HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hey all,

I've read quite a few forums regarding this issue, but I'm a little worried because I'm about to go on holiday and the crabs will be alone

I've got two small hermits. One I've had since April 2014, and she has a history of killing crabs while they are molting for their shells despite having a big selection :S

A bit of background. I originally had two crabs (Hermiz and Zoidberg), Zoidy was killed. Got another two (Nibbler and Hedo), and Nibbler was killed.

Hedo had successfully made it through one molt during October/November last year and him and Hermiz had been fine. I was on holiday last week though and my room mate had been looking after the crabs but it had been quite hot and then all of a sudden rainy and humid and so the tank was too hot and humid when I got back and the tank had gone grimy. So I did a massive tank clean with baked sand substrate and all was good but a couple hours later I notice Hermiz was in Hedos' shell and Hedo was naked and not doing much about it - even more inactive. I put Hermizs' shell in front of her and she went back in and Hedo eventually went back in his but I noticed he was getting a bit...inactive? This happened again a few hours later (around 12am) but this time Hermiz wasn't coming out of the shell in a haste so I put her in a make-shift ISO with food water and her own shell and left Hedo in the main tank with a selection of shells and he looked at a couple but then hid in the hut naked. The next morning Hermiz and left Hedo's shell so I put Hedos' shell back in the main tank in front of the hut and left for work. When I came back he still hadn't gone back in his shell but he was moving lethargically so I nudged him half way into his shell but then he just stopped moving and has moved since. It's been two days now, I had to put Hermiz back in the tank but put a plastic barrier around Hedo. Tank does not smell fishy, and I remember the smell from when other crabs have died but I'm not sure that he is molting because I do not notice any twitching at all.

FYI, Using sand substrate that I bake before putting putting into the tank, I originally had two huts but removed one due to plastic barrier. Hermiz always seems to try the shell of the crab she has killed and she seems to usually attack when the crab is molting - one Zoidy was slightly bigger and nibbler was slightly smaller. And the humidity levels I try to keep around 70%, but temprature has been going as high as 30 degrees these days and I'm not sure what I can do to cool it because my apartment is quite hot. I did try and aim a fan at it but it doesn't do much

I'm quite worried and I'm obviously a novice so any help or recommendations are appreciated as I am going away for 4 nights and no one will be coming to look at them in my absence so I'll only have a food pellet and several sponges in the tank.

Here's a picture link of the tank currently:
https://scontent-b-nrt.xx.fbcdn.net/hph ... 6677_o.jpg

Not sure what high temperature you are referring to: recommended temp and humidity are 80 degrees and 80% humidity.

I have a crab who has murdered 2 others for their shells, and neither one survived. Once they are without a shell, they decline rather quickly. You did right by getting the victim reshelled and isolated. All you can do now is wait. Make sure he has high energy food (honey is best) , and both types of water, all within easy reach in isolation.

He might recover, but chances are slim. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst. You have given him the best chance and now it is up to him and nature to decide what happens.

What you do have to decide is what to do with the vicious crab. Mine seems to have settled down, except when I introduce new crabs, and I have to take him out for a while, and reintroduce him as a new crab. Strange but it works. It isn't fair for others to die at his hands (claws!). I would think about either rehoming him to someone who has multiple tanks, or getting another tank just for him, and putting him in with a larger crab that he can't beat up on.

Good luck and keep us informed.

How big is the selection of shells, that are in Hermiz' range? I see many different sizes in your pic.
How many shells are just like Hedo's?
Does Hermiz eat any part of her kills?
Take out the sponges, they're just bacteria breeding grounds and not beneficial to crabs. They will be especially bad when you're gone for 4 nights. You can use those shells with the long, pointy emds in the waterdishes if they need help getting out.
Pellet food is also a bad idea, unless you know for sure the ingredients are safe. Many hermit crab food pellets contain unsafe substances and preservatives, but the manufacturer does not recognize them as unsafe because they are safe for humans.
Can you find a plastic basket or dish and put all your shells in it? Wash the shells to clean them first, and then soak them in treated saltwater. Then sit Hermiz in the basket and leave it all alone for a while. Some crabs like clean shells, and maybe the shells are too sandy for Hermiz' bottom? Your water dishes appear not deep enough for the crabs to clean themselves, which might give reason for Hermiz to shell snatch. The shells may lay in 2 layers, as the crabs will move and turn them on their own. This is known as a shell shop.
Additionally there are things you can do to improve your tank. An ideal tank helps you make crabs happy, in hopes of minimizing attack and cannibalism. Please answer the Help Request Template for more assistance.

viewtopic.php?t=46102

Crabbers unite!!!

