HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I look at all these beautiful and clean crabitat a with their clear glass and clean plants and other decorations and think "what am I doing wrong". My guys destroy everything! They manage to get EE splattered up and down the glass. Everything they climb on -which is everything- is covered in EE. I cannot keep my tat looking nice. Help! Also, I see people use suction cups a lot. I can NEVER get them to stick! What am I doing wrong?


Crabbing for 2 years-still obsessed! 6 total crustacean kids. Gave up trying to tell them apart but I love them all.

I find suction cups are hit and miss. I have three shower caddies, all from the same store, and one I had to fight to move it, but the others pretty well fall off daily on their own...Same with two fake plants.
My guys are new and under right now, but there is nothing wrong with EE being all over, just shows how active your crabbies are

I have no idea how keep my tank's glass spotless and everything clean, so you're not alone.

As for suction cups, I swear by the power lock ones. My moss pits are shower caddies and the suction cups that come with them suck, so I just keep them propped up with a piece of cholla. I can get them to stick a little better if they're damp, or you could try a bit of olive oil. Make sure the glass is nice and clean, too.

You're not doing anything wrong. Hermit crabs just destroy things, its what
they do. just try to clean up after them.

I also clean my tank before taking pictures of it.

Mine destroy everything.they even ate fake plants. Lol they knock down my moss pit every chance they get. Destructive little boogers.

StarWarsHermitCrab wrote:I also clean my tank before taking pictures of it.

That's the reason why I only share tank pics twice a year.

Ahh you guys made feel better. I thought maybe it was just my guys. Everyone's pics look soooo nice and them mine is trashed. They even have managed to make trenches all the way around the edge.
I will probably get the clamp suction cups. My shower caddy won't stay up either but I've seen pics where they are up and look secure.
Thanks everyone.


Crabbing for 2 years-still obsessed! 6 total crustacean kids. Gave up trying to tell them apart but I love them all.

Yep. My crabitats are quite a mess between cleanings. They smoosh plants, knock down second levels, scatter moss, leaves, and who knows what else everywhere, bury extra shells, rip down gauges, bury hides, etc.

I've had decent luck with corner shower caddies. They do slip over time though and suction cups wear out. Helps to put something underneath for extra support. I like the power lock suction cups too but I think mine have about had it.

wodesorel wrote: That's the reason why I only share tank pics twice a year.

Yeah, I can imagine the amount of destruction 63 hermit crabs can create.

I've had decent luck with corner shower caddies. They do slip over time though and suction cups wear out. Helps to put something underneath for extra support. I like the power lock suction cups too but I think mine have about had it.

I just picked some of the power locking suction cups today so we shall see! Got a large caddy that I'd like to try as a moss pit. Will pick up another corner one from le Wal*Mart on payday. It's about time for me to completely redo everything anyway.

StarWarsHermitCrab wrote:Yeah, I can imagine the amount of destruction 63 hermit crabs can create.

Honestly, it's not the crabs so much as me. I spill water all down the glass, and it gets a little mildewy from the humidity, and if I run the humidifier there is a white dust that sticks to the glass. The crabs just toss some substrate up high and make ditches. That's peanuts in comparison.

Random question, why do you only have PPs?

I had Es for several years, but no matter what I did they kept eating each other. Sent off my remaining three to a crabber a few hours away and they've been good for her. Those guys are the ultimate tank trashers! Cleaning up after them was a daily ordeal. They make the PPs seem like angels in comparison.

I personally won't order exotics and I stopped buying any crab years ago. PPs are what people have up for adoption, so they're what I stick with. They're very simple, and don't take much work, and are probably the best colony species out there. I like easy pets, especially when there's so many!

My only PP causes more destruction than all of my Es combined.
I thought PPs were less active than Es,
but it seems to be the other way around for me.

All of my crabs completely destroy there tank everyday, whenever I switch out their food (which is every other day) I clean up the knocked over plants and scattered moss