HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I covered the screen with plastic, but I do have humidity issues so I use a humidifier. But I was looking at mercury light bulbs as another option Also, what do you use for heat? I would skip any high heat producing bulb. I use ultratherm heat mats that cover the full width and more than half the h...

Does your setup get a natural day/light cycle from daylight? If so, like said, no light fixture is needed. It's going to be tough to seal your screen top completely with plastic wrap and add a light over it. Things could melt and little light with transfer through anyway. My crab tanks are in a fini...

My tanks are in a basement room with no natural light and the basement runs on the cool side in the cold months, so it can run from the low 60s to high 70s throughout the year. I use full spectrum LED strip lights that are the width of the tank. Search "Aquaneat" on eBay or the likes. That's what I ...

In terms of baiting or insecticide use, the product I've used around or in my home for years is made by Bonide. It's called (or was called) "carpenter ant control" it's got big list of insects it works on. It's a liquid spray bottle product that is safe for indoor use. I've never had it not work on ...

This has been a major concern of mine as well because a crabitat is such an enticing environment for them. I've only been in the hobby about 8 months and so far so good, but with 4 kids, lots of other furry critters in the house and living mostly in the woods, we do get ants from time to time and I'...

Awe that's a bummer.

I guess at least you've got some confirmation. Sounds like you gave them their best life the time you kept them. They were probably so stressed and weakened by the time you got them that there was not much you could do but try and hope.

Have you had this crab and this setup for some time? I would think as long as he has access in/out, all is well and it looks like you've got plastic mesh for that. It's hard to tell from the pic, but I'd try to avoid having the plastic mesh flat against the pool wall. I try to keep them set like ram...

My kids have bucket loads of Legos. My boys have built lego climb on with hidy spots for our hermit crabs. If you've got the room in your tank, the sky is the limit in terms of hermit safe wood, plastic, etc..

The group of round opening green turbos at the bottom of the pic would be the preferred shells for PPs. The others could work too depending on the size and preference of the crabs.

For shells, I'd go with the recommended round opening turbos. It's what PPs prefer in the wild. I've ordered mine on eBay and amazon. Mail order sources are very hit/miss. Have to read the adds carefully to see how they size them. Best to go with Etsy, FB marketplace from a fellow HC keeper, etc.

When I got into keeping hermit crabs ~8-9 months ago, I couldn't find instant ocean available locally in anything other than a 5gal bucket size at I think was over $100. I wound up going with a smaller bucket sized container of Red Sea marine mix from a local fish store for under $20. This size will...

Welcome!

That sounds like a generously sized heater for the size of tank you are describing. The main thing is that it is sized such that it maintains an ~80F temp range in the tank. Room temp the tank is in has a lot to do with it.

Looks like PPs to me too.

Once the sub becomes bio active, the micro organisms in it will consume and take the stink away from dead matter pretty quickly I'd think.

They do love to climb.

What foods do you feed and do you have a fresh and a salt water pool for them?

I don't see how you'd benefit from this. You need decent lighting to see what's going on in your crabitat anyway. Putting a momentary light source on them during their 'night period' to see them will likely spook the crabs that are active at the moment and they'll flee for cover anyway. I hear you t...