I am sorry for what you are going through, but I am glad that you found the HCA.

If you could answer the following questions the best that you can, we will be able to help you better.

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?

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?

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?

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)?

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?

7. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?

8. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?

9. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?

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

11. How often do you clean the tank and how?

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

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

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.)?

Based on the picture, it looks like you do not have more than an inch-2 inches of sand; which, if that is the case there is not enough substrate in your tank, and it could be the cause of your one crab attacking others while they are molting. If you could get some more substrate in your tank (up to about a minimum of maybe 4-6 inches), before you leave on your holiday, that may help matters.

It sounds like it may be too late for your little guy, but you can try to get him to eat some honey to gain a boost of energy. You can put some on a Q-tip and put it right next to him.

If you are saying that your temperature gets to 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees F.), that is an okay temperature for them, as long as it does not get higher than that.

You also want to aim for a humidity of 80%. You can mist the tank once a day or as often as needed to maintain the humidity.

I have been trying to get as many different shells as I can for Hermiz, they are all just a bit bigger, bigger or a bit smaller then her current shell. She has changed to the current shell from another shell she was bought in, and I still have her original shell in the tank just in case.

Hermiz has eaten the second smaller crab she killed.

I need the sponges to keep the humidity unfortunately, but I boil them at least every second day - if I don't leave them in the tank loses humidity too quickly. Do you know anything I can use in it's place? - not easy for me to find coconut fibre around where I am.

Pellet food is the HBH brand which came with the variety bites and says to use in conjunction with the flakes? I put them in the tank once a week and chuck them out the day after I put them in.

Shells in the water dish sound like a good idea but, like I said, I sorta need to sponges to maintain humidity unfortunately

I always boil my shells with every tank cleaning and boil new shells before putting them in. The shells get sandy because hermit looks at them then leaves them.

I have left Hermiz with all the shells before in a plastic dish. She just wonders off eventually and tries to get out of the dish.

I can definitely try to get deeper water dishes, I thought that may be an issue. And shells in two layers is an awesome idea, give Hermiz more place to walk too! Just didn't know I could do that

I read up on the extra link you sent through. Thank you!

Hedo on the other hand. Still don't know if he is dead but I'm presuming because his abdomen looks like it has dried out? He also seems to be growing white stuff on his body. Do any of you have any idea? Tank has started to smell, but not a dead crab smell. Seems more like the humidity smell in the tank....?

YYWW wrote:How big is the selection of shells, that are in Hermiz' range? I see many different sizes in your pic.
How many shells are just like Hedo's?
Does Hermiz eat any part of her kills?
Take out the sponges, they're just bacteria breeding grounds and not beneficial to crabs. They will be especially bad when you're gone for 4 nights. You can use those shells with the long, pointy emds in the waterdishes if they need help getting out.
Pellet food is also a bad idea, unless you know for sure the ingredients are safe. Many hermit crab food pellets contain unsafe substances and preservatives, but the manufacturer does not recognize them as unsafe because they are safe for humans.
Can you find a plastic basket or dish and put all your shells in it? Wash the shells to clean them first, and then soak them in treated saltwater. Then sit Hermiz in the basket and leave it all alone for a while. Some crabs like clean shells, and maybe the shells are too sandy for Hermiz' bottom? Your water dishes appear not deep enough for the crabs to clean themselves, which might give reason for Hermiz to shell snatch. The shells may lay in 2 layers, as the crabs will move and turn them on their own. This is known as a shell shop.
Additionally there are things you can do to improve your tank. An ideal tank helps you make crabs happy, in hopes of minimizing attack and cannibalism. Please answer the Help Request Template for more assistance.

viewtopic.php?t=46102

Crabbers unite!!!

