HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I want to get more crabs but I need a bigger tank. They all seem REALLY expensive and I'm not sure why... I've come across free aquariums and stuff before a few times but at the time I didn't know I would want one. But anyway, where can I get one for less money? Is there any reason why it would be bad to get one that was used? I just need the tank, nothing fancy, but I want it to be pretty tall so they can climb and such.

most of us have used tanks. a great place to check would be craigslist. Sometimes u can find awesome deals. You could also wait for the one dollar a gallon sale at Petco or the two dollars a gallon sale at PetSmart

The $1/gal is happening at my Petco now for another couple days.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Craigslist is awesome for aquariums...if you go that route and run into a tank that someone is selling to the first person who can pick it up and they don't want to hold it for you ask them if they have PayPal that you could send them half the payment thru that and the other half when you get there sometimes it's just enough to prove to them that you're not gonna back out after they hold it for a while. That's how I got my 65 when I found it on a Monday and couldn't get it till Friday and he didn't want to hold it for anyone.

Stay at home mommy to 4 kids (Ana 11, Joseph 9, Alizabeth 6, and Christian 2) 8 cats, 6 purple pincher hermit crabs, 4 little molly fish, 3 ferrets, 2 parrakets, 2 Oscars, 1 red eared slider, 1 cockatiel, 1 goldfish and 1 bone headed pittbull.

If you just want something cheap, maybe totes could be your solution?

TheLilMommaB wrote:Craigslist is awesome for aquariums...if you go that route and run into a tank that someone is selling to the first person who can pick it up and they don't want to hold it for you ask them if they have PayPal that you could send them half the payment thru that and the other half when you get there sometimes it's just enough to prove to them that you're not gonna back out after they hold it for a while.

That may actually chase away some people - anyone who sells a lot through Paypal knows that you cannot hand off merchandise in person. The only way you're protected from chargebacks from the buyer is if you have a third party make the delivery. Otherwise, the buyer can turn around and say they paid and that they never got it, and there's no outside entity to vouch for it happening that way. As a seller, I would treat anyone who offered to pay for a local item by Paypal is as a scammer. Paranoia, but better safe then out the money and the item!


But yeah, definitely check local classifieds. Goodwill and other thrift stores. Yard sales. Group yard sales and charity sales really rock! I've gotten all my non-adoption tanks that way. Adoptions are another route, but it's so random you can't really rely on it. In some areas the $1 a gallon sale is the best option. And no, there's no reason not to have a used tank, but make sure to inspect it as it will need to support at least a 100 pounds of wet substrate so you want something that is still sturdy, but it doesn't have to be waterproof. Be cautious of the price as well - in my area, people want more for a used tank then the $1 sale!

How tall of a tank are you looking for? Most top out at under 2 feet, since they're designed so an average human arm can reach the very bottom for cleaning purposes. Anything bigger and you're looking at custom or home made.

I got mine new one threw my local petstore- not a petco or anything like that. Since i know the owner well she helped me figure out what was best for my crabies (since i wanted lots of height) and fit in my budget- thankfully i got an awesome tank that was on sale that was 50 bucks below normal price. I currently am using a tote now for my crabs and its fabulous for short term!!!! since i move around a lot the tote as been a god send- its cheaper plus its easier to transport, more durable, and lightweight. God luck!!!