HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Why do people think hermit crabs only need one tank size such as a twenty gallon tank and only an inch of substrate, which does not allow them to burrow?

Most likely because of misinformation spread by pet stores to encourage sales. Less people would seek out pet hermits if they knew how much special care they need.

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You have given no context to your post.
However, the HCA recognizes that there are different ways to successfully care for crabs. A 20 gallon tank can be very appropriate. And a ton of expensive accessories aren't needed either, a tank can be very basic for crabs to live happy healthy lives.

curlysister wrote:You have given no context to your post.
However, the HCA recognizes that there are different ways to successfully care for crabs. A 20 gallon tank can be very appropriate. And a ton of expensive accessories aren't needed either, a tank can be very basic for crabs to live happy healthy lives.

True, though I will say that adequate substrate depth is a must to protect molters. Only the teeniest of crabs can safely molt in an inch of substrate.


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CurlySister is saying if my brother didn’t need to buy a bunch of expensive accessories to care for the crabs, he didn’t have to. The tank I gave him was perfectly fine and it was perfectly okay for him to stick to the basics if that’s what he chose to do. I was just concerned that he was not giving them adequate substrate depth. But there was nothing I could do to make him add more sand. I believe he did not understand they needed to burrow underground when it is time to molt and he could not force them to stay above ground where he could watch them.

Joe, you are correct. I didn't address the substrate depth, sorry.

My brother did tons of research 24 hours prior to adopting the crabs from me but I’m wondering if he looked at a pet store’s care guide and chose to go with that because that was easier to follow than the HCA’s guidelines. So it sounds like I had a right to be worried he was not following the HCA’s care guide.

I was extremely worried the crabs were stressed because he was not giving them adequate substrate depth because he wanted to watch them and he didn’t want to look at tank full of sand. He didn’t understand that’s completely normal for hermit crabs. I was also told not to give him more information. He didn’t want to talk about it.

He did eventually re-home them because they were stinking really bad. But it sounds like with most people who get hermits, my brother very quickly lost interest in the crabs and he got rid of them and I have no idea who they were given to. I can only hope they were given to a couple of kids who were hermit crab rescuers.