I actually meant 30 degrees celsius which another post below confirmed is 80 degrees Fahrenheit. So that's okay then 80% humidity noted! Will make sure I stick to that!

As posted above, Hedos' abdomen now looks like its dried out. This means he is probably gone, right? I will have to do a full tank clean up to make sure nothing happens to Hermiz because it looks like some white stuff may be growing on Hedo. Should I bathe Hermiz in salt water to clean her of anything just in case?

You're idea for re-introducing Hermiz as a new crab to other crabs is a good idea. I might do that and the next crab I get will probably be bigger to avoid future issues I love Hermiz too much despite her temperamental issues!

hermieluv1 wrote:Not sure what high temperature you are referring to: recommended temp and humidity are 80 degrees and 80% humidity.

I have a crab who has murdered 2 others for their shells, and neither one survived. Once they are without a shell, they decline rather quickly. You did right by getting the victim reshelled and isolated. All you can do now is wait. Make sure he has high energy food (honey is best) , and both types of water, all within easy reach in isolation.

He might recover, but chances are slim. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst. You have given him the best chance and now it is up to him and nature to decide what happens.

What you do have to decide is what to do with the vicious crab. Mine seems to have settled down, except when I introduce new crabs, and I have to take him out for a while, and reintroduce him as a new crab. Strange but it works. It isn't fair for others to die at his hands (claws!). I would think about either rehoming him to someone who has multiple tanks, or getting another tank just for him, and putting him in with a larger crab that he can't beat up on.

Good luck and keep us informed.

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
Sand, and it's about 2inches deep. Hedo successfully melted in that before. But as per your advice, I can definitely try and make it three inches. Anymore than that, and they will escape my tank because my other crab hut is taller, but I had it out due to Hedos' isolation.

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?
I have a ZooMed Thermometer and Humidity gauge. They are at the top left corner of the tank.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
There is a heat mat under the tank, however it is currently switched off as it's summer and the tank is naturally around 26-30 degrees. Note though, in winter the tank was at 27 degrees and the crabs were always active and happy (or so I assume!).

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)?
I have salt and fresh water. Dechlorinator brand is Hermit Safe- Jurassic Pet and Salter is HBH. I use both as per the bottle instructions.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
I feed them HBH Variety bites every day, a HBH cookie pellet per crab once a week, and ZooMed fruit salad bits once a week too.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
I have had Hermiz since April 2014. Had Hedo since July 2014. He molted soon after I bought him.

7. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
There is once hut as per the tank photo provided. There is another once twice it's hight but three walls are open. The tank itself and the original dishes are as per the following link: http://www.petsunleashed.com.au/aquatop ... r-tank-kit
I feel like it is small but that's why I decided to only have two crabs after my third once died last time.

8. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
I currently have one (I think Hedo has died)

9. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
I usually have two extra shells per crab. At the moment I had a mass of them though due to last weeks issues with Hermiz taking Hedo's shell.

10. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
Crabs are always kept in the lounge room, away from anything crazy. And the cleaning agent I use to clean the tank (apart from hot water) is Hermit Clean all natural - Jurassic Pet.

11. How often do you clean the tank and how?
I clean the tank once a month, rinse with water and wipe down with the Hermit Clean all natural - Jurassic Pet. I also bake the sand before putting it back in.

12. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
I do use sponges because it keeps the humidity. I boil them at least once every two days.

13. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
New shells after Hermiz went on her stealing rampage. Usually I keep 4-6 in there.

14. Is there any other information you would like to care that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)?
I don't like to tantalise them too much so I only take them out when I clean the tank. I don't bathe them because I feel like it's something natural for them and I don't get involved Unless I am introducing new crabs - then I bathe all crabs before putting them together. Oh, and if a crab dies, I bathe all live crabs after cleaning the tank.

It seems like Hedos' abdomen has dried out. He is not moving at all. The tank doesn't smell strongly fishy, but it smells a little. I usually get this smell from the tank humidity though? I am presuming he is dead though. It also looks like he is growing white stuff on him? I will obviously go about cleaning the full tank now and I guess I will bathe Hermiz just in case...?

