HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi people! My neighbor gave me 4 hermit crabs 5 days ago. One is quite a bit bigger than the others, in a shell about the size of a lime, two are mid-sized in shells about the size of walnuts, and the littlest is in a shell about the size of a large grape. They are red legged, with purplish big claws.

I am SO thankful for YouTube! We have a lot of work and $ ahead to create a really happy crabitat, but thanks to YouTube, I at least have been able to get them into a better situation than I received them in.

I found a local aquatic rescue who donated a 20 gallon tank (without a lid), a brick of eco-earth and some aquarium decor, like a driftwood branch, a little resin staircase, log, and cave. Then I went to Petco and bought a screen lid, and a folding glass lid (which lays on top of the screen) and I also bought the $25 heating pad the store recommended, which I think is too small, since the temperature is maintaining at 74F. I also bought them a coconut condo with a ladder, some regular hermit crab food, and a food dish.

For their substrate, I’m pretty dissatisfied with what I have for them right now. I used the brick of eco-earth the aquatic rescue gave me, and for sand I used my own jar of sand I brought home with me from Laguna Beach, California (I boiled it before adding it to the eco-earth). But I think that sand of mine is where I went wrong, because the substrate was very wet. I squeezed the excess water out a fistful at a time before adding it to the tank, but overall, it was pretty wet. And the tank smells so bad! It’s a thick, heavy, black, musty smell. I know it must be wrong. My guess is that the smell came from my sand, because the smell didn’t develop over a few days, it smelled like that that immediately. I don’t know, maybe it was the eco earth? The crabs seem to like the substrate, they’ve each spent some time burrowing in it.

I’ve given them a salt pool made of tap water with “stress-zyme” and instant ocean salt, in a glass loaf pan, with climbing rocks to get in and out. And I’ve given them a freshwater pool which is just tap water with stress-zyme, in a large Abalone shell with a stainless steel mesh draped over the edge for climbing in and out.

Thanks to YouTube I learned the food I bought them is no good, so I’ve been giving them foods that we have on hand and are recommended by the Land Hermit Crab Owners Society, Crab Street Journal, like a dandelion planted in their substrate, and in their dish, some chia, lentils, sliced up peach, ham, raisins, egg with shell, parsley, and almond flour. They ignored their food, until I put a little pinch of the pet store hermit crab food in there, then they pretty quickly took notice of it. They seem to like the peaches, the egg, and the ham best.

I boiled the most appropriate looking seashells I had around the house (I’m from California, and just have a lot of shells around the house) and put them in there. The two I mentioned earlier as “about the size of walnuts” chose to move into new shells, they were in shells about the size of grapes, and they picked white, pearlescent walnut sized sea snails. The big one also has a couple slightly larger shells to choose from, but he or she is happy in the one he or she is in for now. The littlest one is still in his or her painted little shell, even though there are others to choose from.

So my biggest known problems right now are, the bad smelling substrate, the inadequate heating pad, a lack of greenery and climbing material.

I’m also not satisfied with their pools. I don’t know if I want to try to make a couple filtration systems for them, or just plan on switching the water every... week? (??)
I like the idea of hosing in a bubbling stone to perhaps help humidify the space. Right now the humidity is maintaining at 75%.

For now, they all spend most of their time huddled up together in the coconut condo.

So there we are. Any opinions or advice is welcome! Thank you.

Beach sand is seldom just sand, which is why it smells so bad. There’s a bunch of organic matter in there that’s rotting and baking or boiling won’t remove it. If it starts to give off a sulfuric smell you’ll want to change it immediately.

74F is perfectly fine for PPs, but if you want more heat you’ll need to either get a stronger heat mat (Ultratherms from The Bean Farm or Fluker’s work really well but you’ll need your own adhesive tape) or supplement with a lamp or ceramic heat emitter.

Note that API Stress-zyme doesn’t make tap water useable though, since you want a product that will remove chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals. Stress-zyme adds nitrifying bacteria, which have no significant effect without a functioning filter.

Climbing and decorations can come from any reptile or aquatics store.


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To add on to what Joe has already said.
Have you had a look at our care sheets? There is a 'basics' one that is a great place to start - it gives a rundown of everything that is needed. Then from there, you can look at the other care sheets which go into detail on each topic - for example the 'water' care sheet will tell you all about which dechlorinators remove which compounds. The 'shells' care sheet will tell you all about preferred shells for the type of crabs you have (sounds like Purple Pinchers).
Welcome to crabbing, and to the site!

Thank you both. I didn’t realize that the stress zyme wasn’t also a conditioner, I thought it was like a 2 in one! Yikes! I hope the dips they’ve taken don’t do them any harm.

Yesterday I got a nice little Barron’s guide to hermit crabs for just $3, and it’s very informative as far as the science and anatomy of hermit crabs go, but I’d venture to assume that when it comes to practical care, forums like this are probably more helpful.

I feel like the 20 gallon tank might be too small, because with their 2 little pools, food dish, cave, log, branch and shells, there’s almost no plain old surface substrate to walk around on.

Hopefully this weekend, I’ll change their substrate out for some fresh play sand and new eco-earth, and add some better climbing features. I’m really hoping that will help with the musty smell, it’s very bad, I notice it when I first step in the house.

So happy for you! I of course agree with Joe and Curly...they are qre both very wise crab owners. Just to help if you have a depot or Lowes the quickkrete kids play sand works well and is only a couple bucks for a huge bag. I use a 5 to 1 (sand 5 coconut fiber 1) ratio, my son loves to mix it up. Everyone is diff but that(for me atleast) helps to keep the humidity stable too. I also have moss, that helps too. There are alot of good ideas on crabitat online. You can use alot of stuff too. It doesn't need to cost alot to work. I have a mix of reptile decor and dollar store stuff(mix of cheap and more costly). I have acrylic tubberwear pools with Lego ramps(2 deep pools cost me 5 bucks). I do double my pool tubs cuz some crabs like to be funny and dig under them..I learned by a flood lol. You can do plenty of other things too. I know plastic shower caddys can make good second levels. I have one I weaved crab climbing material through and I put sheet moss in it and going down to help the smaller one climb. The holes are a little to far apart for him to climb like the big guy ingot does. Anyway, this is a freat site and they have all the good/bad foods, materials, plants etc..on the first few forums. I put a pic of mine, before I was done, just to show what I ment with shower caddy and tubs. I did a 40gb for under 150 bucks(petco tank sales are amazing). I could have went cheaper. So happy for you amd your hermit crabs! You will do great!

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Thank you! I appreciate your input, and really like the picture. I’d like to share a picture of what I have going on so far, but I haven’t figured out how to do it yet.

It’s funny you used LEGO! That was actually one of the first thoughts that came to mind to me too! But I didn’t enjoy digging through my son’s LEGO pile He might be able to build the stuff better than me anyway.

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I love that little hideaway..I saw one of those. Do they use it? I have a huge moss "bridge" in there they use to go from one level and end to another. I really live that hideaway!

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And it looks a lot bigger then 20g. You have done a great job. Esp after just getting them recently (if I read it right lol) my older son is working on a new ramp. I'd like to make a little Lego "beach" with a little shark and a fake aquarium palm tree lol

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Yes! They use it! It’s their favorite place. They never want to leave it


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I found out after I paid $20 at Petsmart, that you can buy those coconut condos for less on Amazon.


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You will find all kinds tricks. Sometimes I'll use petsmart when they have a spend 30 get 10 off others Amazon. Just really some reviews. I love Amazon. I literally get a package a day..lol but I've received a few misleading items. 99% of the time ots great though. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy for a reptile then crab even of its the same item smh

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