HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hey everyone, am new to this site, and have loads of hermit crab questions, hope you don't mind!
I live in Portland, OR and was referred to this site when I searched up online

First, just this week, I have been talked into hermit crabs, and really want to be an owner, but have no clue what to do.
So, bear with me with my questions, it's just that I am new and want to do everything right.
Here are my questions, I hope they aren't too crazy!

How many gallons does my tank need to be?
What kind of dirt do they need, or is sand a better choice?
How many can I get in my tank?
What water bowl do I need to get, I do know that they need a freshwater and a saltwater?
How do you suggest I set up a new tank?

Ok, that's all for now, I really need help!

AskCrabby wrote:Hey everyone, am new to this site, and have loads of hermit crab questions, hope you don't mind!
I live in Portland, OR and was referred to this site when I searched up online

First, just this week, I have been talked into hermit crabs, and really want to be an owner, but have no clue what to do.
So, bear with me with my questions, it's just that I am new and want to do everything right.
Here are my questions, I hope they aren't too crazy!

How many gallons does my tank need to be?
What kind of dirt do they need, or is sand a better choice?
How many can I get in my tank?
What water bowl do I need to get, I do know that they need a freshwater and a saltwater?
How do you suggest I set up a new tank?

Ok, that's all for now, I really need help!

Hi! Welcome! Your questions aren't crazy at all. Just responsible. First...take a deep breath. We've all been where you are now. Tank size? The bigger the better. You can find great deals on a used tank on the apps Letgo, Offerup. Craigslist. Hermit crabs will grow. Some faster than others. No way to know. It's recommended 5 gallons per small/med crab. But honestly, a 10 gallon just isn't big enough for everything they need. Substrate - at least 6 inches of playsand/eco earth mix. Or 3x the height of your largest crab. Whichever is deeper wins. The mix has to be mixed with either dechlorinated fresh water or salt water to sandcastle consistancy. If water drips when you squeeze a handful it's too wet. The best dechlor is Seachum Prime. And Instant Ocean added to dechlor water for saltwater. They need pools large enough so they can fully submerge. The tank needs to have a constant temp and humidity of 80/80. The humidity can be as high as 99%. So you need a sealed lid. If you have no lid or a mesh lid you can seal saran wrap with tape covering the whole lid. They won't suffocate. They also need to climb. They are called tree hermits too. They eat pretty much what you eat but should be organic when possible. On the left side of this site are links to care sheets and you will find the safe food and unsafe food lists. They need protein and calcium. Among other things. So you don't waste money the best heaters are Ultratherms and Flukers. Ultratherms can be purchased from beanfarm.com, reptilebasics, or amazon. You will need the size that covers the entire back of your tank. At the substrate line. I know this is overwhelming but once it's set up the upkeep is much easier and less not costly. Oh, and they need 3 extra shells per crab. And when they bury, never never dig them up. Unless there's a flood or a bacterial bloom. Both are rare. But beware...crabbing is addictive. Lol. And just keep asking questions.

Oh my, thanks for all the helpful information!

I actually have been looking around for tanks, but it turns out that my uncle has an old aquarium in his garage!
It seems to be in good condition, but really dirty, just have to clean it up.
So, it's measuring at 72 x 20 x 30 and it's really tall, so I don't how I will be able to get into it!

He said he kept some big fish in it a while back, but took it down just this year.

Okay, thanks again for all the helpful information!
I will get a heating pad for the tank, it may take quite a few to cover it.
Fortunately, I am a health advisor and deal a lot in the physical wellness area, so the organic dieting is no trouble for me!

So, thinking of going to a hardware store for playsand, so that'll be today's chore.
Anyways, here's my shopping list, which still needs brands, this will be a list of the items needed.

Playsand
Instant ocean
Humidity & temp gauge
Heating pads
Water bowls
Food dish
Decorations

Wow, there's a lot to know, but I think I will get the hang of this!
I am going to get my husband to help me gather all of the supplies, and then we can start the tank!

Hello! Welcome to the HCA!

Please check out the care guides under the forum link There is a lot of useful information there!

We are here for you if you have questions! Welcome to the addicting world of crabbing!

GotButterflies wrote:Hello! Welcome to the HCA!

Please check out the care guides under the forum link There is a lot of useful information there!

We are here for you if you have questions! Welcome to the addicting world of crabbing!

I will do that, thank you!

You are very welcome!

Okay, we picked up 650 pounds of playsand for the 180 gallon tank, that may be a bit much, but it'll come in handy sometime
I am going to be mixing it with some Instant Ocean as soon as I can get that ordered.
Decided to go with the ultratherm, they look great, plus the size is perfect for my long tank.

I want to hunt down something for them to climb on, tree branches maybe?
But for now, we'll focus on getting the heater, food and water items, decorations for climbing, and the mixing the sand.
I am getting excited, hope to find some hermit crabs!

AskCrabby wrote:Okay, we picked up 650 pounds of playsand for the 180 gallon tank, that may be a bit much, but it'll come in handy sometime
I am going to be mixing it with some Instant Ocean as soon as I can get that ordered.
Decided to go with the ultratherm, they look great, plus the size is perfect for my long tank.

I want to hunt down something for them to climb on, tree branches maybe?
But for now, we'll focus on getting the heater, food and water items, decorations for climbing, and the mixing the sand.
I am getting excited, hope to find some hermit crabs!

180 gal? I am so jealous. You can clean it with vinegar. Just rinse well. You can make second levels. They can climb on chola wood which can be found at Hobby Lobby. Don't forget a moss pit. I forgot to mention it before. If you use branches just make sure they are from trees on the safe list and pesticide free.

What a sweet tank!! If the tank has residue on it, IMO real lemons work best. You cut it in half, and use it as a scrubber, squeezing the juice on the hard water stains. Then rinse well.

As Hermiesguardian mentioned, trees that are from the safe list work great for climbing, but please remember the following: They need to be free from pesticides, fertilizers, and they should not spray for mosquitoes in your area.

Large pieces of cholla can be purchased off of Ebay or Etsy Make sure that those are also free from fertilizers, pesticides and chemicals.

Yes, a 180 gallon tank!
I have ordered everything that I mentioned on the list, once it arrives we can start decorating! Yay!

I would get Reflectix too. It's an insulator and you put it on the back of the tank, over the heating pads. I know I had a really tough time keeping the tank warm in the winter before I got that.