HCA: Hermit Crab Association

How many crabbies is too many for a 10 gallon tank...Im addicted to the little guys and would eventually get another but Im not sure what the rule of thumb is. I currently have 2.

How much space should each of your crabs have in a tank?

Jumbo - 5 gallons each
Large - 4 gallons each
Med. - 3 gallons each
Small - 2 gallons each
Teeny/micro - 1 gallon each



BUT always remember that they grow bigger and bigger and you might need to eventually upgrade so prepare for the future as well!

If I were you, I'd stick with just the two in the 10 gallon (unless these 2 happen to be jumbo-sized, in which I would have to upgrade to a larger tank). My personal rule is that I'd keep just 2 crabs in a ten gallon tank, ranging from micros to a medium-large sizes.

How long have you been keeping land hermit crabs? I ask because generally people have been infatuated with these creatures at first and end up buying lots, but as time passes and some of their more undesirable habits appear (ex. long periods underground, aggression towards tankmates, "aaagh they don't really do anything!" etc.) people end up getting uninterested in them.

I say, try to keep the two you have right now as is for about 1-2 years and see how you feel about them after that; if you decide that you like them that much, you can upgrade to a bigger tank, and have about 5 gallons of space per crab (or about 5+ gallons per jumbo) or buy another 10 gallon and set it up with 2 crabs, for example.

yeah you know a 10 gallon gets extremely full with two water dishes, hideys and climbing things and extra shells. i would only have the 2 crabs in there as well
i did have 4 crabs in my 10 gal though, but two were molting and i already had my 29 gal by the time they came back up
also i am more for keeping less crabs than more for a space

Ive only had them for about 2 months. I only have 2 in the 10 gallon tank. I was just curious about the general rule of thumb.

Another thing Ive been confused about is do you put a sponge in the salt water as well as the conditioned water? I currently only have 1 sponge in the conditioned water....Some pet stores say yes...others say its not necessary

i dont have any sponges in my pools and i am pretty sure that mostly everyone else doesn't either
the petstore will make you think you need them but your really don't and they can get filled with bacteria real fast

just to be sure, you are putting water conditioner in the salt water as well as salt right?
they both need to be dechlorinated

Yes I have conditioned water to remove the chlorine and chlorides and other bad stuff from the water. I buy the bottled hermit crab salt water so I assume its also conditioned. Good to know about the sponges!

to save a lot of money in the long run you can get marine salt, such as oceanic, instant ocean or red sea its about 6$ for a "10 gallon" box
it'll last you for such a long time!

OMG that is such a wonderful idea. Im assuming that can be purchased at Petsmart or Petco? Or would it be better to buy it at a tropical fish store?

Thanks for the advice Mudcrabdude I love the little 2 I have although they do destroy the tank and mess things up. The little one has been underground for a long period of time but the big one is very VERY social. The big one crawls non-stop on my hand chirping...and will chirp back if you make little clicking noises at it. My husband thought it was soo neat the first time he heard the chirping. They're soo spoiled too with good treats. I give them organic honey, plain banana chips, they looooove mango, and make sure they have a calcium thing (not sure what they're called) and their crab food

You're welcome.

I'd also really recommend feeding them coconut and protein sources such as shrimp (raw or steamed plain, partially opened with the shell) or freshly killed store-bought crickets. Especially the coconut as they are pretty much found in the wild where rotting coconuts fall off the tree into the ground, as they pretty much evolved to live off it I presume. Here's a link on to how to open one yourself:

http://www.wikihow.com/Open-a-Coconut

I've pretty much made mine a staple for my land hermit crabs, though I am fortunate I can get them relatively cheap here in LA (for about $99 each). I crack mine using the guide and then shatter it further - I then give pieces to eat (both the meat and the shell as the fibers also have nutritional benefits to land hermies) and store the rest of the pieces in the freezer for future use.

MudCrabDude wrote:I've pretty much made mine a staple for my land hermit crabs, though I am fortunate I can get them relatively cheap here in LA (for about $99 each). I crack mine using the guide and then shatter it further - I then give pieces to eat (both the meat and the shell as the fibers also have nutritional benefits to land hermies) and store the rest of the pieces in the freezer for future use.

Second that! Coconut is the only thing that gets eaten on a daily basis in my tank.

Awesome! I know my 2 guys love mango and they hide it away or bury it if they don't eat the whole chunk right there. Now when you give them coconut...do you grate it or leave it in chunks? Raw shrimp...I will need to pick some up.

Is there anything they are not supposed to have? I know iodized salt is a BIG one and really any type of seasonings but I was also told avoid dairy and wheat products...something about it being hard to digest?

MythrilDelight wrote:Awesome! I know my 2 guys love mango and they hide it away or bury it if they don't eat the whole chunk right there. Now when you give them coconut...do you grate it or leave it in chunks? Raw shrimp...I will need to pick some up.

I would just leave it in chunks myself.

MythrilDelight wrote:Is there anything they are not supposed to have? I know iodized salt is a BIG one and really any type of seasonings but I was also told avoid dairy and wheat products...something about it being hard to digest?

Check this out:

viewtopic.php?t=62686

Awesome thanks a bunch! that helps a ton! Right now, according to the nutrient list...I only lack a protein of some form which I will fix that problem tomorrow

Coconut is a norm in our house as the dog also eats it so that is no problem

Thank you for all the help and advice!

For protein, mine go nuts for raw chicken liver and raw shrimp. The liver I just roll up in plastic wrap and freeze, then I can shave off what I need as I need it. (If I give them modest amounts they'll lick the dish clean overnight. ) The shrimp I cut into meal-size pieces and froze. If you're going with pre-packaged shrimp make sure to read the ingredients because they add all sorts of preservatives.