HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I have a 20 gallon tank with three crabs: a small, a medium, and I think my biggest is now a large, though I have to measure him to be sure. According to the tank size vs crab size chart in the care sheets I'm still doing okay, but it seems so small to me. I'm mostly worried about my biggest guy having enough substrate to molt in, since the chart says larges should have 8". I have 6.5" in there now, and I feel like if I add anymore they won't have enough above the sub room.

So my questions are:

1. I was thinking of getting a 40 gallon breeder, but I live on a second floor apartment, and I don't know if it would be too heavy. I read on a fish site that 55 and under are usually fine on a second floor, but since it would have sand instead of water, I don't know what the difference in weight would be. Should a 40 gallon be fine, or should I stick with something smaller?

2. If I go with a 40 gallon, I don't have the money to buy a tank and a stand, but I do have a very sturdy coffee table that a 40 gallon would fit on. Would this be okay, or do you really need an aquarium stand for a tank that size?

If the 40 gallon isn't a good idea right now, I will probably make a tote crabitat until after I move.

A 55 gallon full of water weighs 440 pounds, more if there's gravel in it. I am not sure 400 pounds of sand would even fit in a 40, so you should be okay there. Yes, the sub is heavier when it's properly moistened, but water weighs 8 pounds a gallon, so even if you use ten gallons of water for moistening, that only adds 80 pounds. I have 150 pounds of sand and three bricks of ee, wetted with a total of six gallons of water in my 55. If I remember what I read right, Soilentgringa used 300 pounds of sand and two or three bricks of ee in her 55. My sub is about 8 inches, hers is about 12. So, I think it would be hard to make a 40 gallon crabitat outweigh a 55 gallon aquarium.

As for the coffee table, I'd say it depends on the construction. Real wood is usually going to be stronger than pressboard, but it also depends on how the pieces go together. Some pictures to follow, so you can see what I mean.

This is a bookshelf, but I wanted it to show you, see how the sides of the shelf are attached to the ends of the top self? This is NOT going to hold very much weight, unless it is real wood and built with several very long screws. And even if it was, I'd probably have to test it somehow before I trusted it with my crabitat.


Sorry that this picture is dark, but I think you can see the difference. See how the legs are attached underneath the top, rather than to the sides of the top? That is going to be able to support a lot more weight.


Also, regardless if it's real wood or not, the thicker and heavier the pieces of your coffee table are, the sturdier they will be.


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Thank you!

I believe the table is real wood and constructed more like in the second picture with the legs under the top. It is in storage right now, but when I get a chance I can take a picture.