HCA: Hermit Crab Association

All right, folks - last topic of the day, I promise.

I have two Es that came from an adoption, Eduardo and Spider, both of them quite much characters. They definitely do a bit of hanging out together - until Spider went under. I think she's doing a molt, having finally switched to a larger shell (her previous owner said that she'd never switched during the long while she'd kept her). My question - Eduardo seems to be okay, maybe a bit less rambunctious... but while his partner is under, do I need to consider seeking out a third E? I know that they're very species-oriented, and love having fellow Es around - what would you do? I want him to be happy and have a companion while she's doing her thing...

How many current crabs, and how much space? Es really seem to like being around others of their kind, and like all hermit crabs you'll see much more natural behaviour from them in large colonies. However - Es love to dig, and they don't have much compassion for molting friends that they might find, so overcrowding a tank can be a dangerous thing to do.

There is also nothing wrong with two. They'll be find while the other is molting!

I agree that sometimes maybe an extra buddy or 2 might not be bad. I've noticed this as well with only 2 E's, one is under molting and the other seems lonely or lost. I had 3 but one passed recently and my PP's are not as crazy as my E's and don't seem to interact as much. If you have the space in your tank then go for it! But another thing I've noticed with my E's is that their molts are much quicker than my PP's so they will be up quicker to play again!

Currently we have just over a dozen in a 40 breeder (tall) tank, mostly small-medium PPs. The Es are relatively small (just under ping-pong ball size). I'll likely wait it out, as things have been peaceful, no shell fights, plenty of room to explore with different levels and moss pits. With luck she'll make it through, if she is in fact molting - if not, I'll start looking...

It sounds like you might be at capacity for your tank right now, depending on your utilization of vertical space for second levels and what not. I would wait to get any more (unless you're planning on setting up another tank!) as the PPs will get rather large, sometimes quicker than you might expect. lol!

That being said, Es are the best crabs to have a little gang of running around at all times - so I totally understand the desire to add another so that the lone one will have another playmate.

Solution? Set up a tank full of Es! : D Just kidding, maybe...haha.

Things are definitely in vertical mode, with two raised moss pits and one shell pit - but yes, I've reached my limit for the moment. I do have a spare 30 tall tank in the wings, and just might create a E colony therein! We'll see in time...

Species tanks are a lot of fun.

That's how I ended up with a lot of my crabs. All your friends are molting? I must buy a new one for you!