HCA: Hermit Crab Association

As soon as I have extra money and the Dollar per gallon sale goes on at PetCo I will be getting a 29g tank with a hood. Im also going to get 2 60g heat pads (if they make them that big) for one side or I may just get a second heat lamp. Right now they are cold because I got a turtle.

I used multiple heat pads on my 29 gal. I had a larger one on one end and a smaller one on the other end. It kept the temp. Regulated better not such a drastic hot / cold change. Then I had a moon glow bulb in my light, that I was told I could just leave on all the time. I guess you could get a glass hood, it lets in more light and do smaller light fixture so you can fit 2 different lights on top. Moon glows are not mandatory but are cool to have if you are A night owl like me. I have a 55 now and half my tank is moon glow and the other half is the reg light. If you can save more and for the 55 gal you'll never have to buy another tank again, unless you go crab happy and buy a gazillion of them....

I wish I could get a 55g, but I have no room. I need to move my room around to get this to fit, possibly get rid of my dresser. I could put it on my dresser but then I would need a stool. My 10g is too tall for me on my dresser

i have to have a step ladder to get into my tank (67g) im just to short lol

I'm 5'7 so my 120 gallon on its custom built stand is almost as tall as I am so I have to have a step ladder when I do my annual deep cleans and so forth.lolI can't tell you how many scars I have on my knuckles due to hitting the stress bar in the center of the top of the tank. Ouch.lol

Lol. I think I may get a forty. Im only 52 and my dresser is 5ft tall plus I have my tank. I struggle to do anything with it. I know they need a bigger tank. What bowls do you guys use? I need ideas, preferably DIY ideas. Right now my shopping list is at about $100-$120 because of the heat mats. Hopefully I wont have to upgrade for a while.Im going to use terrecotta pots as hides and 1-2 of those $8 vines from Michaels for cover. I dont have a good size dish for them so I need ideas for a cheap one. I can use the base part of the pot for a food dish. And, can I use driftwood from a brackish river in the tank. I can boil and scrub it. If I can I can get some nice peices of driftwood for free.What are some nice places to buy shells from? I need to get a bunch more before anything else. I like ordering online, but then I would need to be able to buy heat pads or lamps on that website too. Or I can get them at a store.And, reptile pads should be side mounted? Can I have 1 60g one on the warm side andd one 30g near the middle, more toward the cool side?

Check out the links section for different websites and check out the library/archived section for all kinds of DIY stuff under crabitats. Just make sure you set aside some time to do so. Its like the more you look the more things you find so you kinda lose track of time.

Im having issue finding smallish DIY dishes. I want 3 crabs in this tank, and my 2 now have 1 inch deeo dishes and I want 1 1/2 to 2 inch deep dishes, with a ramp for them to get out. Paint trays are too big. I plan on keeping my terrecotta pots clean by soaking in almost boiling water every week. And same for the food dish. I also need climbing toy ideas.

Yes they make UTHs for 50-60gal the zoomed . I got one on my 38gal on the back. You might as well go with the zoomed UTH in the local pet store .

I have the bigger reptile dishes in main tank, but in my ISP,I use the reusable plastic mashed potato containers from KFC with rocks in the bottom.

I found deep bowls, but they are huge. $11 each, but oh well. Will hold the crabs for a while.I got 1mL syringes to measure out 1g worth of prime as I use that in my aquarium. I also got suction cups with hook to hold up the fake plants Im getting, 2 food dishes, tons of shells, HCP foods, Hobbit Huts from HCP, a 60g UTH and a 30g UTH, 1 hydrometer, 2 thermometers, flourite for my fish tank, excel for my fish tank, salt, a peice of driftwood, a spray bottle, 100 lbs of sand, and a used tank. This should be around $270. Which is alot, but considering Im replacing everything, worth it. I want to get 4 more crabs, I have Simba and Mufasa, and I want Timon, Pumba, Kiara, and Nawla.

quote:Originally posted by HermitCrabby:I found deep bowls, but they are huge. $11 each, but oh well. Will hold the crabs for a while.I got 1mL syringes to measure out 1g worth of prime as I use that in my aquarium. I also got suction cups with hook to hold up the fake plants Im getting, 2 food dishes, tons of shells, HCP foods, Hobbit Huts from HCP, a 60g UTH and a 30g UTH, 1 hydrometer, 2 thermometers, flourite for my fish tank, excel for my fish tank, salt, a peice of driftwood, a spray bottle, 100 lbs of sand, and a used tank. This should be around $270. Which is alot, but considering Im replacing everything, worth it. I want to get 4 more crabs, I have Simba and Mufasa, and I want Timon, Pumba, Kiara, and Nawla. That's cute ! You named your crabs all lion king characters! I love that movie. That's some good stuff you getting as well!! Happy crabbing

Also, has anyone tried the following foods from HCP? If you have please tell me if your crabs like themCrabtastic Foods Sweet Claw PopcornTHCH Hibiscus Coral CalciumOrganic Soil/Diet SupplementCrabby Delights Meal DealCrabby Delights Fall "Sub" Mix

Mine LOVE the organic soil and the fall sub mix.They did not like the hibiscus coral calcium any more than any other calcium source. They other two I have not tried.