new to hermit crabs.

[JJmo18]

Hello im new to taking care of hermit crabs and i need some help getting started. is there anyone that could help me with a new purple pincher?

[CallaLily]

Welcome to the HCA! What can we help you with? Always happy to help. You should also check out our Caresheet section found here: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 555915d620, if you haven't already.

[JJmo18]

is a cardboard shoe box a good temporary solution until i can buy an aquarium? im not sure what i should get him. also how do i handle him?

[Ryry]

I would use a tuppawear container or storage bin. U need something that can hold a few inches of sand and can take a lot of moisture. Shoe box is a bad idea. It would soak up all the water and fall apart. If you use a bin you can also keep the lid on it to hold in heat and humidity. Just be sure to poke some holes in the top for airflow.
These little guys need heat and a lot of humidity so you are going to want to invest in a temp/ humidity gage. If you follow the link that callalily posted above it will give you a lot more specifics on what they need. You might want to wait on getting a crab until you have a few basic things- unless you already have one lol. In that case try to get them the proper stuff fairly quickly!
Good luck!!

[Brittanybaby22]

http://youtu.be/SUR6PTj94Jo

[JJmo18]

i lined the bottom of the box with aluminum foil and have a makeshift lid out of several layers of saran wrap.

[Hermit-Yote]

I made a temporary tank using a tupperware. I poked a small hole in the top, for air, but not big enough to let him or the moister out. I added coconut fiber and moistened that. The tupperware I chose was opaque, to limit the amount of stress the little guy was exposed to.
How long before you can get a proper tank? Where did the crab you have come from?

[JJmo18]

it will either be this week or next week before I can get a proper tank. what size should be a minimum? a 2.5 gallon, 5 gallon, or a 10 gallon? also I got this crab from my local mall.

[Brittanybaby22]

Everyone says a five gallon is to small so they tell me to get a ten gallon its big enough for all the things he needs and more room for him to move around

[JJmo18]

how big should the tank be if I plan on having two crabs in the same tank?

[CallaLily]

Bigger is better in this case. Two small crabs can fit in a 10 gallon but you will eventually need to upgrade as they grow. Small crabs can grow very quickly so if you can pick up something bigger now, it'll save you some hassle later.

[aussieJJDude]

If the cost is the issue maybe look into storage bins or totes as a crabitat. Off memory they come in sizes from 20g to 55g which is the perfect size to get started & they super cheap (at most $20 dollars each). Plus they come with an awesome lid which is hermit proof, however the only downside is that totes will need some mods eg: holes so they can breathe! And once you become hooked (which is 99% of the cases) you can "expand" without spending that much money!

like Calla said, bigger is better & your hermies will thank you for it!

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BTW, it better to resist getting the crabs until you have a tank properly set up. I can understand your excitement (I too had to wait, quite a while actually) however for the crabs, it be better to have a great tank from get go. Moving them around only increases stress which could lead to more problems. Another thing worth mentioning is that hermit crabs often arrive in bad shape from the stores, it's common that they moult as soon as they hit the sand so having them in the proper tank will ease some of the stress IMO.

[Hermit-Yote]

Bigger is best for sure, minimum 10g for one crab, but you never want to keep a crab alone soooo... I would start with the biggest you can afford and move on from there. I started with a 10g and now I have a 55g. I wish I had just saved money and started with the 55g instead of buying a 20g etc! X3

[JJmo18]

one more question..... what would you recommend me put in his tank to play with?

[CallaLily]

Cork round or bark, mopani wood, cholla, driftwood, fake plants, coral, sea fans, aquarium or reptile decorations....anything crabbie safe that they could climb.