Lonely crab? Need bigger tank?

[Alyw77]

Hi, I’ve been posting about missing crabs for a while. I feel like a pain in the you know what. I have (had?) four hermit crabs in the tank. They all went missing within a month of getting them, if not sooner. I have one that is active, out and about, making noises, I see it throughout the day. My concerns are: hermit crabs need homosny. Is this one lonely? Should I try gif another one? Secondly, I want a bigger tank. With all the hides, two water fishes, good dish, driftwood, it looks pretty crowded in there. What do I do?

[curlysister]

No, hermit crabs won't get lonely when their tank mates are underground. What used to be thought of as 'social' behaviour is now understood to be resource sharing. Many of the longest lived crabs have been kept in singles or pairs.
If you have the ability to maintain two tanks, the easiest way is to get the new one set up, then move the crabs over as they come up. Otherwise you will need to dig them up. How long have they been down?

[Alyw77]

Oh that’s a good idea. I’ll think about two tanks. They’ve been underground so long I honestly can’t remember. Pretty much within the first month of getting each one.