HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I've been thinking of getting the IKEA Detolf cabinet which can be turned into an enclosure. I know that it is used for hamsters but I just had the idea. Is that cabinet suitable for hermit crabs? If yes, how can I Provide light and heat?

Also, is it possible for me to split the cabinet into two enclosures, one for 2 or 3 hermit crabs and the other half into a hamster cage? If yes, will they bother each other or smell each other, and will the heat from the crabs affect the hamsters. Becuase the cabinet is only $60 and is the size of 1 90 gallon tank, I thought I could save a lot of money instead of buying two cages.

Thank You!

No. This is not suitable for a hermit crab enclosure.



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But what if I put eco earth and plants and had only that side humid, will that be suitable. Why is it not suitable?

This is an Ikea Detolf cabinet.

This does not provide adequate space for hermit crabs or substrate.

The weight of the substrate could crack the glass, it would need to be sealed to prevent leaks, a UTH could break the glass as it's not tempered aquarium glass meant to be used for animal enclosures, depending on what sort of metal is used, it could be toxic to the crabs...



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If you turn in on it's side like the hamster cage DIY's, there is not enough height for deep enough substrate (remember, needs to be at least 6 inches or 3x as deep as your largest crab). The Maximum load per shelf is only 8lbs. The glass would not hold the weight of the moist substrate (a 50lb bag of wet sand is REALLY heavy!). The glass would likely not handle the UTH heater, as mentioned. The front of the cabinet opens so you can put stuff inside - that would somehow need to be sealed to hold substrate, moisture, heat, and not be harmful to crabs. There are better options if you have limited funds, including a large clear plastic tote. Read through all the info in the Care Guides and FAQ section, and look at other people's set-ups in the DIY section. It's great to have all the proper info before getting crabs, that gives them the best chance at thriving!

ok thank you!

Not to mention that hamsters are from much more arid and cooler regions. They would not do well with any humidity and heat that leaked over!