HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hey all, So I've recently put some chicken in for my hermies to eat. This is the first time I've ever given them anything meat, but anyways I left it in for about 24 hours. I noticed an awful smell when I took it out. I can't tell if it's just bad meat smell or possible death under the sand. It's be...

Sooo.... It's okay? I'm quite nervous still as it is only sand with no ee

It's just sand, no EE. It doesn't appear to have like pockets of air under it, they're flush with the bottom

Here are some pics (I hope): http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/q727/BeastyHylian/IMG_22801_zpseipchdgc.jpg http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/q727/BeastyHylian/IMG_22791_zpsnfemg7zn.jpg sorry about the glare! Also yes, there's a frequent digger and a current crab that is either molting or possibl...

Update: the bottom of the tank is covered in black splotches. I imagine this is the bad bacteria. Doesn't stink, but I have yet to dig down that far. Will I need to replace my sand?

Hey guys. Tank has been set up for about 3 months (my girlfriends) substrate is just play sand. It's been dry so we've occasionally poured water in it and mixed it to try to moisten it. However, the sand now has large green patches in it visible on the walls of the tank, and there are some green clu...

Hey guys. Two of my crabs went down to molt today! I'm a new crabber and it's so exciting hearing them dig around. I'm not 100% sure they're both molting, but one of them has dug down and hit the corner of the tank, revealing himself. He's been there for about 20 hours just hanging out. He has moved...

Hey guys, just wondering about one of my hermies' shell swapping behavior. I bought him about 3 weeks ago, and he had this ugly old shell. He switched out of it right after getting him home, so I put it outside the tank. Recently i reintroduced him to it, as he switched from his second shell, a gree...

soilentgringa wrote:That's their leg hair. Those little tufts help hold droplets of water for them to drink. They're perfectly normal. All of my crabs have beautifully hairy legs.

Phew! Excellent; thanks for the response! It's good to know that he's healthy.

Let's Give this a go. This is my first attempt at putting pictures on a forum, so let's hope for the best. http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/q727/BeastyHylian/IMG_16821_zpswhilujcy.jpg http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/q727/BeastyHylian/IMG_16811_zps7sqxhyhx.jpg That's the best I could get for h...

Hey everyone. A while back I purchased some hermies for my girlfriend. The first one was in healthy condition and was the only one I bought from this particular store. The next two I purchased at the beach, about 8 hours away. They both died, but that's not the point of this post. One of the two bea...

Thanks for your help! What is the benefit of installing the UTH on the side of the tank? I never understood that. Also, what's the best way to regulate humidity? I know a hygrometer measures it, but how can i alter it? If you put the UTH on the bottom you could "cook" your crabs accidentally when t...

Thanks for your help! What is the benefit of installing the UTH on the side of the tank? I never understood that. Also, what's the best way to regulate humidity? I know a hygrometer measures it, but how can i alter it?

Update: I am now about 99% sure he is dead, as there is a rancid smell coming from his isolation tank. However, I would still appreciate advice on how I can improve my crabitat for the other hermies. Thank you!

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? Play sand, about 6 inches 2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read? A temperature gauge, no hygrometer but I mist ever...