I really like your idea of using a Q-tip! I will definitely start using honey and peanut butter as a nice little treat for any remaining crabs from now on and humidity of 80% noted.

The person above mentioned sponges may not be the best idea. I don't have access to coconut fibre but I need the humidity to last in the tank longer. Apart from really wetting the sand, do you have any ideas on substitutes for sponges?

Also, do you think Hedo is definitely gone now?

Rebecca C wrote:I am sorry for what you are going through, but I am glad that you found the HCA.

If you could answer the following questions the best that you can, we will be able to help you better.

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?

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?

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?

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)?

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?

7. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?

8. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?

9. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?

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

11. How often do you clean the tank and how?

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

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

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.)?

Based on the picture, it looks like you do not have more than an inch-2 inches of sand; which, if that is the case there is not enough substrate in your tank, and it could be the cause of your one crab attacking others while they are molting. If you could get some more substrate in your tank (up to about a minimum of maybe 4-6 inches), before you leave on your holiday, that may help matters.

It sounds like it may be too late for your little guy, but you can try to get him to eat some honey to gain a boost of energy. You can put some on a Q-tip and put it right next to him.

If you are saying that your temperature gets to 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees F.), that is an okay temperature for them, as long as it does not get higher than that.

You also want to aim for a humidity of 80%. You can mist the tank once a day or as often as needed to maintain the humidity.

For humidity, you can't beat moss. Damp moss in a Tupperware container will do it , and be a nice snack.

I think you really need to add some sub, as much as you can possibly fit. That is very important.

Get that heater out from under before you turn it on again! For crabs, they go on the back above the sub. Under Will cook any molter.

Check out the food and water section for better foods to feed. The pellets from the store are not good for them because of the preservatives. They can eat most of what you do, without the spices.

I have to go to work but I am sure someone else will step in to review other things!

I ended up getting this:

http://www.bunnings.com.au/propagation- ... 2_p3010215
after I saw someone else use it on another forum page - viewtopic.php?f=26&t=99663&p=942216#p942216

Thanks for the advice. Crab heat matt has not been under the tank since about August 2014

Pellets have been removed and checked. I'll try to stick to variety flakes and fresh snacks from the kitchen instead. Thanks for your advice.

Hedo had definitely passed from stress and dehydration unfortunately but now I'll re-do the tank as per the above advice from everyone. Hermiz is looking quite lonely so I'll be getting a bigger crab soon to keep her company Thanks for all your help!

hermieluv1 wrote:For humidity, you can't beat moss. Damp moss in a Tupperware container will do it , and be a nice snack.

I think you really need to add some sub, as much as you can possibly fit. That is very important.

Get that heater out from under before you turn it on again! For crabs, they go on the back above the sub. Under Will cook any molter.

Check out the food and water section for better foods to feed. The pellets from the store are not good for them because of the preservatives. They can eat most of what you do, without the spices.

I have to go to work but I am sure someone else will step in to review other things!

smeegal wrote:It seems like Hedos' abdomen has dried out. He is not moving at all. The tank doesn't smell strongly fishy, but it smells a little. I usually get this smell from the tank humidity though? I am presuming he is dead though. It also looks like he is growing white stuff on him? I will obviously go about cleaning the full tank now and I guess I will bathe Hermiz just in case...?

I really like your idea of using a Q-tip! I will definitely start using honey and peanut butter as a nice little treat for any remaining crabs from now on and humidity of 80% noted.

The person above mentioned sponges may not be the best idea. I don't have access to coconut fibre but I need the humidity to last in the tank longer. Apart from really wetting the sand, do you have any ideas on substitutes for sponges?

Also, do you think Hedo is definitely gone now?

I am so sorry for your loss of Hedo.

