Almost there, need help to set up first home

[Tardigrades]

Hi, I posted about possibly getting some hermit crabs for my family and I. Looks like it is a good pet for us.
Few questions:
Will a large clear plastic tub with a venilated lid be good?
Do I need a heater if my house is warm?
What heater is best?
Pool filter sand is ok mixed with another substrate?
Where is a good place to get shells? Can they be bought from a craft store?
Can I put plants like java moss?
Do I need to quarantine/treat crab before putting them in new home?

Thanks for your help!

[wodesorel]

Tubs can work but they often don't hold in heat as well as a glass tank and may need smothered in blankets in winter to keep the temperature around 80 degrees. Nothing really sticks well to plastic so if you're going to vent it make sure it's too small for the crabs to squeeze through. A used glass tank through your local classifieds is often the same price as a plastic tub.

If your house is 78-80 degrees and stays there all the time then you won't need a heater. Temperatures below 72 for PPs are in the danger zone. 75 is their lowest point but they won't be as active.

Ultratherm Under Tank Heaters, but you use it on the back of the tank and never under the tank. These will give you the most heat without having to fuss, and if it's still too cold they can be safely insulated.

You can use pool filter sand straight up if you like, or use it as a replacement for playsand in a sand & cocofiber mix. I experimented with pool filter sand and didn't like what I could get locally, it was really sharp grains that hurt my hands to mix. It also cost four times more than playsand.

You might be able to find shells they like at a craft store, but online will give you the best selection. We have links to places that sell shells here: http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/pa ... pping.html

You can use java moss, but the crabs will probably make a quick snack of it. Remember that this plant needs to be kept very moist so it needs to be in the pool to stay alive.

You can quarantine if you're concerned about mites, but many of us don't. I've never isolated a crab from my colony for health reasons before - only for recovery reasons so it didn't have to fight for resources like food and shells.

[Tardigrades]

Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it. I was thinking of pool filter sand because I can never find play sand this time of year lol.

I can't wait to get started

[wodesorel]

Inside, with the concrete mix.