HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi all. I'm new here, my daughter brought home this weird looking hermit crab a week ago and I don't know what it is. We've kept a purple pincher before but this doesn't look like it. We're going to take care of this little guy the right way this time. I was wondering if you kind folks would know what kind of crab he is so I can look at the proper care guide on here. I have a 20 gal tank with a heat pad and thermostat. I have a humidity and temp gauge and they both read 80. He's got 6 inches of play sand and Eco Earth in a 5-1 ratio. He's got both dechlorinated fresh and salt water bowls and I've been feeding him fruit, vegetables, peanut butter, and honey. I just need to know the type of crab so I know specifically what to do.





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From what I can tell, that's still a PP. They can vary a lot in color.

*H the CVT*

mynameisH wrote:From what I can tell, that's still a PP. They can vary a lot in color.

*H the CVT*

Okay, thank you very much =)
I couldn't really tell because it had no purple on its pincher at all. And the pincher was kinda small. I'm glad to know its a PP though.


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Yep, PP.

Definitely a PP and one in desperate need of a molt to regrow those missing leg tips so hopefully he'll dig down to do so soon. After a molt, you might be surprised at his coloring as he could come up lighter, darker and/or with obvious purple markings. PP coloring can vary widely -- one of my guys wavers between a deep maroon and mahogany while another is so pale he's almost white!

Crabinski wrote:Definitely a PP and one in desperate need of a molt to regrow those missing leg tips so hopefully he'll dig down to do so soon. After a molt, you might be surprised at his coloring as he could come up lighter, darker and/or with obvious purple markings. PP coloring can vary widely -- one of my guys wavers between a deep maroon and mahogany while another is so pale he's almost white!

Is your white one a pp? If so how do you know?

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KayedeeLove<3 wrote:

Crabinski wrote:Definitely a PP and one in desperate need of a molt to regrow those missing leg tips so hopefully he'll dig down to do so soon. After a molt, you might be surprised at his coloring as he could come up lighter, darker and/or with obvious purple markings. PP coloring can vary widely -- one of my guys wavers between a deep maroon and mahogany while another is so pale he's almost white!

Is your white one a pp? If so how do you know?

King Felix the Pale wasn't always whiteish. He started out as an ordinary PP salmon color 8 years ago and gradually got paler with each molt until, about 3 years ago, he was a gray/cream/white and has retained that coloring ever since.

Why do you think that is? If he were albino, which i initially assumed, wouldn't he have red eyes? No chance of him being an Aussie? Sorry he's just so unique!

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KayedeeLove<3 wrote:Why do you think that is? If he were albino, which i initially assumed, wouldn't he have red eyes? No chance of him being an Aussie? Sorry he's just so unique!

Reallly don't know but he's a weird guy in many ways . Just like many crabs will darken with age, he may be living a Benjamin Button-type of life, lightening up as he ages.

I know you have posted so many pics of him and allot of them were upon my request... But could you post a couple more?

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KayedeeLove<3 wrote:I know you have posted so many pics of him and allot of them were upon my request... But could you post a couple more?

I don't remember which ones I've posted previously and, as he's been underground for the past few months, I don't have any new ones of him but here are a few taken this past January-February.

King Felix the Pale (r) and Mr Pinch (l)


Doing his David Bowie "Pale Duke" impression


Mr Pinch (front), Charles Paris (middle), King Felix (rear)


This was taken last October after he'd just come up from a molt

I use tapa talk so i can't see the pics and cant find this thread online


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I'm soglad to hear of your whit hermie! I too have an extremely light colored pp. In fact he is very much shaped like yours. I would think he'd molt and come up darker but nope, same light color. If I can get a pic up I will just to compare, lol.