New to the game, but not new to loving crabs!

[TheRedRoses]

We just finished the main set up, but still have a few things we want to add or change. Currently it is a 40 long. We are now sharing our home, more like a zoo, with seven purple pinchers! Their personalities have been so fun! All but one has changed their shell at least once. Our very out going guy has flashed us a couple of times while trying on different shells. We are hoping to add a ten gallon on top
to increase climbing space!

[GotButterflies]

Hello and welcome to the HCA!

Your tank looks amazing, although I must warn you it is not a good set up for the crabs. Please let me explain. First of all, crabs need molting space. With 7 crabs, molting space is crucial. With this set up, you cut the molting space by way too much. Lack of molting space can lead to crabs running into one another while molting which can lead to cannibalism. Secondly, because molting space is so imperative to the crabs, the way you have the water like that, that leads to flooding. When the crabs dig down, they will drown/and or get stuck. Especially if they have freshly molted and are too weak to climb away from the water. Thirdly, crabs need to be able to fully submerge in the dechlorinated fresh water and fully submerge in the dechlorinated marine salt water. That's my two cents. I'll keep my change. I know this isn't the best way to start off with someone, but we are here to help one another - and we are here for the crabs after all

[TheRedRoses]

Hi GotButterflies! I was wondering if you could clarify some of the points you made. I know the freshwater should be deeper and we are working on that. However, the saltwater pool is in an inclosed container so we thought that should cut out any chance of flooding. Is there a better set up that is recommended? As for molting the lower level is over three inches and the high level is just under six inches. We are going to increase the depth of the lower level to make the ramp easier for the crabs. We haven't had any experiences with molting yet, but currently they all are spread out. Is there something different you would recommend?

[Hermias_mom]

So, I'm not trying to butt into anyone's conversation. Really hoping GB can get back to you soon

In the meantime, here are links to our care guides, and bottom-most is a link to GB's crabitat. I'm a new crabber myself (just a few months), and had the world's own trouble trying to understand what my crabs needed and why. When I saw GotButterflies setups, it really helped me figure out what things were possible. Talking with her and other crabbers that had kept their crabs alive for 10+ years, I started to learn what the crabs prefer, and what things work best when I'm going after a certain result. There's lots of good info here on the forum about why we do things, as well as general recommendations about what things work best. I'll include a link to a few of the care sheets and guidelines - it's a lot of reading, so if you have any questions, or pressing issues, please do ask/post. I know sometimes it can be a challenge adapting an idea to your space, equipment on hand, and desired setup, but we are here to help. The locked topics at the top of the page usually contain the general guidance from experienced crabbers of the forum.

Care guidelines:
Basic Crab Care for all Species: http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 51&t=92457
Additional Guidelines for your individual species of crab can be found here: http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... m.php?f=51
Crabitat conditions: http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... m.php?f=26
Food & Water: http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... m.php?f=25
Molting: http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 23&t=92527
Shells: http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 24&t=92552

GB's setup (good for getting some great ideas):
http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 6&t=113242

[TheRedRoses]

Hi Hermias_mom! Thanks for the the reply and resources I'll continue improving my set up and all this advice is really helping.

[Hermias_mom]

Oh, good, glad to hear that!!! Trying to translate the guidance from the care sheets into a good crabitat setup can be a bit like drinking from a firehose sometimes, but that's the benefit of a live forum, you can ask folks questions. I think most of us on here have been overwhelmed at one point or another, so if you feel that way a bit once you start reading, you're not alone. I didn't have any experience with caring for non-mammal creatures, so most of it was new to me starting out - I definitely felt overwhelmed at first, but it got better.

One thing that really surprised me when I first started was how much space they needed to have. I got a 10 gallon starting out, thinking that would be plenty of space, but after I put 6" of substrate in it (I only have small/medium crabs - bigger crabs or crabs other than Purple Pinchers need deeper substrate, and there's a size chart here on the forum so you can measure your crabs), I only had ~5" of visible glass left above the sub - my tat was half full of substrate! I have purple pinchers (PPs) or carribbean land hermit crabs, the most common type they sell here in the US, and they are known as tree crabs, because in the wild they climb trees, like really high! Who knew?? So after I learned how much they like to climb and move around and run on modified hampster wheels (in the wild they walk around all night) I realized I wanted a taller crabitat to try and give them more climbing room and stuff to do when they're not digging or buried in the sand.

A few useful things to note when you are reading about crabitat setup - it's really important to know the type and sizes of your crabs. For instance, each crab needs 5 gallons of space (for small/medium crabs), but large crabs need more (7 gal+ I think), and jumbo crabs need at least 15 gallons of space each, and a minimum of 75 gallon tank (the width is important). Crabs can double in size in a year. Some grow fast, some grow slow, but it surprised me how big they can get so quickly in optimal conditions. A small/medium crab needs at least 6" of substrate, or three times the size of your biggest crab, whichever is deeper, and substrate composition and moisture level are important for successful molting. If you have Ecuadorian crabs, experienced crabbers I know recommend at least 10-12" of substrate as a minimum for these crabs, because E's are known to try and dig up/try to eat molters - a deep substrate and good diet helps prevent this. Also, having at least 5 spare shells per crab of the proper type and size can help prevent shell fights and agression. Just some random thoughts I found helpful when developing a good crabitat myself.

Happy crabbing!!! Have fun!!!