HCA: Hermit Crab Association

So I decided to start with a 10gal that I bought from Petco today and had such fun fixing it up!! Still needs some climbing things, new shells for him to choose in a molt, etc....added. But wanted to share my excitement!! Found some good working humidity & temp gauges too so I'm happy to have those as well. I plan to add a little more substrate as soon as I get my hands on some good stuff.
He explored some earlier before going to his favorite spot under the log.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm glad you are excited about your crabbies new home! This is a good start, but you should have at least six inches of substrate (play sand, ecoearth, or a mix of both) which they need in order to molt. You could also put in some places to hide or some things to climb, they love to explore!



Here is mine, it's a little dark but maybe it will give you some ideas. I used a cave, some plastic bins for pools, cholla, plants, and various spots have sphagnum moss which they like to dig in and munch on. (The picture is cropped but there is seven inches of substrate at the bottom.)

I would wet the Substrate too, sand castle consistently

I agree with nerdycrabs ^^ I like the split tank look, but my crabs (though inactive for destressing and molting atm) seem to like it all just mixed together and throughout the whole tank. They love to dig, so you gotta have plenty of substrate for them to disappear. He should have a couple of buddies too and more hiding places ^^ they dont like bright environments and if you offer more shade you will probably see a lot more activity. Most of the things you can put in your hermit crabs environment can be handmade. I have climbing vines for a small reptile, cholla wood, and a goat horn sitting upright on one side (shade, cover, and climbing) and then on the other side I have a wide piece of driftwood, hemp chord fish net, and plastic fish plants (its temporary). You can add chia seeds to the substrate and they will sprout after a week or so. You find them in the health food department. You can also take burlap and stuff dirt into it, then plant your seeds in it. Once they start growing just set the burlap bag wherever. I know chia is a hardy plant, bit they dont thrive in sand

nerdycrabs wrote:I'm glad you are excited about your crabbies new home! This is a good start, but you should have at least six inches of substrate (play sand, ecoearth, or a mix of both) which they need in order to molt. You could also put in some places to hide or some things to climb, they love to explore!



Here is mine, it's a little dark but maybe it will give you some ideas. I used a cave, some plastic bins for pools, cholla, plants, and various spots have sphagnum moss which they like to dig in and munch on. (The picture is cropped but there is seven inches of substrate at the bottom.)

Do you leave the egg inside or just the shell thrown into the tank?

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

DarthKrab wrote:

nerdycrabs wrote:I'm glad you are excited about your crabbies new home! This is a good start, but you should have at least six inches of substrate (play sand, ecoearth, or a mix of both) which they need in order to molt. You could also put in some places to hide or some things to climb, they love to explore!



Here is mine, it's a little dark but maybe it will give you some ideas. I used a cave, some plastic bins for pools, cholla, plants, and various spots have sphagnum moss which they like to dig in and munch on. (The picture is cropped but there is seven inches of substrate at the bottom.)

Do you leave the egg inside or just the shell thrown into the tank?

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

I crack the egg open and make eggs for myself and just plop the shell into the tank as is. My eggs are coming from a friend of mine who raises them, so I know that there isn't anything bad on the shell. If you use eggs from the store, I would boil them first to be safe. Great source of calcium! You can also make scrambled eggs for your crabs: egg, tiny veggies, bits of broken eggshell. Whisk together, cook in a nonstick with little oil. My crabs LOVE cooked eggs, one egg makes several dinners for them. I suggest breaking up the cooked eggs otherwise a greedy crab might try to steal the whole thing!

nerdycrabs wrote:

DarthKrab wrote:

nerdycrabs wrote:I'm glad you are excited about your crabbies new home! This is a good start, but you should have at least six inches of substrate (play sand, ecoearth, or a mix of both) which they need in order to molt. You could also put in some places to hide or some things to climb, they love to explore!



Here is mine, it's a little dark but maybe it will give you some ideas. I used a cave, some plastic bins for pools, cholla, plants, and various spots have sphagnum moss which they like to dig in and munch on. (The picture is cropped but there is seven inches of substrate at the bottom.)

Do you leave the egg inside or just the shell thrown into the tank?

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

I crack the egg open and make eggs for myself and just plop the shell into the tank as is. My eggs are coming from a friend of mine who raises them, so I know that there isn't anything bad on the shell. If you use eggs from the store, I would boil them first to be safe. Great source of calcium! You can also make scrambled eggs for your crabs: egg, tiny veggies, bits of broken eggshell. Whisk together, cook in a nonstick with little oil. My crabs LOVE cooked eggs, one egg makes several dinners for them. I suggest breaking up the cooked eggs otherwise a greedy crab might try to steal the whole thing!

