HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi,
I have 3 hermits and 1 10gallon tank. I will upgrade to a bigger tank within the week but one of my hermits is buried. Would it be safe to remove the hermit? Thanks!

owilderman wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 30, 2019 9:33 am

Hi,
I have 3 hermits and 1 10gallon tank. I will upgrade to a bigger tank within the week but one of my hermits is buried. Would it be safe to remove the hermit? Thanks!

Not if he's molting. You can move the others but will have to keep the 10 gal set up, feeding, water, until he surfaces.

Hermiesguardian wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 30, 2019 10:40 am

Not if he's molting. You can move the others but will have to keep the 10 gal set up, feeding, water, until he surfaces.

Thanks! I still have to purchase the tank so it might be a while!

Crabbing rule number 1 - don't dig up a buried crab, except under very extreme circumstances like a flood or bacterial bloom.
In 8 years of having my crabs, I have only dug once, when there was a flood. I was so nervous and unsure of what to do, that I was on the chat here for support and advice all through the process!

When I upgraded in the past, I did in fact dig up crabs underground. Mostly for the reason that my parents didn't want to have two tanks set up - understandable, their house - but also due to the fact that everything in the old tank was to be de-commissioned and put into the larger tank. So I didn't really have much of a choice in the matter.

Crabs are pretty resilient, and can handle being dug up and finishing a moult on the surface - especially when young. As long as it's not done frequently, and its very much a 'blue moon' or 'once in a lifetime' your crabs should be fine.


(But if you can have both tanks running, I do recommend just transferring crabs over when they surface. A lot less stressful on the crab, which is never a bad thing IMO. But I do understand that some people may not have the option of having multiple tanks setup up - even short term, for various reasons! - and wanted to mention that it is in fact possible, just not preferable to dig up crabs)

Same! ^