HCA: Hermit Crab Association

A little background: we moved to Houston, TX from NC about 4ish months ago. During the move, the crabs were in a 30 gallon tank; one died. Before that death, we'd only had 1 die in 3+ years, and that one came to us as a rescue.

We've added a few more crabs from the local Houston pet stores, all in an iso tank, and a few of them died. I suspect it was stress or illness.

I upgraded the regular (non iso) tank to a 55gallon tank at the end of Thanksgiving. When I put the new play sand in (that I got from Home Depot, just like I have every time I've changed tanks or done a deep clean), I noticed these seriously teeny bugs...like so small I can't get a picture of them. They do not appear to be on the crabs at all, just in the food and on/in the dirt.

A few days ago I was cleaning the tank and found a dead crab without a shell. I don't know who this crab was (I gave up long ago on trying to keep up with who is who, given all the shell changes that go on), but I suspect it was one who had just finished molting in the iso tank last week, who I had brought down and put in the big tank.

I've been watching the crabs more carefully since then and have noticed a few of them "twerking." It sounds stupid, but it's like they are moving their shells back and forth, toward the head end, then the butt end (for lack of a better term) quickly...almost as though something is making them itchy. When I found the dead crab, I examined it carefully to see if these little bugs were on it, but there were none that I could see. Everytime I see a twerker, I grab him out of the cage to see if I can figure out what's going on.

I should also note that this giant tank has proven quite difficult to warm properly. It has the overhead fluorescent hood lights, that we keep on during the day (which provide no warmth) just for lighting; I have 3 UTHs on the back (2 are small and one is pretty big), as well as a 60 or 75W black bulb aimed at one end of the tank (where the shell shop is). On the side with the light, it's about 82F. On the other side, it's in the mid-high 70s. I did just put a towel over the back and top of the tank b/c it's been cold here and the tank is against an outside wall.

The humidity seems fine, but the top layer of sand is kind of crackly.

Anyone have any ideas about the twerking and/or crabitat environment improvements? I was considering some isopods, but I'm not sure where to get them. Would they eat the little bugs?

Are they Es? Es have a funny shell wiggle thing that they do. I can't remember who posted a video of it.

I get teeny tiny, like narrower than a hair and not a mm long bugs in certain food dishes. Someone here suggested springtales. There's a post that goes over common bugs in the 'tat. I'm on the app so I have no idea how to link it from here. I'll try later on computer if no one beats me to it.


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They are PPs and Es. Both doing it.

When the PP's do it does it make noise? That is how they chirp I think, they rub their abdomens in the shell. The E's are modifying their shells to make more space. Normal behavior for both species. Nothing to worry about, twerk on lol.

It may be a communication thing. I have so many hermits that I can't tell for sure when they do it, but my scorpions do something similar when another scorp gets close. Like some sort of submissive gesture.

LOL...I told my 10 year old about the E's modifying their shells and he says "crab abs of steel." He cracks me up.

Nope, no chirping when they twerk, and no other crabs (that I'm aware of) watching. I'll just keep an eye on them. I read the bug info and checked again for bugs on them, this time on mouth parts, in joints and as far down as I could see into their shell, but no bugs that I can see on them.

Side question - is there a better isopod species for tank clean up/mite eating than others? I'd go into my back yard and find some, but I have no idea what has been sprayed in the yard since we haven't lived here very long.

wodesorel wrote:It may be a communication thing. I have so many hermits that I can't tell for sure when they do it, but my scorpions do something similar when another scorp gets close. Like some sort of submissive gesture.

Scorpions!?! Awesomeness. Do you have pics somewhere?

Just pick your isopods and keep/raise them and let them make babies. Transfer as many babies as you can (like 50) and let the adults go.
That's what i'm going to do, anyway


Crabbers unite!!!

OH! And i've seem that jiggle in my tank. I'm assuming it's either a poop scoop, a bum itch, or a jock strap adjustment and leaving it at that

LOL! Adjusting their jocks! bwaahaaaa *dies*

I caught them on video! At about 13 seconds, I think and then a different one at 2:09ish. http://youtu.be/7Fnvboop0QY And of course both of the crabs in the vid are E's. But the PPs have done it too.

So much condensation on the glass.

So the species doesn't matter of the isopods? I'll look around, then and see if I can find some.

Ok i didnt catch the 2nd one, but the one at 00:13 looked TOTALLY like he pooted.

"Ahhh man.. Life is good....*poooOOOT*.....oops... I wonder if anybody heard that.. O MAN IT STINKS! I gotta get outta here before they figure it was me!"


Crabbers unite!!!