HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Well, the fiance and I broke down and fixed up the crabitat. Total price, including the tank, was around $40.00 (excluding crabs).

Here's what we used:

1) Fish tank rocks (placed around water bowl for grins and giggles)

2) 3 bags of calci-sand (three different colors and mixed 'em together)

3) 1 circle thing of Repti-Bed (Eco-Earth immitation and mixed it with the calci-sand)

4) Drift-wood log (sterilized)

5) Hygrometer

6) 1 Large plastic-type dish for saltwater

7) 1 small clay dish for fresh water(in our case Jungle Juice, which is fresh water but in a gel form)

8)Repti-moss (large pack for $6.00)

9) 2 shell food dishes

10) 10gal. tank from Wal-Mart for $10.00

11) 2 LARGE plastic bags to place on top of cage to keep humidity in.

12) 1 water mister

with all this done, the humidity is at 75% - the temp. is around 73 deg. Faren.

with the plastic bags, cut them along the seem leaving one seem left so it stay in one piece and then place both bags over the top of the tank to keep the humidity in.

then you just need the critters and the shells and your set!

took about an hour to set up.

oh, and make sure you take a knife / sharp object and trim down the silicon in the corners so they can't climb up the cage.

Here's why! notice where scooter (our first E, who squeeks really loud at night and keeps us up)

Sounds like you did some great budget shopping. I only see a few things that concern me:
Where's the temp gauge? Maybe you already have one.

Calci-sand may clump when damp and stink. You may want to think about playsand from a hardware store for next time you deep clean.

Jungle Juice: (had a different meaning for me from when I was in the Army) what is this, and what is the ingredient that makes it a gel? Could it possibly be bad for the crabs? Also, hermies need liquid water to add to thier shells.

Other than that, looks good! Keep watch for those little escape artists!

Jungle juice is made for hermit crabs. I know what jungle juice your thinking of, i'm an active duty Marine.

The pict. you saw of scooter was on the very top of the cage(mental note: buy a lid), the temp. gauge is in the middle along with the hygrometer.

There is one large salt-water dish and a small dish for fresh water. The jungle juice has its own mini dish.

Neat. I'll have to pass these inventive ideas onto my niece.

Ack!!! DON'T use the gel stuff for hermit crabs!! I know it's sold for them, but it's nearly useless, as hermies don't drink water as much as they use it to fill their shells, and they can't do that with gel. And if you're offering salt water but no real fresh water, they won't be able to dilute the salt water to balance their shell water, which can cause an osmotic imbalance (possibly fatal). I'm pretty sure Jungle Juice is just another form of Cricket Quencher, which is a proven hermie killer.

they have a big enough water dish for fresh water

Sorry if this is totally off topic - where are you stationed? (I'm from VA)

I was stationed at Camp Lejeune with 2nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (North Carolina), then I got accepted into the college program and got "volunteered" for Quantico, VA. It stinks, not many grunts here and we're stuck teaching cannon cockers and butterbars how to do their job without getting us killed.

Currently I live in Danville, VA for college in the dorm room(I can throw a rock and hit North Carolina).

lol. Yea I've been to Danville.
A girl I work with lives in Fredricksburg with her Marine who is stationed in Quantico as well. I think that's the only one around here.
But we got army bases out the wazoooo!