Newbie - little overwhelmed

[Surrender]

Hi,
New crab owner. Initially got them for my 15yr old because she has always wanted them - but she quickly lost interest and now I'm hooked! So fascinated by my new little friends, but overwhelmed by all the info out there!

We have 7 PPs (I think...) - Solo, Beckham, America, Italia, Emoji, Stripes, and Tiger. Made some changes for the better - changed the gravel that they came home in to sand/coconut soil substrate mix, and switched to a 20 gallon tank. Climbing branches, and extra "natural shells" so they could switch out of the painted ones they came home in. 4 crabs switched out within the first hour! I think 3 are molting so I put them each in their own ISO... Will need to read more on this forum about how to best care for them. Two water dishes, one FW the other SW. But for starters a couple of questions on water...

1. I've been using a soaking salt mix I got from Petsmart - but it sounds like Instant Ocean is better? Just haven't found it yet.
2. Do I need to treat the fresh water? Currently using Aquafina but not adding anything to it.

Thanks! One day at a time Will try and post pics - tips on how to do that using an iPad?

[soilentgringa]

Hi and welcome to HCA! Check out our care guides and feel free to ask any additional questions.
If you are using Tapatalk, you can tap the little up carrot symbol in the circle to the left of the text field and it should bring up the icons. Hit the camera and choose from gallery or take photos.

7 PP in a 20 gallon is a bit overcrowded so you may want to take advantage of Petco's dollar per gallon sale running right now or Craigslist for deals. They can grow rapidly in good conditions, most of mine have increased about 25%-50% in size in the last year.
They need a marine grade salt and yes, Instant Ocean is probably what most of us use; it is affordable and the closest thing to ocean water they would get. Pick up a bottle of Seachem Prime or another treatment that removes chlorine and ammonia. There are lists linked in the care guides of safe brands. You can treat numerous gallons and a bottle will last forever. It's a few hours past my bedtime so I will link the care guides and I know others will be along to welcome you to HCA as well, so welcome! And yes, they are addicting!
viewtopic.php?t=92457

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[soilentgringa]

Oh hey and molters don't need to be ISO'd unless they are having a surface molt. It's best to leave them to bury themselves under the substrate and do their thing naturally. Surface molts are treated as an emergency situation as they aren't the norm and are very hard on the crabs. The hormones that regulate the molting process work best in the dark.

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[CallaLily]

I think Soilentgringa covered all your questions so I just wanted to say welcome! Definitely check out the Caresheets, Guides, and FAQ section. There is a lot of really great info there that is worth reading through. Let us know if you have anymore questions.

[Surrender]

Thanks for all the feedback! I will definitely continue reading all the great info in the care sheets,

[Crabinski]

Welcome, Surrender and crabbie crew ! So glad to hear you're already hooked on the little guys.

As always, soilentgringa gives great advice so I don't have much to add except to second finding a larger (40 or 55g) tank soon...you'll be amazed at how quickly they can grow when they have good conditions for molting. The only other thing is do not waste your money on commercial hermit crab foods, i.e., pellets or flakes: in most cases, the packaging is probably more nutritious and safer for them than the contents. Hermit crabs can eat most foods that we eat (no spices or sauces, of course) so you'll be able to feed them very well from your own pantry and 'fridge. Eggs, veggies, fruit, nuts, raw or cooked poultry/meat/seafood are all healthy and yummy for the crabs. If you want to make your own dry mix to use for 24/7 feeding, I can give you my cheapo, nutritious and tasty recipe...just let me know.

[Surrender]

Welcome, Surrender and crabbie crew ! So glad to hear you're already hooked on the little guys.

As always, soilentgringa gives great advice so I don't have much to add except to second finding a larger (40 or 55g) tank soon...you'll be amazed at how quickly they can grow when they have good conditions for molting. The only other thing is do not waste your money on commercial hermit crab foods, i.e., pellets or flakes: in most cases, the packaging is probably more nutritious and safer for them than the contents. Hermit crabs can eat most foods that we eat (no spices or sauces, of course) so you'll be able to feed them very well from your own pantry and 'fridge. Eggs, veggies, fruit, nuts, raw or cooked poultry/meat/seafood are all healthy and yummy for the crabs. If you want to make your own dry mix to use for 24/7 feeding, I can give you my cheapo, nutritious and tasty recipe...just let me know.

Will definitely be getting a larger tank soon! Thanks for the advice on commercial foods - was reading ingredients today and you're right about wanting to stick to my own pantry. However, I also work long hours and would love for you to share your 24/7 dry mix with me when you have a chance. Thanks again!