New Crab owner! Would love tips! :)

[CryotheCrab]

Hello all! I am a new crab owner and I want my babies to live a happy, healthy and long life, so I'm looking for tips and criticism.

First off, I have two. Nani: http://pre08.deviantart.net/81f2/th/pre ... 8mh7m8.jpg
And Mole: http://pre02.deviantart.net/f2f2/th/pre ... 8mh7mm.jpg

Nani is very friendly and I have been able to sex her. Mole is a bit of a recluse and hasn't come out far enough for me to see anything, so he/she is unsexed. I got two because I know they're social and like company.

Here is their habitat: http://img01.deviantart.net/5ce6/i/2015 ... 8mh8i9.jpg http://img10.deviantart.net/00f9/i/2015 ... 8mh8hq.jpg

The large bowl has salted filtered water, and the small one fresh filtered water. They get fresh fruit(bananas, apples, strawberries, occasionally carrots) every day, and I was thinking of mixing it up with something like walnuts or cooked beef/chicken once in a while(if so, what type do you recommend for that? I know processed meats are bad as is anything raw). Or what about things like lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers?

The substrate is plenty deep to dig in and is coconut fiber for the most part, with some pebbles on the side with the coconut hut. I mist it with salt water daily to keep it nice and moist. What do you think of the habitat? Is is adequate? What can I do to improve it? Please let me know, I'd love to hear from experienced owners!

[megmaholm]

Welcome!! If you haven't already, I strongly suggest checking out our caresheet - http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 51&t=92457

What kind of setup are your crabs in? It's hard to tell, but it doesn't look like an aquarium. Generally we recommend a minimum of a 10 gallon aquarium with 6" of substrate (sand and coconut fiber mixed to sandcastle consistency).

Crabs by nature are scavengers, and need a wide variety of foods and plenty of protein. Raw meats are actually safe, but depending on your crabs they may prefer cooked. The important thing is to just avoid seasonings. We have a safe food list (http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92557) and a guide to nutrition (http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92554)

I can't tell how deep your water dishes are, but they both need to be deep enough for your crabbies to submerge in and swap out their shell water. And just to check - is your saltwater made with a marine grade mix like Instant Ocean? It'll provide all the necessary minerals, etc. they need.

Do you have gauges in your tank for temp/humidity? They're pretty important, because crabs need temps and humidity of 80/80.

You may want to add a few more shells for them to choose from. Both of your crabs look like Purple Pinchers (PPs) and love shells with round openings like turbos.

I would switch to misting with dechlorinated fresh water, not saltwater. The salt won't evaporate and over time can build up and cause burns to you and the crabs.

I don't want to overwhelm you, so feel free to ask any questions on stuff I may not have covered, and definitely check out all our resources! They're full of so much valuable info.

[CryotheCrab]

Hi there!

You're right, it isn't an aquarium, it's actually a faunarium originally used for a tarantula. The dimensions are 18 x 11.6 x 5.9 inches(I'm not sure how much that would be in gallons?)

The water dishes are pretty shallow and I doubt the big one could fully submerge herself. The small one(Mole) definitely could, but I added rocks to the bottom of the big dish because I was told they could drown if they were too deep, which definitely seems like a possibility for the small one

The saltwater was actually made with table salt. Is that no good? I guess I didn't give that much thought to the specifics of "salt water". After doing a bit of research table salt may be bad I will switch it out asap though! Can instant ocean usually be bought at a local pet store?

The temperature is about 70, which is the temperature of the room they're in since the habitat doesn't have a heater. I will need to buy a humidity gauge though.

The pet store was pretty slim pickings for shells, so I'm on the hunt for more. Nani doesn't really have many options(well, 1) but I'm trying to get more her size.

I feel like I'm already doing so many things wrong XD But I am trying my best to improve, so yell at me if you have to! I want to do everything right.

[megmaholm]

I would try upgrading to 10 gallon aquarium or so - that size you have won't be deep enough to have enough substrate and climbing room. You can usually get good deals on Craigslist!

