HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I finally got brave enough to move the little tank so I can set up the big one. It's a 29 gallon, which is the biggest and deepest that I could fit on the dresser. We have 3 small hermies. I'm sure it'll be big enough for a good long time.

My question.. Lots of people seem to use plastic zip ties, which can be sharp. Maybe I'm just used to setting up tanks for bettas which have those long flowy tails that are microns thick and tear if you look at them sideways, but is it safe to put something that sharp in a crab tank? They really don't seem very graceful and I think I read that they don't "go around", preferring instead to just bulldoze over anything in their way.

We have tons of suction cups with metal hooks. Are those safe to use to mount climbing nets and hammocks and other various doodads? I think the hook can come off if I need it to but it'd be much easier to use them as they are.

Considering that any injury would take multiple molts to recover from, I would very much rather they not get injured.

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I use those suction cups with metal hooks too. No injuries as far as I know. And I understand what you mean about the zip ties. Once you cut it, it leaves a sharp edge. I use wire cutters (I think it's called wire cutters) to snip the sharp edges as close as possible.

Thank you so much! I threw in a bunch of suction cups. We'll be moving over the one baby not under the sand tonight, so fingers crossed that they hold up and he likes his new digs!

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I love that mesh hut!!!! Awesome idea!


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Thank you so much! It's the plastic cross stitch mesh I got at Joanns, sewn together with jute twine. I saw one somewhere in a picture someone posted and thought it was super cute, but I cannot recall where to give proper credit for the idea. I call it The Crab Shack.

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I also love your crab shack!! I do recommend a few things: Secure the craft mesh to your pools (You can do this by drilling holes and zip tying them), and double up your dishes! I also recommend putting your dishes above ground to allow for more molting space. This link will help you with a few things: viewtopic.php?f=26&t=113691&p=1030806&h ... r#p1030806

GotButterflies wrote:I also love your crab shack!! I do recommend a few things: Secure the craft mesh to your pools (You can do this by drilling holes and zip tying them), and double up your dishes! I also recommend putting your dishes above ground to allow for more molting space. This link will help you with a few things: viewtopic.php?f=26&t=113691&p=1030806&h ... r#p1030806

The pools are very small. They're actually the plastic containers that KFC puts their side dishes in. Maybe it's tacky, but they should get the job done. It's just barely deep enough to cover the top of the shell he uses. I suspect that the kids can get back out just fine even without it but I had leftover mesh so I figured it wouldn't hurt anything.

What do you mean by double up the dishes? I only have 3 relatively small crabs. I don't think I need more water bowls than that.

I'm so sorry but your link didn't go through right.

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Links don't work correctly when you use Tapatalk. I'll message Wodesorel about that. That is the second time that has happened. You would need to get on a computer to look at the link.

So, two things about pools. Pools should be deep enough to fully submerge. Pools also tend to be a very popular place for hermies to dig molting caves or caves in general under. The purpose of doubling up the bowls is so when you change the water you can leave the bottom bowl and not disturb the cave/collapse the cave. You put gravel in the bottom bowl so that the top bowl that holds the water lifts out easily

Edit: I sure hope I explained that correctly!

I like your tank set up so far! I'm also going to be finishing up my girls' new 29 gallon tank and moving them this weekend. Good idea using the jute to connect the mesh instead of zip ties... I'm going to do that when I make their new shell shop.

On the water dishes, I did buy four Tupperware containers so I can double stack them (still only two pools, the containers are just double so the bottom one stays in place when you take the top one out to change the water, just like you would stack them together in the kitchen cupboard).

I was also planning to put them in the substrate because I'm concerned about them tipping over/causing a flood if they're above ground. Have you ever found that to be an issue, GotButterflies?

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GotButterflies wrote:Links don't work correctly when you use Tapatalk. I'll message Wodesorel about that. That is the second time that has happened. You would need to get on a computer to look at the link.

So, two things about pools. Pools should be deep enough to fully submerge. Pools also tend to be a very popular place for hermies to dig molting caves or caves in general under. The purpose of doubling up the bowls is so when you change the water you can leave the bottom bowl and not disturb the cave/collapse the cave. You put gravel in the bottom bowl so that the top bowl that holds the water lifts out easily

Edit: I sure hope I explained that correctly!

Oh! Put a bowl in a bowl! Duh, that is so obvious. I'm sorry I missed that. lol That's a really great idea. I'll see what I can find.

I have the cutest little hideaway water containers in the old tank that I was going to move. They're deeper than they look for little guys. The picture is the shell he uses sometimes, completely under the water. The deli containers are about the same depth, maybe a touch bigger.

Alas. I might have more time than I thought to come up with a better plan. Hermit Jeff and Cute Face have been down in the sand in the old tank for a few weeks and I'm not 100% sure if Tamatoa came up last night. Sigh.

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KinoAndTeto wrote:I like your tank set up so far! I'm also going to be finishing up my girls' new 29 gallon tank and moving them this weekend. Good idea using the jute to connect the mesh instead of zip ties... I'm going to do that when I make their new shell shop.

On the water dishes, I did buy four Tupperware containers so I can double stack them (still only two pools, the containers are just double so the bottom one stays in place when you take the top one out to change the water, just like you would stack them together in the kitchen cupboard).

I was also planning to put them in the substrate because I'm concerned about them tipping over/causing a flood if they're above ground. Have you ever found that to be an issue, GotButterflies?

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Ha! Tupperware bowls! Is there anything they can't do?! Please consider that idea stolen.

Would you mind terribly sharing a picture of your Shell Store when you get it done? I'm struggling to come up with a cute way of doing that.

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^ Seconded!

KinoAndTeto wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 24, 2019 10:57 am

I like your tank set up so far! I'm also going to be finishing up my girls' new 29 gallon tank and moving them this weekend. Good idea using the jute to connect the mesh instead of zip ties... I'm going to do that when I make their new shell shop.

On the water dishes, I did buy four Tupperware containers so I can double stack them (still only two pools, the containers are just double so the bottom one stays in place when you take the top one out to change the water, just like you would stack them together in the kitchen cupboard).

I was also planning to put them in the substrate because I'm concerned about them tipping over/causing a flood if they're above ground. Have you ever found that to be an issue, GotButterflies?

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I have never had my pools tip over. However, I have square tupperware ones. Mine are also fairly large.

I also like to "sink" my water sources in the substrate. If you just have three small crabs, I think you can keep those dishes sunk as they are; they aren't taking up that much substrate volume. As you need larger/deeper water sources, you can re-visit that--but then again, you'll also need a bigger tank and deeper substrate. . . and the quest for the ideal crabitat continues . . . !

DragonsFly wrote:I also like to "sink" my water sources in the substrate. If you just have three small crabs, I think you can keep those dishes sunk as they are; they aren't taking up that much substrate volume. As you need larger/deeper water sources, you can re-visit that--but then again, you'll also need a bigger tank and deeper substrate. . . and the quest for the ideal crabitat continues . . . !

I think it looks cleaner and neater with them sunken. I know it's all about what is healthiest for the crabs, but it's also in the home office I sit in 40 hours a week and I need to like it,too. lol I've got almost 8" of substrate, so I think they're okay for now with the dishes sunken. I've still got to get more stuff to climb on, but I think it's going in the right direction!

Hopefully they won't grow too fast. I'll have to upgrade the dresser to upgrade the tank and my bank account can't handle that right now.

Thanks to everyone for all of your replies and conversation! I'm learning so much from you all and having so much fun!

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