HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Yw! Did you actually look at the shell guide? They really don't like conch shells. Even though the shells may be round openings, they might not be preferred shells. The pet stores sell some good shells, but not many. You can find good shells on Ebay, Etsy and some directly through shell shops. When...

Great - you will enjoy the camera ;) It's normal to be concerned. We've all been there! :) Your crab will be fine. Whenever you add a new crab it takes time for them to adjust. They have to establish their "chain of command" Make sure you have the proper shells in your tank so that the crabs don't ...

Hi there! Welcome to the HCA! Hermit crabs are prey animals, so it is perfectly normal for them to be scared of you. Like another member mentioned, having lots of things for them to hide in when they get scared will help your crabs. Once they adjust to their environment, they will become a little m...

Well, it's been a week since I added the new crab and my old one still has not come out. Still thinking he's probably fine but I'm still a bit worried while I wait until he comes up again. Is there a reason that my old crab would be hiding from my new one? Should I separate them again or just keep w...

I added a new crab to the tank on Saturday that is the same size as him, if not a little smaller. Since I added the new one it has been up exploring and eating every night but the old one has not come up since. I know it is probably fine but it has been stressing me out a little bit because the new ...

He's clearly feeling very curious tonight. Not only is he trying new foods but he's exploring the tank like crazy, but at a leisurely, maybe cautious, pace. Tonight was the first time he went anywhere near the water bowls and he climbed down my cholla wood (which apparently moves and i'll have to fi...

Now he comes out every night for several hours. I try to fight the urge to put my face against the glass because I can see it makes him nervous. It has gotten much easier now that I set up a camera next to the tank so I can watch him without scaring him. He finishes most of the powdered food I put o...

Update: A few days ago he came out and climbed up the wall and sat there for about 5 minutes and went back down. Today he came out, changed his shell and ate a bunch of food and then went back down. A couple days ago I made a powdered blend of egg shells, freeze dried shrimp and mealworms, and dried...

Alright, sounds good, I find myself checking the tank all the time to see if he's back up yet. I also may have gone a bit overboard with the shells for him to find when he pops up, I have 17 of them in there. Should I take some out or is it ok to have a lot? I just wanted him to have all the options...

So it's now been 5 nights since I've seen him. Do you think he's molting or still just hiding or is it really just anyones guess and I won't know till he comes up?

Thanks

Thanks, I feel like I'm asking a lot of questions (I think 4 in the last 6 days) but I just want to make sure I'm doing everything right for him. I have been reading around on this site basically all day everyday since I found it.

I got my first crab a little less than a week ago and I have been trying to stay away from his tank as much as possible to give him time to get used to things. He has been digging down next to the window every day and then coming out at night (usually around 8:30) but last night as he was coming out...

If he decides to go down to molt in the 2 weeks I have to quarantine, would it be best to wait until he is done before getting another crab? I don't know if that is likely to happen but I just thought of it and thought it would be a good thing to know.

i usually isolate mine with plenty of shells and water for ab a week before i put him in but i also have a 55g tank with 20 crabs you should be okay just putting him in did you get shells for your guys yet? When I got him I bought a bunch of painted shells but now that I know those are not good for...