HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I don’t know if I’ll be able to insert a video or not, but there are easily thousands of tiny little bugs in my crabitat. I don’t think they’re harming my crabs because I don’t see any on them when I check, but they are all over the tank and food and walls. They even jump which is kind of scary. Do any of you know what they could be? They don’t look like the food mites or the springtails but I could be wrong. Thanks!https://youtu.be/P_W-YmNSbmE https://youtu.be/LLp9flKSsZ0

To me, they look like springtails... but I could be wrong


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My vote is for springtails as well!

Thank you! They aren’t harmful, are they?

Springtails aren't harmful at all - in fact they actually eat leftover crab food, poop, and mold!

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I need help. They’re everywhere! There’s easily over 1,000; maybe even over 10,000 :/ how can I get rid of them forever? I’ve been in this situation twice and they keep coming back. It’s so annoying and it’s annoying that they crawl out of the crabitat into my desk (yuck!)

Wow!!!

Springtails need a food source to reproduce, and unfortunately cocofiber can be enough to sustain them. If it's getting that bad and keeping the tank cleaned of old food and crab poop is not working, I would recommend swapping the tank out to more, or even all, sand.

The other option would be to keep the tank dryer so the surface of the substrate is not as friendly for reproduction, but that could seriously affect the hermits.

Hi! Would the crabs like sand? I feel like they wouldn’t enjoy it as much as the cocofiber but if it’s enough for the springtails to go away, I might do that. I’m just concerned about how to keep the humidity in the tank because I have yet to get a top that keeps it in. I usually wet the cocofiber and that works well, but would I be able to do the same with the sand?

Gracemackenz wrote:Hi! Would the crabs like sand? I feel like they wouldn’t enjoy it as much as the cocofiber but if it’s enough for the springtails to go away, I might do that. I’m just concerned about how to keep the humidity in the tank because I have yet to get a top that keeps it in. I usually wet the cocofiber and that works well, but would I be able to do the same with the sand?

They live in and on sand or a mix of sand and bits of plant fiber in the wild. That's what is natural for them. If you mix sand and coconut fiber with dechlorinated water, to a consistency that allows you to build a sandcastle (holds shape and compacts well without dripping or being mushy) then that will also help maintain a consistent humidity while providing them with the substrate they need to dig and tunnel in.

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Ok thank you so much! Thanks for all of your help - my sister brought home my crabs from a carnival and I want to give them the best life possible

The thing is, coco fiber provides the best humidity levels. Sand or even a mostly sand mix won't be as steady or as manageable if you're already having trouble with humidity. I would strongly urge you to figure out how to keep that stable (and we can help with that!) before changing it out. Sand is less forgiving with heavy spraying or when adding too much water, as the water will sink to the bottom and then flooding and bacterial blooms come into play.

My tanks are all 100% sand, because I have a pretty good allergy to coco fiber. I love them, but they have their own set of issues.

How can I keep the humidity stable? The highest I can get it is 50% and that makes me so nervous and scared for my crabs.

Gracemackenz wrote:How can I keep the humidity stable? The highest I can get it is 50% and that makes me so nervous and scared for my crabs.

What kind of lid do you have? Do you have gauges? If so what kind?

I just have one of those screen top lids. I’m thinking of investing in a better one since this obviously isn’t doing the trick. I have a humidity and temperature gauge as well.

Gracemackenz wrote:I just have one of those screen top lids. I’m thinking of investing in a better one since this obviously isn’t doing the trick. I have a humidity and temperature gauge as well.

Seal the lid by covering it with saran wrap and taping it down. You don't have to even leave any unsealed for air. They'll get enough air when you feed them. Or you can get a thin sheet of plexiglass at a hobby store and cit it to fit the lid. Then tape it down. Humidity is so important for them. They need it to breath. Are your gauges digital or analog? Analog aren't accurate.