HCA: Hermit Crab Association

hey! so i recently bought 3 E’s and i was wondering if anyone could tell me a bit more about them, i can’t really find anything on here as to what’s different from your average PP. i know they prefer D shaped openings and that they carve out their own shell and are more of the runners than bunker downers... and i know they can tolerate a somewhat higher temp. (i think) any other helpful info about em tho? they’re going in my tank with my 9 other PP’s

also anyone know where to get cheap tanks with lids? my tank is getting cramped ... larger than 40 gal tho

Every now and then there is a Dollar per Gallon sale at Petco

Ecuadorians typically require at least ten gallons of space per crab and ten to twelve inches of substrate.

It’s also recommended that you provide at least two proteins and a calcium source daily to discourage them from attacking molters.

How large is your tank? Es don’t tolerate crowds like PPs do.

I have a 150 gallon tank with multiple PP's, 3 E's and 2 straws. I've had E's in with my PP's for over 2 years and have never had any issues with aggression.

The straws were adopted a year ago and they're also still doing well, afaik.

Make sure your crabs have plenty of food, hiding and climbing spaces, extra shells, and deep substrate and they should be fine.

I don't personally have 10 gallons per crab and our guidelines here at HCA go by the size of the crabs.


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I had bad luck with Es, but mostly because the ones I had were troublemakers. If you get calm crabs they are no different then PP, but if you start losing crabs you may need to separate them out for safety.

soilentgringa wrote:I have a 150 gallon tank with multiple PP's, 3 E's and 2 straws. I've had E's in with my PP's for over 2 years and have never had any issues with aggression.

The straws were adopted a year ago and they're also still doing well, afaik.

Make sure your crabs have plenty of food, hiding and climbing spaces, extra shells, and deep substrate and they should be fine.

I don't personally have 10 gallons per crab and our guidelines here at HCA go by the size of the crabs.


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That actually makes sense. Sorry, the whole “give Es lots of space and substrate to protect molters” thing has been a recurring theme on this forum lately.

@TheCrabLord, have you checked out the HCA Care Sheet for Ecuadorians? viewtopic.php?t=92454


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The thing is if you do end up with bad Es, they do require a lot of space. I had mine in a 55 and it was like a Highlander movie - when I got down to three I gave up and rehomed them, and they started working their way through that 90 gallon. I could see it beibg one crab, but I had issues with different groups before that.

JoeHermits wrote:

soilentgringa wrote:I have a 150 gallon tank with multiple PP's, 3 E's and 2 straws. I've had E's in with my PP's for over 2 years and have never had any issues with aggression.

The straws were adopted a year ago and they're also still doing well, afaik.

Make sure your crabs have plenty of food, hiding and climbing spaces, extra shells, and deep substrate and they should be fine.

I don't personally have 10 gallons per crab and our guidelines here at HCA go by the size of the crabs.


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That actually makes sense. Sorry, the whole “give Es lots of space and substrate to protect molters” thing has been a recurring theme on this forum lately.

@TheCrabLord, have you checked out the HCA Care Sheet for Ecuadorians? viewtopic.php?t=92454


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It has and it's a good idea to do it especially if your crabs are fighting.

It's funny how care advice has changed even since I've been on the forum. It seems that the gallons per crab increase as well as heat/humidity.

I know we all want to give our crabs their best life and what works out great for one crabber may not for another.

Because crabs are weird.



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all of my crabs are small/mediums so there shouldn’t be an issue hopefully while i get another tank. i have multiple iso’s if something does occur

I also have had Es in all of my years of crabbing, and house them with other species, and have never had issues - BUT I do give them a minimum of 12" of substrate, at least two proteins a day, LOTS of shell choices, and lots of room.

Edit: Yes, they do like a little higher temps. I do let my tanks get up to 86, but that is me

TheCrabLord wrote:also anyone know where to get cheap tanks with lids? my tank is getting cramped ... larger than 40 gal tho

Check Craigslist, or the apps called OfferUp, LetGo, 5miles, Bookoo. Search Tank, Reptile, Aquarium, Terrarium, Vivarium. You are bound to find some great deals Also, a lot of those people are willing to take less if they have been listed for some time. Also, some people don't know the actual size of their tanks. It's good to be knowledgeable with that. I've had it work out both ways. Some people had it listed where it was smaller and or larger than the tank actually was. Good luck!