Conflicting info for crabitat

[Jenieo]

Hello! My kids and I have 4 hermit crabs. We have had them about a month. We won one through a contest and purchased some friends since I know they like to have some pals.

I had hermit crabs 30 years ago as a kid and used to use cracked corn in my crabitat.

Now, I just set up a 10 gallon tank with a few inches of sand, some ways to climb, a water dish, shells to change into and some decor.

A lady at a store yesterday who sells hermit crabs for years and has some large ones 25+ years old, said I should not have any sand. That they like to be in trees and I should have a large, natural wire cage for them. She said I might harm them with mold and living in their droppings if I keep the sand.

It seems such a stark life for them to only have a wire cage, even if large. She encouraged taking them out to play on legos and such, doll houses…

Everything I have been reading and viewing said the sand mix was the way to go. Now I’m concerned which to do.

She was quite passionate about this, coming from a good place and also seemed to have had hermit crabs for years who have thrived very well.

I’m looking for some feedback on the topic because I want to make good, safe decisions for my new crabs.

Thanks in advance,

Jenny


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[hermitsinnc]

Hermit crabs come from a naturally humid environment. A wire cage won't hold the humidity in.
In the wild, they are scavengers and don't care about mold or droppings.
They do like to be in trees, but in the wild there is still sand/dirt under the trees. They would be much happier in a glass/plastic tank with lots of space to climb, explore, and hide.
The most important thing: Hermit crabs are crustaceans with a hard exoskeleton. As they grow, they will need to shed it. The new exoskeleton underneath needs to harden, and before it does, they are very weak and vulnerable. Because of this, they go through the molting process under the sand on the beach in tunnels they dig. Without the ability to dig, they will be forced to perform a surface molt, which is not ideal, comfortable, or safe.
I seriously doubt this lady has really kept crabs alive and happy for 25 years in the conditions you're describing.

Welcome to the HCA! You'll want to check out the care sheets if you haven't already: viewtopic.php?f=120&t=119273 And please feel free to ask if you have any questions!

[Jenieo]

Thank you so much for replying, it’s much appreciated.


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[ROSIEonFIRE]

Hello and welcome to the forum! I agree with everything the previous poster said. With proper care, hermit crabs can actually live for decades. If you have tropical conditions in your home, you could have a wire cage but the vast majority of people will need to use a sealed glass tank to hold sufficient humidity.

I want to second what the previous poster said about the substrate as well. You should have a minimum of six inches or 3 times the height if your largest crab of substrate (wichever is higher). The sub should be moistened to a sand castle consistency. If crabs do not have correct substrate, they will have to molt on the surface of the tank. This is extremely dangerous. Most likely the crab will be cannabilized by the other crabs during this process when it's exoskeleton is soft. This is why it is so important to have proper substrate.

Also 10 gallons is really small for 4 crabs. Our guidelines suggest a minimum of 5 gallons per crab which would mean you shod provide them with a 20 gallon crabitat. Many of us like to give our crabs even more space.

As you've probably noticed, we have extensive care guides on every topic. Start off with the general care guide which will give you an overview of everything you need to know about crab care. More specific guides on specific care topics can be found in the related forum. Let us know if you have any questions and welcome to the obssession!

[curlysister]

I decided when I got my crabs that I would only follow one group's advice - that way I would avoid too much conflicting advice. I liked HCA because they seemed kind of laid back, and I could tell that there were guidelines/ care sheets, but not hard and fast 'rules'. I have had my crabs for 12 years now!
It's kind of like any pet, really - there are different methods of feeding/ training/ keeping/ caring for them. When it comes to dogs, some people swear by a raw home made diet, others feed kibble. Some people use negative reinforcement training or punishment for wrong behavior, while others use positive reinforcement. HCA recognizes that there are different ways to successfully care for crabs - I mean, maybe that lady has kept crabs in cages and had no sand (remember that the longest living crab was kept in similar conditions for over 40 years before he died), but I guarantee that would not work for my house or my climate.

[wodesorel]

Remember too that the stores exist to sell things and make money. I know it sounds like a bad conspiracy theory, I really do, but encouraging bad conditions means more sales overall. More animals, more supplies, more medication - all because it preys on our wanting to do the right thing and be successful. I wish that all people could be trusted to tell the truth and to be educated on the topics they are vocal about, but this is sadly rarely the case. Those big crabs are no doubt 25+ years old, but she's getting them in every shipment of new crabs she recieves. Some may make it through a surface molt and some may survive for a couple of years in these conditions, but it will catch up to them too quickly.

[Jenieo]

Thank you everyone, all the input is most appreciated.
I have heard some great advice here.
The woman I spoke with lives on an island and has extensive write ups in magazines/newspapers and is a hermit crab expert on the island. She doesn’t own a pet store. She provides free help and emergency help for people who are having issues with their crabs, which is the main reason I have felt so confused about the information she told me vs others.
That being said, I like the advice about how pets can thrive with different approaches and I wanted to really reach out to make sure I wasn’t doing any harm.

I am going to upgrade my tank to a larger one, this is just all I had at the moment. I will continue to learn as I go! Thanks!!


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[aussieJJDude]

No point of adding to the echo chamber, but i do want to point at one thing she mentioned. The interesting thing is that sand itself does not mould, and will not mould. It's completely inert (silica), and contains no organic matter unless you or the crabs add/drag in organic matter.