HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Thank you, Wodesorel! That is super helpful. I couldn’t find any information on the Basalite packaging stating exactly what was in the sand. I’m so glad I asked here first. I will see if the nearest Lowe’s has some sand in stock specifically labeled as playsand. Thank you again!

Shoot. The closest Home Depot that carries that one is 60 miles away. For some reason the one near me does not have any in stock.

Our local hardware store carries two types of sand, I'm not sure which one is better for the tank. I can also go to a Home Depot, if brands there are ones that more people have used safely and can recommend. Here is the sand I found- two kinds (and the information printed on the bag): 1) Basalite Ut...

What do you put in the cubes for food/treats? I just ordered some from Motorcrab during CrabCon and am excitedly awaiting their arrival!!

Does an ultratherm need additional insulation (when mounted on the back of the tank)? If so, what do you use for insulation?

I'm interested in seeing this too! Great idea. Thanks for asking and hoping you'll get some responses!

I've seen in pictures of some crabitats some neat food and water dishes. I've clicked on a lot of the sellers listed in the shopping guide and I've tried searching on Etsy for hermit crab food and water dishes, but no luck yet. Some food dishes I saw had multiple small compartments to put a variety ...

Thank you so much for the advice! I just dug a little in areas where I knew the other crabs weren't at. I uncovered the top of a buried shell. I'm thinking that may be our missing Mama crab- I may have miscounted my topside shells and didn't realize I had an extra one in there. I didn't fully dig it...

Since you've come to the emergency forum, we know you want a fast answer to your question. In order for us to figure out the problem as quickly as possible, we ask that you answer the following questions as best you can. Some of them may seem odd, but they're all designed to give us the information...

Thanks for the input! I'm not thrilled about moldy stuff! What do you use for climbing that holds up better? I'm fine with switching out that type of mat for something else that lasts better.

Thank you both so much!

Thank you!!

Hi there! New crab owner here. I see many sources saying cuttlebone should be available. When I look online to get some, I see it listed in the bird care section. It looks like a piece of bone/stone-like material. Is this what I am looking for? And how do I feed it to the crabs- just put the hunk in...

Hi there- With a UTH mounted on the back wall of the tank, can I also mount things on the interior glass of the back wall of the tank? I have one of those coconut fiber climbing mats that I was thinking of mounting on the back wall. But I wasn't sure if that would impair the tank heating ability of ...

Thank you, JoeHermits! Those answers were super helpful! I do have one more temperature related question. The tank they are currently in is at 70 degrees. And, I know they had just been living at room temperature in the classroom, prior to coming to us. Do I need to do anything to acclimate the crab...