HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi there!!!
I am new to the HCA! I will soon be getting some hermit crabs!
I have a 20-gallon long tank without a lid, and I will be using that to house a few (maybe 2-3) Purple Pincher hermit crabs.
I will most likely be purchasing a mesh lid from Petsmart, and tampering with it so that it will hold in humidity. I will be using Coconut Fiber (Eco Earth) as the substrate. I'm actually going to try to own them on a budget which will be hard. I have a few questions:
1. How many hermit crabs can I keep in a 20-gallon long tank? (and what sizes)
2. Can I use only Eco Earth as the main substrate without sand?
3. Any tips on owning these? I've researched a bunch and if you have tips please let me know!

I think that's it...

Thanks for reading my post!

Hi!
glad you decided to make a post!
here this should help you with your first question
http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 51#p836451
and yes you can only use eco earth i do that and it works fine
and when you first put it in your tank a recommend dumping some treated water in as well and mix it good with your hands to give it a good we start
also if you are going to use a mesh lid you can use plastic wrap on top or cover the top with soaked paper towels (which is what i do)
also just be sure you read all the care guides on here carefully and dont be afraid to ask more questions!

Hi! Welcome to HCA! Hermit crabs have modified gills so they need humidity to breath and without a lid that holds in humidity they may/will die very quickly! So you mention you are trying to save money and a great way to save money is to collect sticks from outside then sanitize them but remember to make sure that they are hermit crab safe. I have a hermit crab youtube channel and have a video with 10 tip for happy hermit crabs, check it out here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0YHkBNE_BQ
to your question about eco earth you can but the substrate is much firmer and better for molting with playsand.
happy crabbing!

crabs_lex wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 28, 2020 12:57 pm

Hi!
glad you decided to make a post!
here this should help you with your first question
http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 51#p836451
and yes you can only use eco earth i do that and it works fine
and when you first put it in your tank a recommend dumping some treated water in as well and mix it good with your hands to give it a good we start
also if you are going to use a mesh lid you can use plastic wrap on top or cover the top with soaked paper towels (which is what i do)
also just be sure you read all the care guides on here carefully and dont be afraid to ask more questions!

Ok Thanks so much!

HappyHermit0916 wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 28, 2020 1:08 pm

Hi! Welcome to HCA! Hermit crabs have modified gills so they need humidity to breath and without a lid that holds in humidity they may/will die very quickly! So you mention you are trying to save money and a great way to save money is to collect sticks from outside then sanitize them but remember to make sure that they are hermit crab safe. I have a hermit crab youtube channel and have a video with 10 tip for happy hermit crabs, check it out here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0YHkBNE_BQ
to your question about eco earth you can but the substrate is much firmer and better for molting with playsand.
happy crabbing!

Thank you! I will definitely be watching your videos!

Emlyx wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 28, 2020 2:06 pm

Thank you! I will definitely be watching your videos!

Thank you!