Thanks for the advice! I've always wanted to prepare a little egg dish for them to get some more protein but haven't worried to much about it since the food I bought from the crab patch is a mix of different nuts and such

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

DarthKrab wrote:

nerdycrabs wrote:

DarthKrab wrote: Do you leave the egg inside or just the shell thrown into the tank?

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

I crack the egg open and make eggs for myself and just plop the shell into the tank as is. My eggs are coming from a friend of mine who raises them, so I know that there isn't anything bad on the shell. If you use eggs from the store, I would boil them first to be safe. Great source of calcium! You can also make scrambled eggs for your crabs: egg, tiny veggies, bits of broken eggshell. Whisk together, cook in a nonstick with little oil. My crabs LOVE cooked eggs, one egg makes several dinners for them. I suggest breaking up the cooked eggs otherwise a greedy crab might try to steal the whole thing!

Thanks for the advice! I've always wanted to prepare a little egg dish for them to get some more protein but haven't worried to much about it since the food I bought from the crab patch is a mix of different nuts and such

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

I set aside things all the time as I'm making dinner, hermies can eat just about everything! I just be careful and not cut anything from the onion/garlic family before cutting hermit-safe foods to avoid contaminating it. Other than that, they eat what I do! The crab patch is great too, I love their stuff but I don't buy from them too often since it can get a little expensive. Great products though

nerdycrabs wrote:

DarthKrab wrote:

nerdycrabs wrote: I crack the egg open and make eggs for myself and just plop the shell into the tank as is. My eggs are coming from a friend of mine who raises them, so I know that there isn't anything bad on the shell. If you use eggs from the store, I would boil them first to be safe. Great source of calcium! You can also make scrambled eggs for your crabs: egg, tiny veggies, bits of broken eggshell. Whisk together, cook in a nonstick with little oil. My crabs LOVE cooked eggs, one egg makes several dinners for them. I suggest breaking up the cooked eggs otherwise a greedy crab might try to steal the whole thing!

Thanks for the advice! I've always wanted to prepare a little egg dish for them to get some more protein but haven't worried to much about it since the food I bought from the crab patch is a mix of different nuts and such

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

I set aside things all the time as I'm making dinner, hermies can eat just about everything! I just be careful and not cut anything from the onion/garlic family before cutting hermit-safe foods to avoid contaminating it. Other than that, they eat what I do! The crab patch is great too, I love their stuff but I don't buy from them too often since it can get a little expensive. Great products though

I bought one bag of their winter claws and my crabs liked it bit I wasn't sure it was enough to last so I bought two more. I'm not even through the first baggy from two months ago! Oops! Lol

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

All of this is great!! I plan to get him a buddy for sure within the week, add some hiding places. I've gotten some ideas & learning along the way with Capt!! Already figured out one dish he likes for sure haha
Is the crab patch an online store?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Giner13 wrote:All of this is great!! I plan to get him a buddy for sure within the week, add some hiding places. I've gotten some ideas & learning along the way with Capt!! Already figured out one dish he likes for sure haha
Is the crab patch an online store?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The crab patch is an online store

there are some nifty diys on YouTube you could look at, and aquarium safe silicone is always a good glue to have handy ^•^

pandaincognito wrote: there are some nifty diys on YouTube you could look at, and aquarium safe silicone is always a good glue to have handy ^•^

What kind of diys?? I love those kinds of projects!

Giner13 wrote:

pandaincognito wrote: there are some nifty diys on YouTube you could look at, and aquarium safe silicone is always a good glue to have handy ^•^

What kind of diys?? I love those kinds of projects!

Fish net, dry food mixes, shell shops, all kinds. You can find a bunch of tank tours to give you ideas. Ive had to have spent so somewhere close to fourth eight hours total watching hermit crab owners on YouTube set up tanks and make accessories ^•^

pandaincognito wrote:

Giner13 wrote:

pandaincognito wrote: there are some nifty diys on YouTube you could look at, and aquarium safe silicone is always a good glue to have handy ^•^

What kind of diys?? I love those kinds of projects!

Fish net, dry food mixes, shell shops, all kinds. You can find a bunch of tank tours to give you ideas. Ive had to have spent so somewhere close to fourth eight hours total watching hermit crab owners on YouTube set up tanks and make accessories ^•^

Awesome! I will check that out too. I looked up some stuff on Pinterest too last night before I fell asleep with phone in hand haha
Any brand you recommend for aquarium safe silicone?