Your dishes can be deep as long as you have a way in and out for the crabs - needlepoint canvas, a fake plant, etc. Some crabbers run large filtered pools in their tanks and the crabs love it. A cheap way to make pools is to use Tupperware containers.

Table salt is something to avoid because of the iodine. Instant Ocean can be bought at places like Petco or Petsmart, in the fish section. A box that makes 10 gallons is usually around $9. A lot of us buy a 1 gallon jug of water from the grocery store, dechlorinate it and add Instant Ocean, and then refill it as needed.

You can find shells in craft stores, but I've had the best luck shopping online. We have a list of shopping resources if that helps: http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/pa ... pping.html

70 is really too cold for them. If it goes below it, it can kill them. 78-80 is much better for them, or even up to 85. I'm not really sure of how to safely warm a plastic container - a heat bulb or under tank heater might be too much. More motivation to upgrade to an aquarium, I guess!

I won't yell at you, I promise! The important thing is you found us and you're willing to listen and make improvements

[CryotheCrab]

Looks like the nearby Petsmart should have a 10-gal tank for about $13, which sounds pretty good to me. I'll stop by tomorrow and pick one up along with some salt

What would you recommend for heating? I have a lamp I used to use for my mantis that works just as well as a heat lamp, and it kept him very warm and active. Or is something a little more controlled better?

For water I've been using filtered water from the kitchen sink(it's built into the sink, is separate from the tap, and is supposed to filter out all the metals and chlorine). That's okay, right?

The water dish should be deep enough for them to be totally underwater, right? I will work on that..

Tomorrow evening I'll post pictures of the new habitat and I hope you can give my tips on whether or not the new one is better! Thanks for all your help

[CryotheCrab]

Oh and if I did use a heat lamp, I don't think it would be very good because they're nocturnal animals, it would keep them up, and the temperature would have to go down at night.

So, what's the best option, heating-wise?(assuming I'm getting that 10-gallon glass tank)

[KellyCrabbieLove]

I just want to welcome you to the HCA.

[megmaholm]

Oh and if I did use a heat lamp, I don't think it would be very good because they're nocturnal animals, it would keep them up, and the temperature would have to go down at night.

So, what's the best option, heating-wise?(assuming I'm getting that 10-gallon glass tank)

You can get heat bulbs that are infrared or moonlight; they're safe to leave on 24/7. I personally use a moonlight bulb in both of my tanks.

A lot of us use undertank heaters (UTHs). The general recommended brand is Ultratherm (http://www.reptilebasics.com/ultratherm-heat-pads) - cheaper and more reliable than pet store brands. You would want one that covers the back of your tank above the substrate line - so a 10 gallon is 20" long and 12" high; with 6" of substrate you would probably want the 6 x 11". If insulated, that by itself may be enough to keep your tank at a steady 80. If not, you could supplement with a heat bulb.

[CryotheCrab]

I just want to welcome you to the HCA.

Thanks!

One more question before I go back to the store, should I get more hermit crabs? Is 2 enough for one tank or do they like bigger groups? I see a lot of people with so many more than I have

[megmaholm]

It depends on your tank and crab size. If you have a 10 gallon, I would say 3 small crabs at the absolute max. If you have larger crabs, they need a larger tank. Having 2 is fine. Most of us just have more because inevitably we get addicted and get larger tanks and more crabs

[CryotheCrab]

Hi everyone!

So unfortunately I won't be able to get a large tank for a little while longer, so I'm going to have to make do with the one I have. It's a combination of money and family issues

Anyways, the things I was able to get are what I thought were the most important. I got a ceramic heating lamp and some instant ocean. I switched to misting daily with filtered fresh water and removed the pebbles from the dish, now it's deep enough for the large one to submerge herself and there is still a way for the small one to crawl out easily. I swapped out the table-salt water in the dish for the instant ocean mix.

It's nice and balmy in there now thanks to the lamp, but they can still move away and dig if it gets too warm for their liking.

Things I still need to get; Thermometer+Hydrometer, 10-gal tank+cover, sand substrate

Like I said though, I have to hold off on those for a while >< You think they'll be okay until then? It may be a month or so before I'll have a bigger home for them