HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi all! I have a few questions. I'd like to make some pools from Apoxy sculp, but I wanted to make sure it would be crabby safe. I also was curious why some of you say something about the heater pad (uth on the side above the substrate) shouldn't reach the pools and warm them up. I can't seem to find any information on why that is? Granted I JUST started researching yesterday, so I haven't bought thing one for the tank yet. My daughter just has two 20 gallons languishing needlessly and when I talked about hermit crabs she got rather excited. I don't mind a complicated project, but I just want to make sure we have the tank set up 100% right before getting any hermies.

Welcome to HCA.

You will find that many actually suggest the opposite, since it promotes evaporation and is useful in high humdity.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Someone please correct me if I’m wrong but i believe the reason UTH goes above the sub is to heat the air. The water will warm up to the habitat temp even if the heat source isn’t directly next to it. If the UTH is under the sub line the sub will be very warm directly near it, and cool down to room temp as you get farther away from the UTH. Depending on the heater you use this may make the sub to hot directly near the UTH. Personally i use deep tupperware for my pools. I stack them so one is always left in place, then have a layer of marbles, and then another tupperware container the same size so the one on top is easy to pick up and change the water without disturbing any sub or possibly molting crabs. I got my tupperware containers and marbles from my local dollar store. It literally cost me a total of $3 total for both of my pools.

Kids + hermit crabs = crazy addiction! My kids love the crabs and they are 6 and 8.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I saw the awesome pools, but I LOVE your idea of the double pools!

Pretty much @Ijustcantsayno. Sand itself is a great insulator and as a result, the substrate can turn into a oven cooking your crab. But its pretty much what you mentioned, you want to heat the air, not the sub.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

vampkat wrote:I saw the awesome pools, but I LOVE your idea of the double pools!

For me the appeal is that it saves time. I don’t have to play with the sub when i change the water to get the pools back in place and i can have my oldest help.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Here is a link that LadyJinglyJones made on the double dishes: viewtopic.php?f=26&t=113691&p=1030806&h ... r#p1030806

I don't put the heaters by my pools because I like the water to be cooler for them