HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Dang it, I am in need of some help. I am new to the forum and I wish this did not have to be my first post. Here is some info first:

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? Cocoa bark and soak cocoa bark and once the humidity issue is fixed, HD sand

2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read?yes I do, upper left back corner and usually they read temps-mid 70's and humidity-above 70%

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? Yes, UTG pad set on the back side of tank and a heating lamp on lid

4. What types of water are available (fresh or salt) and how is the water treated (what brands of dechlorinator or salt mix and what ratio is used to mix it)? prepared salt and freshwater, still trying to find products to mix it myself

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? homemade frozen fresh fruits (mango, kiwi, etc from the list here) along with squid, small pieces of meat, freeze dried meal worms/freshwater shrimp

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? bought the first one in late Sept and the2 others came shortly after, 3 Purple Pinchers

7. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing? 5 gallon tank but looking for a 20 gallon used locally here, lid is a screen that is entirely covered in s sheets aluminum foil with saran wrap in between

8. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? 3 of them, 1 small and 2 a bit bigger, not sure how I can measure...

9. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? I toss in about 4 or 5, will toss in more once a bigger tank is here (its a wee crowded in there with their stuffs

10. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently? nope

11. How often do you clean the tank and how? Just did the 2nd cleaning today, remove crabs and they go into a lidded cup with a wet paper towel, remove everything else (2 pools, 1 bubbler pool, coconut shell, pile o' moss, food bowl and shells) remove all substrate wipe it down with vinegar sprayed on paper towel in other room then wipe off with dry paper towel, then added in dry cocoa and some soaked cocoa that comes in the dry brick, added all bowels and water, coconut shell then crabs last

12. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned? nope

13. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently? nope

14. Is there any other information you would like to share that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)? nope

15. Please describe the emergency situation in detail. Just did a tank clean, added soaked moss along with some soaked cocoa bedding and the humidity level says in dry as a desert in there yet one of my hermies is hanging around not covered in the moss, I am a TOTAL loss as to how to fix this...can anyone give me some suggestions as how else I fix the humidity situation?

Try moving your gauges down to around substrate level - that'll give you a more accurate reading on what the temp/humidity is where your crabs are actually at. Have you calibrated your hygrometer? What type are you using? I had an analog one that bit that dust randomly, so switched to digital. If you haven't calibrated it, instructions are here: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 26&t=92540 It's worth a shot to make sure your reading is correct

As a temporary solution you can mist with dechlorinated fresh water to boost the humidity. Since your tank is small, it should raise it fairly quickly.

figaro wrote:Dang it, I am in need of some help. I am new to the forum and I wish this did not have to be my first post. Here is some info first:

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? Cocoa bark and soak cocoa bark and once the humidity issue is fixed, HD sand

2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read?yes I do, upper left back corner and usually they read temps-mid 70's and humidity-above 70%

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? Yes, UTG pad set on the back side of tank and a heating lamp on lid

4. What types of water are available (fresh or salt) and how is the water treated (what brands of dechlorinator or salt mix and what ratio is used to mix it)? prepared salt and freshwater, still trying to find products to mix it myself

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? homemade frozen fresh fruits (mango, kiwi, etc from the list here) along with squid, small pieces of meat, freeze dried meal worms/freshwater shrimp

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? bought the first one in late Sept and the2 others came shortly after, 3 Purple Pinchers

7. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing? 5 gallon tank but looking for a 20 gallon used locally here, lid is a screen that is entirely covered in s sheets aluminum foil with saran wrap in between

8. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? 3 of them, 1 small and 2 a bit bigger, not sure how I can measure...

9. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? I toss in about 4 or 5, will toss in more once a bigger tank is here (its a wee crowded in there with their stuffs

10. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently? nope

11. How often do you clean the tank and how? Just did the 2nd cleaning today, remove crabs and they go into a lidded cup with a wet paper towel, remove everything else (2 pools, 1 bubbler pool, coconut shell, pile o' moss, food bowl and shells) remove all substrate wipe it down with vinegar sprayed on paper towel in other room then wipe off with dry paper towel, then added in dry cocoa and some soaked cocoa that comes in the dry brick, added all bowels and water, coconut shell then crabs last

12. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned? nope

13. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently? nope

14. Is there any other information you would like to share that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)? nope

15. Please describe the emergency situation in detail. Just did a tank clean, added soaked moss along with some soaked cocoa bedding and the humidity level says in dry as a desert in there yet one of my hermies is hanging around not covered in the moss, I am a TOTAL loss as to how to fix this...can anyone give me some suggestions as how else I fix the humidity situation?

Hello Figaro and welcome to the HCA!

Information on sizing your hermit crabs, and determining how many crabs you can have in your tank can be found here:
http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92541

As it seems you already know, a 5 gallon tank is considerably too small for the crabs that you currently have.

http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92553 All of the water information can be found here.

To make freshwater for your hermit crabs, you simply treat your tap water with one of the brand name water dechlorinators (this list is found part way down the page that the link takes you to). I personally use a product called Prime; which, is found in the fish department of a pet store.

To make saltwater for your hermit crabs, you simply take some of the freshwater that you just made for them, and add a marine saltwater mix; I use Instant Ocean. The ratio of salt to water can be found on the box.

You may want to check to make sure that your humidity gauge is properly calibrated, as some can be really off, even if they are brand new. Here is a link to calibrate it: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... hp?t=92540

Also, if you would like a nice, inexpensive, digital humidity/temperature device, you can get one at Walmart by the brand name of AccuRite. It is designed to read the humidity level in your house, but it works well in crabitats as well, and it is just under $9!
Link: http://www.walmart.com/ip/16888914?www= ... irect=true

Also, cleaning the tank as you are doing is unnecessary. Natural, beneficial bacteria develop in the substrate over time, and by cleaning your tank so often it cannot develop the environment that a crabitat should have.

Some things to consider:

-You should have water dishes, both fresh and salt, deep enough for your largest crab to fully submerge in.
-You should have substrate that is moist, but not drenched (there should be no excess water), that is as deep as 3 times the height of your tallest crab. For example, if your largest crab is about 2 inches in diameter, your substrate should be at least 6 inches deep.
-The temperature should be between 75-85 degrees, and if it is not reaching or maintaining a temperature within that range, you may want to invest in a second Under the tank (for the side, not bottom) heating mat, or a heat lamp to work with the one you have.
-The humidity level should be as close to 80% as possible. Usually keeping the substrate moist and covering the tank's lid about 80% or a bit more (you would need to play around with it to determine how much yours would need to be covered), is enough to maintain a humidity of about 80%. Misting the tank helps, as does keeping a moist moss pit in the tank. I would imagine that your humidity gauge might be off a little, if it is not reading 80% with your moss pit....
-Your temperature and humidity gauges may be a little too high up to get accurate readings.

The bark sounds like the main concern. Sand and ee with moss pits is the ideal way to proper humidity.

Whew! It never occurred to me to move the temp/hum gauge lower in the tank so alls well now! And I have found a used 20 gallon tank on Kijiji for $40 so I am making the arrangements to get that on Thursday. Thank you to all who helped me out!