HCA: Hermit Crab Association

If you crab is 'stuck' under the bowl, most likely they can tunnel out if they want to. Have had crabs in the past do what you described, but after a couple of mins/hours, they dig to the side, and then up once they have made it out from under the bowl.

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aussieJJDude wrote:If you crab is 'stuck' under the bowl, most likely they can tunnel out if they want to. Have had crabs in the past do what you described, but after a couple of mins/hours, they dig to the side, and then up once they have made it out from under the bowl.

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I heard him couple hours once ... ran over realizing what I've been hearing all that time ...
Another time I wanted to let him do it alone but he has me worried cause never did that in the past now I see him doing it more ... figured he should be able to get out ... really scared me so I save him .... !

U think I should let him get out alone if he does it again ... both times heck literally be clawing at it .. but like he stuck idk ..scary once he was like all curled up in his shell another he was clawing at it like the claws outstretched trying to get out

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I'm honestly not sure about those small stones. My crabs dig all over the place all the time, and a stone 'section' would become mixed in with all the sand/ EE mixture pretty fast. Which I would then think would make the substrate less likely to hold it's sandcastle consistency, would it not? Would they be able to properly molt in a mixture with stones?

Hermie escape artist wrote:I heard him couple hours once ... ran over realizing what I've been hearing all that time ...
Another time I wanted to let him do it alone but he has me worried cause never did that in the past now I see him doing it more ... figured he should be able to get out ... really scared me so I save him .... !

U think I should let him get out alone if he does it again ... both times heck literally be clawing at it .. but like he stuck idk ..scary once he was like all curled up in his shell another he was clawing at it like the claws outstretched trying to get out

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Its certainly personal preference... but something I have learnt is that crabs are smart and pretty resourceful at finding solutions. If it was me, I would leave him to work it out himself - but thats me.

curlysister wrote:I'm honestly not sure about those small stones. My crabs dig all over the place all the time, and a stone 'section' would become mixed in with all the sand/ EE mixture pretty fast. Which I would then think would make the substrate less likely to hold it's sandcastle consistency, would it not? Would they be able to properly molt in a mixture with stones?

I did the same when I first started out, had gravel in there that the crabs eventually mixed in. For me, nothing bad happened... they could still dig, and in the wild the crabs would dig and come across all types of substrate grain sizes. As long as the majority is sand/ee, they should be fine and have no issues to dig.

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They can get stuck, they aren't super bright. Years ago I had a moss pit that was buried in the sand, and an E that I kept finding naked. It wasn't until I pulled the pit to clean that I found three of his shells jammed in between it and the back glass. Idiot kept trying to dig behind it, would get stuck, and then would abandon shell to get free. As soon as I removed the pit, he stopped ditching his shell.

wodesorel wrote:They can get stuck, they aren't super bright. Years ago I had a moss pit that was buried in the sand, and an E that I kept finding naked. It wasn't until I pulled the pit to clean that I found three of his shells jammed in between it and the back glass. Idiot kept trying to dig behind it, would get stuck, and then would abandon shell to get free. As soon as I removed the pit, he stopped ditching his shell.

Jeeesh ....ya

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Amlesa wrote:Got my 20 gallon long sit up and and moved everyone over except my baby who still buried in the 10 gallon.


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Your tank is so beautiful!
You sure that's a 20 long? I could never have fit all of that into my tank and still made it look so nice!

Yah I’m pretty sure it is. It’s 12 inches wide and 30 inches long. I’m already wanting something bigger though. Lol


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Amlesa wrote:Yah I’m pretty sure it is. It’s 12 inches wide and 30 inches long. I’m already wanting something bigger though. Lol


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Man, you have an eye for design! I struggled with my 20! And yes, within 2 weeks of setting it up I was itching for an upgrade! Hahaha.

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ciaraalston wrote:

Amlesa wrote:Yah I’m pretty sure it is. It’s 12 inches wide and 30 inches long. I’m already wanting something bigger though. Lol


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Man, you have an eye for design! I struggled with my 20! And yes, within 2 weeks of setting it up I was itching for an upgrade! Hahaha.

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Thank you, I love sitting up the tanks, I have so much fun doing it.


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Thanks for the clarification about the pebbles!

I started with a 10 gallon, then went to a 20, and now have a 55. I would love to have even bigger, but have trouble justifying it for two little crabs, LOL!