HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I've seen these great E's at the pet store, but I'm scared to buy then. I have a good cage, my current hermit crab won't bother them, but I've heard that E's can be kind of mean. I had good luck with my past E's but I'm scared that if I buy new ones that they'll be vicious. What should I do?

It seems that the jury is still out on Es: some folks have had no trouble adding them to colonies with other species but other people have had dreadful experiences with Es attacking and even killing other crabs. Bear in mind that Es are hyperactive (always tunneling, climbing and dashing around) and therefore need a lot of space and very deep substrate. I believe the recommendation is at least a 40g for Es.

Assuming your tank conditions are good and appropriate for E's, technically you shouldn't have a problem, but it seems like even some veteran crabbers have had trouble with them. Personally, I don't think I'll ever own them because I don't want to risk any issues in my happy PP colony, but it's just one of those things that you can't know what will happen unless you try it. I think some of it just comes down to luck.

I actually have about a 15 gal. I might not get them, but lucky does need a friend. I think he's been depressed since charm died.

I had the worst luck with E's. But even I will say that it's completely dependant on the individual crab and it's not a reason to be afraid of them. If you really want Es, just be prepared for what could possibly happen to your current crabs, and have a plan in place in case they do turn out to be trouble.

I will say that I don't think a 15 gallon is big enough for them. They are digging machines even when they're good ones! I would never recommend anything smaller than a 30 gallon (three foot long) tank, even for small guys. They're just too active.

Alright, I only have one crab and about six inches of substrate.

Is your current crab a PP? I would go ahead and just get another PP, if that's the case, since that sounds like it may work better with your tank size. Plus your current crab will appreciate a species buddy

Yeah where do they usually have PP's? I've only seen E's

Do you have a Petco and/or Petsmart? I only ever see PPs are mine, so maybe it just depends on where you live. You could also check Craigslist and see if any crabs are up for adoption.