Like Hermieluv1 said, the heating mat should not be placed on the bottom of the tank, when you put it back on. It should be placed above the substrate on one of the sides, or back of the tank. You can think of the heating mat heating the air, for hermit crabs, the sand is supposed to be moist, but not soaking, and should hold its shape, and it should be cooler than the air in the tank. If you think about it, if you were to dig outside in the ground you would notice that it is much cooler than however warm it is outside; that is what you want to create for them. And like she said, having the mat down there will burn/bake the crabs and will dry out the sand, removing a lot of the humidity in the tank along with it.

You may also benefit from lowering the temperature and humidity gauges a little to get a better idea of what the readings are like closer to where the crabs are mainly (closer to the ground/substrate level). You may find that the humidity level may be closer to 80% than you think.

If you do make those changes and you are still having trouble with humidity, you can try wrapping the lid of the tank with plastic wrap about 80-90% of the way and see if that, along with misting the tank, helps to hold the humidity. The sponges are not the best thing to have in the tank, but it is good that you are cleaning them often. Adding moss to the tank will definitely help with the humidity as well.

It definitely sounds like the sand being so low is the reason for Hermiz attacking your other crabs. 2 inches of sand does not provide them with enough protection while they molt. When they molt, they give off a scent, one that is attractive to other crabs, and if it is smelled, the molter is in big danger. They can usually molt in that amount of substrate, but that is not enough substrate to mask the molting scent. Hermit crabs are cannibals. Sometimes if the food dish has lots of attractive proteins in it, they are less likely to go after a molter, but that scent can be thought of as irresistible to them, so there are never any guarantees. Really the only protection that you can provide for them is the depth of substrate. As a rule of thumb, a minimum of 4-6 inches for smaller crabs, and about 2-3 times the size of your largest crab in inches deep.

I think if the level of the sand cannot be raised to more than 3 inches, I see a couple options for you, if you cannot get a bigger tank perhaps due to expenses. One solution would be to raise the sand on one side of the tank to a higher level than the other side if you can.* Another option would be to use a storage container as your tank. They are cheaper than aquariums and they come in many different sizes, so if room is an issue, you can try something like that, and fill the substrate as high as you can. If you did not know, you can usually, depending on your location, buy playsand cheaply at your local hardware store. You do not need coconut fiber to get your humidity up to where it needs to be; I use all sand and I have some areas with moss on the surface.

*I converted the dimensions of your tank to inches, I understand your difficulty with raising the substrate. It is hard for me to determine the practicality of raising the side with the hut to 3-4 inches of sand and raising the other side, by maybe creating a slope, to about 6-7 inches. I think any higher and it may be too high for your tank, since the height is about 10 inches. Also that kit didn't include a lid, if you do not have one, that is probably why you are having difficulty with the humidity; it is not contained without one.

You can also check garage sales or something like Craigslist to find a tank for cheap.

As far as the rest of your conditions go, I wanted to address food and the salt mix. Many of us would advise against using the Variety Bites based on the fact that they use Red 40 and Yellow 5, as well as a preservative, Ethoxyquin, in the product. Ethoxyquin is said to be harmful to the crabs. Fresh seafood, or dried shrimp, blood worms, meal worms, plankton, etc. that only have those items in the ingredient list, as well as fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains are all good for them and should be offered. Many crabbers recommend organic items, whenever possible, to avoid pesticides; which, are/can be harmful to our crabs. Also, the Q-tips are great to use when you have an injured, or lethargic crab; for active crabs, you can just put the peanut butter or honey right in the dish or on another item in the dish.

As for the salt mix, I hear that it is safe for them, but lacks many of the essential elements of natural sea salt. A better choice would be found in the marine fish section. Instant Ocean is a popular choice but it is not the only one.

Also, please keep in mind, you do not have to get a crab larger than Hermiz; I really think that it is the lack of depth of the substrate that has caused her to attack your others, and if you do get a larger crab, you will need more substrate, and soon enough need more room for him or her as they will only get bigger.

Hey Rebecca,

Thanks for all your help! I actually did end up buying a brand new tank. There is a new craze here about a brand called Krabooz and they have set up a whole new "adopt a hermit crab" thing and provide a few good things. Unfortunately they do promote painted shells though and as a result a lot of the crabs in the store I went to were painted and they don't provide natural shells to them at all. So I picked up a fellow who is a little bigger than Hermiz and a brand new tank in which I could provide a deeper substrate. I have also bought new dishes which are deeper and some moss. They have a nice new climbing tree as well.

