HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I collected isopods from my yard back in November. Because we had just moved here I decided to quarantine the pods for a few months so that any pesticides in their systems could work their way out. Turns out I was being overly cautious as no pesticides have been used here in 20+ years lol. Last night I was finally able to rearrange the tank and add the pods in!! I added about 100-150 pods.

I tried to make the tank as pod friendly as I could so that they would have good conditions to breed and flourish in the tank. I added more moss, leaves and bark scattered around the floor of the tank so that they could hide from the crabs when need be. One side of the tank almost looks like a forest haha. There is lots for them to munch on and hide under and I'm sure the crabs will enjoy all the new hiding spots as well!
Before I added the crabs in.

Lil mama was the first crab back in the tank. She normally runs and hides when I'm putting the crabs back in after remodeling but as soon as I put her in her feelers went crazy and she just stood there staring at me. I don't know if she could sense them or what but she seemed very aware that something had changed. Not long after she sat there feeling out her new environment, she started heading into the moss and leave pile. I hope she enjoyed hunting last night (if that's what she was doing)!!!

Since adding the pods I've only seen one crawling around. I'm hoping this means I did a good job of giving them ample hiding spaces! Now they just need to breed and get a good colony going in the big tank!
Hopefully I'll be able to get some more pictures of them in the tank soon. I also hope all the babies in the small quarantine keeper are enjoying having more space and food without having to compete with the big guys!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Saw some more pods out tonight.
They've even made their way to the other end of the tank.
And I've got lots of hunters out tonight. Not a single crab looked up when I walked over. They're in deep concentration mode haha.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The babies in the separate KK are enjoying their space and new wood.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I love my rolly Poly, that's we called them growing up. Your tank looks great I'm sure your crabs will enjoy it, the bugs to. My crabs don't hunt them, they tend to eat them if they die. My bugs just eat Extra food, and the crabs poop, I love it though, whenever I pick anything up, the bugs are crawling around the bottoms of the item. Its fun to see the size different once they breed in the tank. Big adults to almost to tiny to see babies.

Rolli Pollis/Pill Bugs/Isopods from most areas in the US aren't really set up to do a tropical set up.I kept some for about a year before they all died off. Something about the humity/heat just isn't perfect for the standard grey ones. I hope they do good in your tank, but you may want to look at the orange ones which are a more tropical species -

http://shop.bugsincyberspace.com/Bright ... bic701.htm

viewtopic.php?t=92538

Isopods actually require similar conditions to crabs. Not exactly the same but pretty close.

Mine are thriving at about 73°F and humidity about 70-80%. They are replicating like mad

I have a different thread regarding my doodlebugs and got to snap a pic of one molting in the crab tank, so they're surviving in there.

reichiere wrote:Rolli Pollis/Pill Bugs/Isopods from most areas in the US aren't really set up to do a tropical set up.I kept some for about a year before they all died off. Something about the humity/heat just isn't perfect for the standard grey ones. I hope they do good in your tank, but you may want to look at the orange ones which are a more tropical species -

http://shop.bugsincyberspace.com/Bright ... bic701.htm

I actually got into the pods because they were a free (yay!! Love free haha) way to provide a cleaner tank for the crabs as well as hunting opportunities. I have yet to see if these guys will make it in the big tank but if not thank you for the recommendation. I can always justify another buy in the name of crabs


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk