HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I have a large but shy 2 month old crab about to join the main tank and found myself wondering what's the most common method of introduction. I've seen all kinds of reactions, my crabs have climbed walls, trees and cholla and stayed for days, sparred to the point I intervened and separated them, and had two little ones rush out to welcome the timid new guy. They're all well fed and tended so it's just a personality thing with them. Do you supervise, deep clean, rearrange, community bath, introduce them on neutral ground first? I want to supervise but he only comes up late at night. He loves to tunnel and live subterranean so during the day he could be anywhere!

I always would introduce my new crabs in the play bin (Rubbermaid tub). It was more neutral and open and I could better observe the reactions of the other crabs.

Yup, I do a communal bath in the play bin... then I clean the tank out some (since I'm already in there) while they're roaming in the tub and that way I (as well as the cat - crabbie bath time is the ONLY time he's allowed on the kitchen table and he knows this... the bin is clear so he watches them through the sides) can keep an eye on them and make sure there's no initial hostility... haven't had any problems thus far

I usually put the new ones into the main tank and then watch very closely. I've never had it go badly.

Already said lol, but I always put mine in a large play pen, I think its originally for hamsters or other small animals. I keep a tupperware "bathtub" in there and let each one of them walk around in it for a few moments before letting them go back to walking around the play pen. I always put at least 2 or 3 in the bath together, like a new one and an old one, just because I believe if they all "smell" the same to each other then they'll get along. I was told that looong ago and it seems to be right.

When I introduce a new crab, I place them at the bottom of my "ocean" and then let them crawl out, so to the other crabs, this one just appearantly climbed out of the ocean, and mysteriously appeared!Doing it this way seems to work, it seemingly cleans the new crab, and exposes him to the salt water that he has probably been highly deficient in (as I only care for C. Perlatus) fromt he pet store. I havnt had any problems with it. But ive only introduced one or two new crabs in this way. I personally dont buy a lot of crabs, I think I only have 4 or 5 in my big ol tank, most of which were purchased at the same time, from the same store....

I ususally put 'em all in a play pen so they can get aquanted. Then I rearrange the tank while the're getting to know each other and put them all back in. I haven't had any problems so far.