shell store

Species:

• ID = Identify
  PP = = PPs = Purple Pincher = Coenobita clypeatus
  E = Es = Ecuadorian = Coenobita compressus
  Straw = Strawberry = Coenobita perlatus
  Indo = Brevy = Indonesian = Coenobita brevimanus
  Rug = Ruggie = Coenobita rugosus
  Aussie = Crazy Crab = Coenobita variabilis
  Blue = Blueberry = Coenobita purpureus
  Viola = Coenobita violascens

Anatomy:

• BP = Big Pincher (Pincher)
  LP = SP = Small Pincher ( or little pincher)
  Exo = Exoskeleton
  Feelers = Antennae
  Hair = Setae

Conditions:

• PPS (with a capital S) = Post Purchase Syndrome
  Molt = either the act of molting or the shed exoskelton
  Surface Molt = Molting ABOVE Substrate
  Gel Limb = Forms before molt when there is a lost limb

Items:

• IO = Instant Ocean = salt for drinking water
  Declor = Dechlorinator = treatment for drinking water
  ISO = Isolation (tank)
  Crabitat = The tank they usually live in
  UTH = Under Tank Heater (to be used on sides of tanks)
  KK = Kritter Keeper
  UVB = specialty lighting for synthesizing vitamin D (replicates sunlight)
  Substrate = The "ground" floor of the tank (where they tunnel and molt)
  Gravel = Rough pebbles
  Sand = Playsand or All-purpose sand
  EE = Eco Earth = brand of cocofiber
  FB = Forest Bedding = brand of cocofiber
  Plantation Soil = a brand of cocofiber
  Bed-a-beast = brand of cocofiber
  5:1 = substrate mixture of 5 parts sand to 1 part cocofiber
  Moss = crab safe reptile or organic moss
  Shell Shop = a container used to keep the shells clean(er), usually mounted off the ground

Forum Terms:

• Forum = Subforum = Major section
  Thread = Topic = Individual conversation page(s) in a Forum
  Post = one entry in a thread
  Pic = Picture
  Sig = Signature = personalized message added to every post
  FAQ = Frequently Asked Questions
  Re: = Regarding
  Avatar = Avi = Small picture under your name, altered in the User Control Panel
  PM = Private Message
  Inbox = PMs that you’ve recieved
  Sentbox = PMs that have been delivered and read by recipient
  Outbox = sent PMs that are still unread by recipient, once read will move to Sentbox
  Saved Messages = Storage for important PMs
  UCP = User Control Panel = where you can change all your personal settings