Quick questions:
- what is the best material to use to stick the heating mat to the side? Or would placing it on top of the tank work?
- what are some good organic/natural foods I can get for the crabs to make my own food for them. One of the new foods that has come out with Krabooz looks sort of like bird seed, which I thought was a bit weird. I don't want to get it, but I wondered if crabs do like seeds?
- if the crab tank is getting too hot, what is a way I can possibly cool it down? Can I put an ice pack on top or something?

It seems I already bought the bigger crab before I was able to get your advice but he (Morbo) seems to get along with Hermiz quite well. At first she was running away but now they sit together in the huts during the day.

Here's my new setup. Let me know what you think?

The new tank is 30x30x30cm so it's much easier to increase the height of substrate.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/ ... e82194ee70

https://scontent-b-hkg.xx.fbcdn.net/hph ... e=552EB93F

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 444ae03e05

And here's a blurry shot of the new crab

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/ ... aa0a32f048

The sand is about 2 inches at the moment. I wanted the new crab not to stress too much when I first got him so I am going to create a deeper sand bank next weekend of about 4 inches if I can.

Any more tips on the new setup?

Rebecca C wrote:
I am so sorry for your loss of Hedo.

Like Hermieluv1 said, the heating mat should not be placed on the bottom of the tank, when you put it back on. It should be placed above the substrate on one of the sides, or back of the tank. You can think of the heating mat heating the air, for hermit crabs, the sand is supposed to be moist, but not soaking, and should hold its shape, and it should be cooler than the air in the tank. If you think about it, if you were to dig outside in the ground you would notice that it is much cooler than however warm it is outside; that is what you want to create for them. And like she said, having the mat down there will burn/bake the crabs and will dry out the sand, removing a lot of the humidity in the tank along with it.

You may also benefit from lowering the temperature and humidity gauges a little to get a better idea of what the readings are like closer to where the crabs are mainly (closer to the ground/substrate level). You may find that the humidity level may be closer to 80% than you think.

If you do make those changes and you are still having trouble with humidity, you can try wrapping the lid of the tank with plastic wrap about 80-90% of the way and see if that, along with misting the tank, helps to hold the humidity. The sponges are not the best thing to have in the tank, but it is good that you are cleaning them often. Adding moss to the tank will definitely help with the humidity as well.

It definitely sounds like the sand being so low is the reason for Hermiz attacking your other crabs. 2 inches of sand does not provide them with enough protection while they molt. When they molt, they give off a scent, one that is attractive to other crabs, and if it is smelled, the molter is in big danger. They can usually molt in that amount of substrate, but that is not enough substrate to mask the molting scent. Hermit crabs are cannibals. Sometimes if the food dish has lots of attractive proteins in it, they are less likely to go after a molter, but that scent can be thought of as irresistible to them, so there are never any guarantees. Really the only protection that you can provide for them is the depth of substrate. As a rule of thumb, a minimum of 4-6 inches for smaller crabs, and about 2-3 times the size of your largest crab in inches deep.

I think if the level of the sand cannot be raised to more than 3 inches, I see a couple options for you, if you cannot get a bigger tank perhaps due to expenses. One solution would be to raise the sand on one side of the tank to a higher level than the other side if you can.* Another option would be to use a storage container as your tank. They are cheaper than aquariums and they come in many different sizes, so if room is an issue, you can try something like that, and fill the substrate as high as you can. If you did not know, you can usually, depending on your location, buy playsand cheaply at your local hardware store. You do not need coconut fiber to get your humidity up to where it needs to be; I use all sand and I have some areas with moss on the surface.

*I converted the dimensions of your tank to inches, I understand your difficulty with raising the substrate. It is hard for me to determine the practicality of raising the side with the hut to 3-4 inches of sand and raising the other side, by maybe creating a slope, to about 6-7 inches. I think any higher and it may be too high for your tank, since the height is about 10 inches. Also that kit didn't include a lid, if you do not have one, that is probably why you are having difficulty with the humidity; it is not contained without one.

