HCA: Hermit Crab Association

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
Mix of play sand & coco fiber (5:1 ratio); 6-7" deep

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?
digital gauges, located on wall of tank about halfway between substrate and top - reading between 75-82F (depending on day or night light) and around 90% humidity

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
hood heat lamp day/night bulbs and UTH along one wall of tank (half width of long side)

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)?
fresh water (from home decholrinated/RO filter) and Instant Ocean salt water mixed per instructions on box

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
variety of protein and mixed foods from Hermit Crab Patch and occasional fresh fruit/veggies

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
PP - have had her since August

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
1 successful molt approx 2 months ago

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
20 gallon aquarium with solid plastic lid with air holes drilled

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
currently 7 small-medium crabs (3 are currently underground molting) - (50gallon tank is currently being set up to move them into as I know they are getting overcrowded)

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
4-5 extra shells at all times, boiled and rotated every few weeks

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
no

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
every 3-4 weeks poops and food debris is scooped out and walls are wiped down with damp (water) paper towel

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
no sponges

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
last addition was 1 new crab about 4 weeks ago

15. 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.)?
no bathing, not too much playtime as they have all recently molted and have super sharp leg tips (ouch), mostly they just hang out with each other and we watch them do their thing

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
This morning when I came to flip on daylight in the tank, I saw that one of my crabs was naked and dead in one of the water bowls (not sure if it was the fresh or salt water). She had abandoned her shell on the other side of the tank. There was no sign of injury, all legs and everything was intact. No one else had claimed her shell and none of the other crabs were nearby. There are currently only 3 others above ground, the rest are molting. The smallest one is still very active but the other 2 bigger guys have been hunkered down for the past couple days behind a log and aren't moving around too much, but are clearly still alive and seem fine otherwise. There doesn't appear to be any mold, mites, or anything else unusual going on in the tank. I can hear a couple of the underground crabs scratching around, so I think they are doing ok. Any idea what could cause this and is there anything I should do to protect the other guys in there? We are in the process of setting up a 50gal tank to move them into as they are definitely tight on space in the 20gal now.Thanks!

Oh no:( I'm so sorry for your loss! I am guessing it may have been either PPS (post purchase syndrome), stress from overcrowding, or a possible shell fight? I'm thinking more PPS than the other. Experienced crabbers, please chime in and correct me if I'm wrong. I mentioned possible shell fight because in the tank you currently have more crabs than shells. Typically you want to aim for about 4-5 shells of appropriate sizes per crab. Your set up, besides being tight for all the crabs, otherwise sounds stable with good heat and humidity. With you making up ur new tank, I would aim for the sub to be at least 12-13 inches deep - more room for digging and molting for all the crabs. I'm not familiar with aquarium stuff so I'm not sure about the RO filter - I will leave that to the more experienced crabbers. And the IO for the MSW is good as well. Again, I'm so sorry for your loss!


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I'm really sorry to hear about your crabby. I know I told you that earlier. It is really late here, but I don't want to leave you hanging. A few things. Substrate - You have the minimum depth, but which is deeper, what you have or 3 times the depth of your largest crab? With you having 7 crabbies in a 20 gallon you are definitely crowded, which I know you are working on, but that doesn't really help current stress level of what's going on in your tank currently, especially with adding a new crab 4 weeks ago. Already overcrowded, and then another crab changes the pecking order so to speak. (Tank dynamics change up a bit). HCA recommends 3-5 shells per crab. I recommend more. There are good and bad shells to buy. Here is the shell guide: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 24&t=92552 Your RO system is fine As far as foods - are you feeding things on the safe food list, and are they 100% organic? Hermits are sensitive to pesticides and fertilizers. Here is the safe food list: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92557 Here is the unsafe list: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92556 Are you providing a lot of calcium e.g.: eggshells, cuttlebone, coral, oyster shell, sea urchin Protien e.g. crickets, mealworms, shirmp, krill, grasshoppers.
If all of those things are addressed, then I would say PPS (Post Purchase Syndrome) could be a factor. It is always a factor until the first or second molt has passed. They go through a lot to get to your home. I'm sorry. I hope that I was able to help you.

Thanks for the replies! We've definitely got some overcrowding issues bc I ended up helping people out and taking crabs that they couldn't care for any longer. Hopefully they'll all be happier and healthier in the new tank soon! Carla, who we just lost, came from horrible conditions at a beach-front store so even though she was doing well with us for a while, maybe there was just lingering effects from that. Fingers crossed that everyone else will be ok until we can make the transition to the new tank this weekend.

Yw, good luck!

I know I'm a bit late, but I will second getting more shells. It is likely this was shell related aggression. A great place to get cheap shells is joannes. They sell bags of green turbos, and you can often find coupons online to make them even cheaper!

Michaels, Hobby Lobby also have shells. They all accept each other's coupons also a couple of them have smartphone apps


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I have a shell shop in each end of my 55g, just in case. In this instance my "shop" is made of a clear plastic tupperwear from walmart. Just make sure if you make one they can get in and out of it.

Sorry about your small friends. :C