HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hey everyone! I am currently housing two female hermit crabs in a 10 gallon terrarium. Their substrate is ecoearth and it’s about 3 1/2 - 4 inches deep ( I have been meaning to replace the substrate soon but I can’t because they are molting). I mist the tank two times a day and I also have a 25 watt purple bulb to heat the tank and a towel over half of the top to keep the humidity in. Soon im going to be on vacation for a week and the person watching over my pets can’t come everyday to mist them. Do you guys have any suggestions for keeping their humidity up? I don’t want to risk flooding by using a fogger, but I can’t put a humidifier in the room because my leopard geckos are in the same room. Would miss work if they mist it every other day?

Hello Welcome to the HCA!

A couple of things: First of all, a towel is going to absorb the humidity. I'm going to assume that you have a screen/metal/mesh lid. I recommend putting saran wrap,press-n-seal, or plastic zip loc bags taped on top over the parts that does not have the purple bulb light on it.

As far as heat, I personally like UTH (under the tank heaters) the best. Us crabbers don't use them under the tank though. We use them on the back of the tank to heat the air. http://www.reptilebasics.com has the best ones IMO. Cheapest - and they can be insulated in the winter time. Then, you can get rid of the light, and cover the entire top.

As far as substrate, here at the HCA we recommend a depth of 6" minimum or three times the height of your largest crab. Whichever is deeper wins. It should be mixed with dechlorinated fw or dechlorinated msw to make it sandcastle consistency. Substrate doesn't need to be replaced unless you have a bacterial bloom. I have never replaced my substrate. Just have added to it over the years. Just scoop poop as needed.

You can add bubblers to their water bowls to help with humidity. I'll attach the link

Edit: Here is the link: viewtopic.php?f=26&t=113691&p=1030806&h ... r#p1030806

I have seran wrap over the top of my tank to keep humidity in, taped along the sides. I learned that a towel would just soak it up, and the tank was still dry. I added bubblers in my water bowls from the post GB linked you to. It helps incredibly!!! I only have one in my fresh water bowl, i haven't added it to the salt yet, but it still keeps the humidity up around 85 to 90%.

Thanks so much! I will definitely order that bubbler soon and replace the towel with Saran wrap. When I first got the hermits, I had a heating pad on the side of the tanks, but it kept falling off so I switched to a bulb. It seems to work for me, so I think I’ll keep using it, but thanks so much for the suggestions!

GotButterflies wrote:Hello Welcome to the HCA!

A couple of things: First of all, a towel is going to absorb the humidity. I'm going to assume that you have a screen/metal/mesh lid. I recommend putting saran wrap,press-n-seal, or plastic zip loc bags taped on top over the parts that does not have the purple bulb light on it.

As far as heat, I personally like UTH (under the tank heaters) the best. Us crabbers don't use them under the tank though. We use them on the back of the tank to heat the air. http://www.reptilebasics.com has the best ones IMO. Cheapest - and they can be insulated in the winter time. Then, you can get rid of the light, and cover the entire top.

As far as substrate, here at the HCA we recommend a depth of 6" minimum or three times the height of your largest crab. Whichever is deeper wins. It should be mixed with dechlorinated fw or dechlorinated msw to make it sandcastle consistency. Substrate doesn't need to be replaced unless you have a bacterial bloom. I have never replaced my substrate. Just have added to it over the years. Just scoop poop as needed.

You can add bubblers to their water bowls to help with humidity. I'll attach the link

Edit: Here is the link: viewtopic.php?f=26&t=113691&p=1030806&h ... r#p1030806

In the directions for setting the bubbler up, it says to double up the Tuberware bowls. I have reptile bowls that are much thicker, so would it be okay if I just added clean rocks to the bottom and then added the airstone in it?

Zinger5335 wrote:

GotButterflies wrote:Hello Welcome to the HCA!

A couple of things: First of all, a towel is going to absorb the humidity. I'm going to assume that you have a screen/metal/mesh lid. I recommend putting saran wrap,press-n-seal, or plastic zip loc bags taped on top over the parts that does not have the purple bulb light on it.

As far as heat, I personally like UTH (under the tank heaters) the best. Us crabbers don't use them under the tank though. We use them on the back of the tank to heat the air. http://www.reptilebasics.com has the best ones IMO. Cheapest - and they can be insulated in the winter time. Then, you can get rid of the light, and cover the entire top.

As far as substrate, here at the HCA we recommend a depth of 6" minimum or three times the height of your largest crab. Whichever is deeper wins. It should be mixed with dechlorinated fw or dechlorinated msw to make it sandcastle consistency. Substrate doesn't need to be replaced unless you have a bacterial bloom. I have never replaced my substrate. Just have added to it over the years. Just scoop poop as needed.

You can add bubblers to their water bowls to help with humidity. I'll attach the link

Edit: Here is the link: viewtopic.php?f=26&t=113691&p=1030806&h ... r#p1030806

In the directions for setting the bubbler up, it says to double up the Tuberware bowls. I have reptile bowls that are much thicker, so would it be okay if I just added clean rocks to the bottom and then added the airstone in it?

The reason for doubling them up is so if a crab has tunneled under them and you remove it to clean the tunnel may collapse, especially when putting it back. Or a crab could be molting under the bowl.

If the reptile bowl is deep enough for a crab to submerge in - at least so if they stand they can comfortably get water in their shell - then its also fine to use.

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