HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hey guys so wild story, my younger brother had hermit crabs six months ago and one died and one randomly disappeared. Out of the blue my mom just called me and the neighbors found the hermie in their garden so my mom is bringing it to my house because I can properly care for them. I’m going to put him in a 10 gallon isolation tank but I was wondering what else to do to insure he’ll be healthy and happy. Also, how long should I put him in his isolation tank? Thank you!


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Is the crab indeed wild? In other words, are they wild where you live? If so, it should stay in the wild.

GotButterflies wrote:Is the crab indeed wild? In other words, are they wild where you live? If so, it should stay in the wild.

No I live in Texas. It’s much too hot and dry for them. My guess is it molted and now it’s back up. It’s a female purple pinger and she seems to be adjusting well. She’s destressing underground but this morning when I checked in her, the cage had definitely been rummaged around


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Slowly, gradually increase the environment to ideal while the crab is in isolation. Check for mites as well! I find it strange that this crab survived so long without a proper environment! Maybe it lived in a moist pocket for humidity? I haven't heard of anything like this before..

5 PPs: Koa, Moja, Siam, Chella, and Ozark.

mxxlane wrote:

GotButterflies wrote:Is the crab indeed wild? In other words, are they wild where you live? If so, it should stay in the wild.

No I live in Texas. It’s much too hot and dry for them. My guess is it molted and now it’s back up. It’s a female purple pinger and she seems to be adjusting well. She’s destressing underground but this morning when I checked in her, the cage had definitely been rummaged around


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The average daily humidity in NTX is between 65 and 79% so really not too hot and dry unless it's in the high 90's and up, but they'd burrow underground when that happens. Most of Texas is pretty humid.

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soilentgringa wrote:

mxxlane wrote:

GotButterflies wrote:Is the crab indeed wild? In other words, are they wild where you live? If so, it should stay in the wild.

No I live in Texas. It’s much too hot and dry for them. My guess is it molted and now it’s back up. It’s a female purple pinger and she seems to be adjusting well. She’s destressing underground but this morning when I checked in her, the cage had definitely been rummaged around


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The average daily humidity in NTX is between 65 and 79% so really not too hot and dry unless it's in the high 90's and up, but they'd burrow underground when that happens. Most of Texas is pretty humid.

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Oh! See, when they said hot and dry, I immediately imagined at least 90°F, and humidity below 50% But I guess those conditions are livable. Would bugs and mites be a problem? Would any foreign bugs in the shell try and pick at the crab's abdomen?

5 PPs: Koa, Moja, Siam, Chella, and Ozark.

The only location for land hermit crabs in the United States is the very Southern part of Florida. There is anecdotal evidence that they may be native to the Southernish coastlines of the main landmass, but officially they have only been recorded in the Florida Keys. There are no land hermits native to Texas, what you found is definately a released pet.

wodesorel wrote:The only location for land hermit crabs in the United States is the very Southern part of Florida. There is anecdotal evidence that they may be native to the Southernish coastlines of the main landmass, but officially they have only been recorded in the Florida Keys. There are no land hermits native to Texas, what you found is definately a released pet.

I know it’s a released pet. I definitely wasn’t being literal with it being wild. It was my brothers old crab that he had lost months prior, same shell and everything.


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