HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi everyone!

I've had an established group of two Es for about 2 years now. They are very happy and active.

After long thought and careful planning, I've decided to buy a purple pincher to add to my flock! He/she should arrive on Thursday. If you're wondering why I got a PP shipped it's because my local store only carries E's! Just one thing...

I'm not sure about how I should do it, should I just set him in or take everyone out of the tank for a meet and greet then put him/her in?

Or would there be a better way to do it? Maybe involving treats?

You need to have more than one PP is what I've heard, because they all like to be in groups of their own kind. Also you need to ISO him until he's destressed and molted. Once he's adjusted to the proper environment and survived a molt, it should be fine to introduce him to your main tank.

References:
http://landhermitcrabs.com/eve/forums/a ... 3291076442
http://landhermitcrabs.com/eve/forums/a ... 7521056323

I agree with the first answer. All crabs need to have a species buddy. You should make sure to get another PP. Also, they need to be isolated first. Many people isolate on paper towels to help check for mites I think (but I could be wrong). Make sure to also give them shells and such in isolation and let them be in a dark quiet space without many disturbances.

When it does come time to introduce them, I don't know if there is really a way. It is always good to keep a closer eye than usual on them when they join the main tank. I actually put a couple of plants from my main tank into the isolation one along with some dirt so that they would get used to the other crabs smells and such. Some people also give all their hermits a bath in declornated water ( I used stress coat just for the bath) so that they all smell neutral.

I am still new to crabbing though, so I would wait for more responses. =)

You don't have to ISO him, but it can be a safer choice for all the crabs involved. Mites are a worry as they are so much easier to deal with before you've added the crab to the main tank and expose him to others. Also, new crabs are usually stressed and hungry and thirsty, and can be easily overwhelmed by both a new environment and new friends. Keeping them by themselves for a few days to recover and change shells can lead to a very calm crab once introduction time comes.

Once you know what you want to do, giving the new crab a bath to remove any old smells will lead to smooth introductions, and you can just put him into the main tank when you have to watch them for a few hours. Introduction between PPs and Es are often a bit since they don't know how to communicate with each other, but it very rarely ever leads to actual violence.

I would also copy the others in saying that a species buddy is a good choice if you can do it. We always recommend that every species in your tank has at least one other of it's kind as it tends to lead to more natural behaviour and calmer crabs.