I’d like opinions on how I’m doing as a new crab caretaker

[Skyyzl]

So I got my crab on accident(I know) at a carnival but I knew right away that I was going to give this crab the best life I can. I did my research and oh god I didn’t expect things to be so complicated, but I accidentally signed up for this so. I’d like opinions on how I’m doing and if I should change anything. I have 1 hermit crab and he’s just a bit smaller than my palm, his name is speedy. My tank is 5 gallons with a mesh roof, heat stays in the 70’s and I use foil to keep the humidity in, so it stays around 80’s, highs of 91% at most. I mist usually twice a day. His substrate is eco earth, that’s about 4 and 1/2 inches deep and I have a coconut that he hides in with some other fake plants and a mini pagoda. His food is switched usually every two days(same as his water). Food changes(with the usual 3 different items being changed) and I usually don’t give him the same type of food twice in a row. Right now, he has a piece of carrot, chicken, and an orange slice. He has salt and freshwater, 3 shells, I use a heat pad(planning on getting a second because heat has been unusually low lately). I got an aquarium light that I turn on for about 12 hours and little shells that he likes to drag into his coconut for some home decorating. He de-stressed for about a week in a little hole and then came out. When I say I was so happy to see him moving around, he likes watching tv with me at 3 am. I’m so sorry for this long paragraph and all but I’d like opinions to see if I can do better. I love my crab a lot and taking care of him has helped me with my loneliness and depression so whatever I can do to make him happy is my goal. Thank you so much!!

[curlysister]

I would say that given his size, you will need to consider getting a larger tank. He will need the substrate to be at least three times as deep as he is tall. Your small tank won't have enough space for all his stuff and his substrate and him!
Do you use dechlorinated tap water for the fresh and then add marine salt for the salt water?

[Skyyzl]

Yes, I use marine salt and dechlorinate water. I’m planning on getting him a bigger tank when I have the funds to(the tanks are so expensive near me). I’ve been looking into also getting play sand and making his eco earth deeper. I was worried the most about getting him out of the plastic container + the painted shell he was in and putting him into a stable environment with everything he needs. Thanks for responding!

[DragonsFly]

It sounds like you are working toward great conditions, but a 5 gallon is super small, even for a tiny crab. These are wild animals used to traveling for miles every night, so any size box is tiny for them. I can't even imagine how you have room for everything, if you have 4 1/2 inches of substrate in there. . .

New tanks are expensive, but the good thing is that you do not need a new tank for hermit crabs; you don't even need one that will hold water. As long as there are no cracks or broken glass, it's fine for land hermit crabs. You can start checking local flea markets, thrift stores, yard sales, and online "flea market" type things like craigslist, OfferUp, FreeCycle, etc. You can also call local aquarium shops and ask if they have any "leakers" they need to get rid of (they will want you to pay for them, but not as much as a new tank that does not leak). By looking for tanks for sale cheap, buying nasty ones nobody wanted because they were filthy and scouring them out then selling them for more than I paid for them, and continuing to do that and trade up, etc., I eventually ended up with a 120g tank with a big solid wooden cabinet stand, and the entire set-up (including UTH's, air pump, fan, decor, etc.) only cost me about $100. It just takes time, determination, and patience! (It took me about 5 months to work my way up from 2 nasty 30-gallon tanks, 1 with a stand, 1 without, that I bought for $20 and sold for $45, to that 120g and stand.) Best wishes!

[CrabbyLover77]

Like DF said, check everywhere for used tanks. I've got some pretty good stuff off of my local neighborhood site (It's called NextDoor). My Mom uses FB market place and gets nice stuff from there too. She even found 3 crabbies that were up for adoption nearby (I did end up adopting them).
Don't forget, always keep an eye out for the $1/gallon sales at PetSmart and Petco.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

[Skyyzl]

Thank you so much for replying!! I atually decided I would look on some reselling websites after the 1st reply and found a nice 30 gal tank for $15 on let go. I’ll be getting that soon so thank you. Speedy is drinking condensation off the tank wall rn like a loser Any tips on making sure everything is evenly heated?

[Motörcrab]

Be sure to keep an eye on your eco earth with misting daily. We received what we thought were 4 crabs the other week. They came in a 10 gallon with just eco earth. The top few inches was dry, but the bottom had about an inch of water from the previous keepers. The tank was flooded with a bacterial bloom. After we found this we went digging because it really started to smell too. Out of 4 crabs only one was alive.

This is always something easily overlooked by experienced crabbers and is always good to keep an eye out for if you most or have bubblers.

[DragonsFly]

Be sure to keep an eye on your eco earth with misting daily. We received what we thought were 4 crabs the other week. They came in a 10 gallon with just eco earth. The top few inches was dry, but the bottom had about an inch of water from the previous keepers. The tank was flooded with a bacterial bloom. After we found this we went digging because it really started to smell too. Out of 4 crabs only one was alive.

This is always something easily overlooked by experienced crabbers and is always good to keep an eye out for if you most or have bubblers.

Scary; thanks for the warning!