Meet Pumpkin!!

[Pumpkin the Crab]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ofpR_A ... p=drivesdk

he is my baby and i love him very much i adopted him at 2 and he is 2 1/2 right now. unfortunately his brother peanut has passed away. i hope pumpkin lives a long and happy life. i moved him to this tank very recently and the dirt is not all broken up yet but he has plenty of room to burrow. the tank allows for up to 8 inches of dirt (i filled it to the max) which is wonderful because pumpkin is still warming up to me as he sent a few months (i know it was a long time) molting when i first got him. that pic was taken a couple days ago and the temp is now up to 85 and i covered the top vent with a towel to keep humidity. he still has side ventilation

[Pumpkin the Crab]

awww guys im in bed and i can hear him moving around in his tank he’s so cute

[Pumpkin the Crab]

i added his wheel!

[curlysister]

I can see your photo here.
The tank is looking good to start! Your substrate looks a bit dry - is that just the surface? Is it moistened so it holds it's shape?
What is your humidity? A heat lamp will often zap the humidity, so you may want to look into a heat mat instead.
Hermit crabs love places to hide and climb, so you may want to add some things - if you haven't looked at the 'basics' care sheet, there is a photo of a basic set up that has everything crabs need.
What are you feeding your crab? Be sure to check out the 'nutrition' care sheet to learn everything they need to eat.

[Pumpkin the Crab]

He eats “gourmet” hermit crab food from amazon! its more spendy (at least for a 15 year old) but worth it because he loves it. (especially the seafood flavor. right now hes eating the bug blend but he doesnt like it as much) I guess it was easier to keep humidity when i used a heat pad. i’ll order one tonight that works for the wooden tank. i have a hanging coconut hide, but pumpkin has NEVER gone in it. should i not put it in his new tank? i love the way it looks. hes burrowed right now. I think he got too cold today. its at 70 right now because i turned off the heater to save humidity. the heater is now back on. im a little scared because his tank smells like the lake i go to in the summer. does that mean he is dead?? i hope not. i am trying my best to be a perfect owner for him, but maybe im just too young. i love him, so i dont think i could ever let him go unless he needed it. i just want to get the whole hermit owner thing down perfectly.

[curlysister]

Your tank is wood? I'm not sure that is going to work for crabs, the heat and humidity will cause the wood to mold and possibly rot where the substrate is against it.
What is your current humidity reading?
You don't have to spend a lot of money on food, you can literally feed them scraps from what you eat. Be sure they are getting protein daily, and calcium. Is the food pellets? If so, what brand? Many commercial foods don't contain all the nutrients crabs need for long term health.
If you haven't looked at the care sheets yet, start with this one - it shows everything you need for a successful basic tank:
https://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/p ... 0&t=119273

[Pumpkin the Crab]

Yes, but the inside bottom has an acrylic board which will protect from damage due to the moisture and the wood will hold heat better than a glass tank. all the sides have a waterproof coating. If this doesn’t work out, I still have my 15 gallon glass tank. The humidity is now at 85% and the temperature is also around 85. the food is from amazon. the reviews were amazing and every flavor has a protein and a green, leafy vegetable or another calcium source. My crab enjoys real plants as well, but he had too much fun with the air plants i got for him and made a mess that was difficult to clean . when he unburrows I will temporarily put him in the carrier cage (the 15 gal tank is a mess because of all the things im storing in it for pumpkin) and I will add more moisture to the dirt. I’ll also add his favorite climbing toy. I removed it because i didnt like the way dried seaweed got so dirty on the part where it touched the dirt, but i will add it at least until my amazon order arrives. i dont live near a pet store other than one that makes puppies poop on concrete about 45 mins away. but luckily amazon exists. ive read the care sheets on this site and many others. at school when i am bored i watch videos or read about crabs.

[Pumpkin the Crab]

even though i read a lot about crabs i am still learning and i appreciate the help the site has provided

[Pumpkin the Crab]

I am keeping the humidifier in at 85+ but when I am not home it drops to 65. The temperature is at 77 (pumking is a pp so this should be fine i think). i have to leave his light on all the time to maintain that temperature, but once the heating pad arrives i will only turn on his light in the day. I gave him some safe to eat hibiscus leaves. hopefully the treat will lure him out of his burrow,though he could be molting which would be unfortunate because i still need to break up the dirt so he has more room. i havent touched the dirt where he burrowed and i dont plan on it. that part was already broken apart. I am going to find some driftwood this weekend (hopefully) from a lake about 30 miles away. I might go and saw off an oak tree branch for pumpkin though because that would be easier as i have some in my front yard. of course i would boil it first. i used to have a diy driftwood in his tank but i removed it because it was “too smooth” or something. i has sanded it down with sandpaper and boiled it.

[Pumpkin the Crab]

the heating pad and water conditioner arrived today!! along with some cholla wood to climb on and munch on. I now have a total of $2.60! Worth it for Pumpkin

[Pumpkin the Crab]

oh and some bigger water bowls to keep humidity longer