You can also check garage sales or something like Craigslist to find a tank for cheap.

As far as the rest of your conditions go, I wanted to address food and the salt mix. Many of us would advise against using the Variety Bites based on the fact that they use Red 40 and Yellow 5, as well as a preservative, Ethoxyquin, in the product. Ethoxyquin is said to be harmful to the crabs. Fresh seafood, or dried shrimp, blood worms, meal worms, plankton, etc. that only have those items in the ingredient list, as well as fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains are all good for them and should be offered. Many crabbers recommend organic items, whenever possible, to avoid pesticides; which, are/can be harmful to our crabs. Also, the Q-tips are great to use when you have an injured, or lethargic crab; for active crabs, you can just put the peanut butter or honey right in the dish or on another item in the dish.

As for the salt mix, I hear that it is safe for them, but lacks many of the essential elements of natural sea salt. A better choice would be found in the marine fish section. Instant Ocean is a popular choice but it is not the only one.

Also, please keep in mind, you do not have to get a crab larger than Hermiz; I really think that it is the lack of depth of the substrate that has caused her to attack your others, and if you do get a larger crab, you will need more substrate, and soon enough need more room for him or her as they will only get bigger.

Better size tank but definitely get that sub up. That is # 1 importance.

Personally, I would take out that big center thing and put in more natural climbing stuff, like sticks or driftwood. Maybe some greenery also.

This is what I feed: Honey nut cheerios, pulverized, honey, Apple core, carrot pieces, wheat germ, freeze dried meal worms, fresh coconut pieces, various fruit, sometimes leftover unseasoned meat from dinner....the possibilities are endless. I don't know about seeds. Does not sound like anything they would like.

Check out tank pics in the picture thread of the forum for ideas for your tank. But you have made the first step to improvements!

Just here to quickly say that those tree thing won't last, they will either rot or mould. Better to take it out, a complete waste of money - if you bought it separately.
Otherwise the tank looks rather good, a bit more substrate. What substrate are you using, it looks very colourful and glittery?

I never had experience with the krabooz dishes, are they deep enough for a crab to submerge in?

Hey all,

I was a bit iffy about the tree too. It won't last long but I'll keep it for now until I can find a good replacement. Keeping an eye to make sure it does not get moldy either.

hermieluv1 - thanks for the feeding tips and tank set up tips! Will look into those!

aussieJJDude - the dishes are nice and deep. Seem good to use. Silicon and washable in hot water.
Sand I am using is as below:
http://www.petbarn.com.au/reptile/repti ... 1-5kg.html
They have never had the natural color, or any other type of sand, but I make sure to bake all my sand before I put it in the tank. It's a mix of green and purple so I can spot clean easily. I have considered getting sand from a beach but....don't know. Have you done that?

smeegal wrote:aussieJJDude - the dishes are nice and deep. Seem good to use. Silicon and washable in hot water.
Sand I am using is as below:
http://www.petbarn.com.au/reptile/repti ... 1-5kg.html
They have never had the natural color, or any other type of sand, but I make sure to bake all my sand before I put it in the tank. It's a mix of green and purple so I can spot clean easily. I have considered getting sand from a beach but....don't know. Have you done that?

OK then, if they can easily get the water into their shells they should be fine.
However that sand... Personally I wouldn't trust it, most things catered to hermit crabs are more of a negative factor than a positive. I believe that play sand - like what can be found in bunnings - should be used as it closely mimics nature and has low chances of artificial dyes and chemicals being used. Plus play sand from bunnings is pretty cheap - off memory, it is $10 per bag that can cover a 2 foot tank to a depth of 3 inches or so. I have used sand from a beach, when looking for beach sand look for an unpolluted - eg, a beach that many wouldn't come across daily. Then when getting the sand, use the sand from the high tide mark. Many people advocate cleaning the sand - washing and drying it - but personally I think my guys enjoy the sand straight from the beach - just sealed in an airtight container to kill most bugs.

Oh, in some places in aus it is illegal to take anything from the beach, so check before taking to be sure that your staying on the good side of the law.