HCA: Hermit Crab Association

My Crabitat is smelly, does anybody know how to make it less smelly? I know it won't totally go away (i mean, they ARE crabs), but please, tips?

What does it smell like?

Not like a dead hermit crab smell, but like sand mixed with a kind of a rotting smell.

You might need to take your crabs out if possible, I haven’t dealt with one myself but a rotting smell can be a sign of a bacterial bloom


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Ok , but one problem though, bingo (my largest crab) is molting and has been for 3 1/2 months, I can't dig him out, but I can try to find any bacteria bloom not in the substrate. ill keep you posted.

I checked what I could and didn't see any mold. But, once bingo comes back up, I will be very thoroughly checking the crabitat. Ill keep you posted.

I have never had a bacterial bloom, but from my understanding it is a sulfur kind of smell, and kind of strong.
Is what you are smelling just the damp coco fiber? It will have kind of a woodsy, musty smell to it.

An acquired aroma, lol


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curlysister, I think its just a sand smell, (since I use sand) and basically hermit crab smell. I just wish it wasn't so smelly. I guess maybe there's nothing i can do, though.

I know when I feed my crabs fresh herbs, the 'tat smells really good. Try tearing up a leaf or two of basil for them - they will eat it, and the tank will smell nice too!

Good Tip! I have a garden where i have a bunch of herbs, so in the summer I will have an ample supply of basil! But, I'm going to search through my fridge and freezer for some basil now. thanks!

Other herbs would work too, depending on your taste LOL. I have also given dill and chives (altho they are on the unpopular/ unsafe list) and oregano.

cool! Thanks ya'll!

You can always spot clean on the surface even if they are down. I do think a lot of the smells are from their food and what they drag off to hide, but for me I cannot stand the smell of crab poop. It's like rotting fruit, and everytime I clean the tank bare handed it sticks to me for what seems like days.

I'll wash off decor and fake plants where poo may be hiding, wipe the glass down with white vinegar (safe to do with crabs in the tank), rinse out the extra shells (their toilets), change out moss for fresh stuff, and spot clean any poop piles. Between that and the tank airing out a bit while working it always smells better after!

Bee balm and lavender are my go-tos to improve the smell. I have a really strong sense of smell but I can't say I've ever noticed the crab poo smell like wodesorel...unless I just don't recognize it for what it is. It's the decaying food smells that bothers me. I've also occasionally used Fluker's Probiotic Deodorizing Spray if there's an all over food funk.

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