HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hello, I recently got some thin striped hermit crabs and am currently setting up a reef tank. Does anyone know if these crabs can live 100% submerged? I’ve seen them in people’s tanks but didn’t know if they needed to be on land occasionally. It’s tough finding a lot of care instructions for this species so any help is appreciated.

Hello! I don't think we have too many members that own marine hermit crabs. You might want to check some saltwater aquarium groups as well.

Yes, these need to be kept 100% submerged. They are not land crabs, even though they can be found above the water line in the wild scavenging for food. Extended periods (days) above water can cause lasting and sometimes permanent damage, even though they can survive for a few weeks on land in some cases. In aquariums, they are kept as fully marine.

As far as care, it is the same as other marine hermits, although temperature should try to match where they were collected from.

Thanks for the help. I’ve got a 14 gallon reef tank coming Monday and have them is sand substrate and salt water until then.