HCA: Hermit Crab Association

1st, sorry if this is not the right section to post it it! Probably isn't..

But here is my question!!
I have had hermit crabs throughout my life and I never had a heater for them. But after watching some videos on hermit crabs on youtube I found out they needed heaters.
But I see to be confused on what type to get! I see some people say ceramic and then others say heating pads....
I would only need it for winter as summer gets hot and the room the tank is in traps the humidity and heat in the room. I just have a 10 gallon tank and 3 small crabs, but I want to make sure that I take care of them properly! So can can anyone please advise me on what type of heater I should get?

Thank you!!

I use a 60w heat bulb day/night.

Edit* I may recommend a under tank heat pad if the substrate is deep. If it shallow (do Not use a heat pad) it can burn your crabs You can put it on the side of the tank (above from where the crabs can't burn themselves) will heat the air.

Hi. I use a reptile basking spot heat lamp - otherwise known as an infrared ray lamp:


Heat mats are great for heating one corner of the tank as @jfs suggested. Although they don’t work well for maintaining the heat in the tank.

I suggest purchasing a heat lamp for your tank - but one with a lower wattage because of the size of your tank. You can set it on a timer so that it only turns on when the temp drops inside the tank. Hope this helps


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I’m afraid of the undertank heaters tbh.
On the side I don’t think it’s as scary that it will malfunction and burn up...
For the heating lamp, I will have to look into that!


ETA; Would a heat lamp make everything look red? That would drive me crazy haha

They are called 'under tank' heaters but should always be mounted on the side or back of the tank, and never on the bottom. They aren't that scary, LOL. They are easy to plug in for winter and unplug for summer.

Just to clarify, the uth's are mounted on the outside of the tank. Above the substrate. The only brand that can be insulated is Ultratherm. I have always found they work pretty well. With insulation.

Okay, this thread is going to make OP even more confused!!

What temperature is your tank in winter? Are your crabs dying often? Purple Pinchers need temperatures over 72 degrees, anything colder causes harm. You may see more activity if they are warmer at 80 degrees. Hermit crabs also have a lifespan at least a decade in captivity, a few decades if things go well. If everything is going well and your home is warm in winter you may not need to bother with supplemental heating.

Undertank heaters need to go on a back or side of a crab tank because of the amount of substrate used. They are not designed to heat through more than a 1/2 inch of material and can overheat when trapped between a tank and another surface and cause fires. That is where the worry is! Using a large enough pad on the back will warm the entire tank, not just a corner. Ultratherms, Flukers and possibly a few others can be insulated over to increase the heat, and the companies will include it in the instructions if it is recommended.

On my 10 gallon, I use an 11x11 UTH but my room is cold in winter. If you only need a bit of heat you can get away with a smaller 11x6.

Heat lamps are another option, but on smaller tanks are harder to use safely. It can be challenging to find the right size that will raise the temperature without overheating the tank. If the bulb gets too close to glass it can crack tanks and lids. You also have to unplug the bulb about ten minutes before moving it so it cools enough to handle, and so the filament inside is cool enough to move without breaking. I would go through three to four bulbs a year as they are not sturdy and blow out often, so always have a backup in the house. Bulbs also run at 350-400 degrees and are a fire hazard so care should be taken not to burn yourself or surrounding items, and if there are pets or kids the fixture needs to be secured to the tank for safety.

I just wanted to mention that if you go with UTH the following websites have excellent ones:
www.reptilebasics.com and www.beanfarm.com
Both of these brands can safely be insulated if needed. I live in Florida, and also only need heating in the "winter", if you want to call our "cold" months winter.

Thanks all for the info!
I haven’t had any deaths and idk about temp as I never really thought about it that much. In the winter it gets a bit old but I put a stove on in the room for my cats and it gets warm quickly! I’m just concerned about during the day when I’m at work and I don’t want them to get cold or die!

Would this one be good? It's 6 x 11
But IDK if a heating mat is the same thing.... I'm think so but I want to be sure before I purchase it!

AMAZON:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016 ... 0DER&psc=1

[quote="wrswrs2"]1st, sorry if this is not the right section to post it it! Probably isn't..

But here is my question!!
I have had hermit crabs throughout my life and I never had a heater for them. But after watching some videos on hermit crabs on youtube I found out they needed heaters.
But I see to be confused on what type to get! I see some people say ceramic and then others say heating pads....
I would only need it for winter as summer gets hot and the room the tank is in traps the humidity and heat in the room. I just have a 10 gallon tank and 3 small crabs, but I want to make sure that I take care of them properly! So can can anyone please advise me on what type of heater I should get?

Thank you!!



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wrswrs2 wrote:Would this one be good? It's 6 x 11
But IDK if a heating mat is the same thing.... I'm think so but I want to be sure before I purchase it!

AMAZON:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016 ... 0DER&psc=1

The product at the link you shared looks right. That is an under-tank-heater (UTF) which should be mounted on the side of the tank above the substrate in order to heat the air in your tank. Heated air will eventually heat your substrate. It may take a day or two for the temperature to even out for your tank air and substrate. I don't use Flukers brand myself, but others on here do, and I think they are the other brand (besides Ultratherm) that can be insulated if needed (without posing a fire risk). If for some reason your tank gets much above 85F or so, you might look into getting a thermostat to keep the temperature constant, but you may not need one. Here's one example of a thermostat (there are plenty of others that will work fine): https://www.amazon.com/Zilla-Reptile-Te ... B0018CLYNG

Also check to be sure your temperature gage is calibrated (reading properly). Here's an example of a cheap dual gage that works well for temp and humidity for many of us:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/AcuRite-Digi ... 3=&veh=sem

^ My temp is always like 85 - 86 when the lights are on.
When I turn them / the heater off (unplug it) it goes down into the 70s and I feel like it goes down too quick.
But because it's so warm, I am now having issues with humidity! When I got home from work it was in the 40s!! My moss was completely dried out and substrate dry. So now I gotta figure out how to level off the heat and get the humidity higher!

One of my crabs is an E, so they need it warmer right?

wrswrs2 wrote:^ My temp is always like 85 - 86 when the lights are on.
When I turn them / the heater off (unplug it) it goes down into the 70s and I feel like it goes down too quick.
But because it's so warm, I am now having issues with humidity! When I got home from work it was in the 40s!! My moss was completely dried out and substrate dry. So now I gotta figure out how to level off the heat and get the humidity higher!

One of my crabs is an E, so they need it warmer right?

I think you need someone who uses lamps for heating to chime in here. I can tell you that with a correct moisture substrate, with a UTH affixed to the back of my 29 gallon or 10 gallon tank, if I controlled tank temp at 80F, the humidity took care of itself, it naturally went to 90%+ humidity.

I have a UTH not a heat lamp. I just mean when I turn the light to the tank on it heats it up into the 80s but the humidity goes downhill. So now I end up misting a couple times a day