New/Want to make my crabs happier.

oz646 · Post by **oz646** » Sat Aug 09, 2014 6:32 am

Hi, I have been keeping crabs for for awhile now, and also love to keep ants. They have been living a decent life(the crabs), but I really want to step up my game.Currently I have a ten gallon tank with 2 crabs (I haven't named them yet). One's small and the other is medium. I have no idea on the species, but I'm gonna try to figure it out soon. There is one salt water pool and one fresh water pool. Also, since I felt like I was lacking a second level, I put a sponge in a biodegradable pot and stuck in between the drift wood. The substrate is calcium sand which I read was to fine, and also it doesn't seem to be getting to moist. This may be because my tank isn't trapping enough moisture or I'm just no really sure how moist it's supposed to get. So, should I switch to sand or that coconut fiber stuff. I currently don't have a hydrometer, but I'm going to PetsMart/Wal-Mart later today. I'm going shopping today to try and do a total upgrade on the tank, but I'm not sure how that's going to work.Now, I have some questions about the crabs. One of them just molted and is very active, hes the smaller one. The second one I just bought, stays all of his time in a little coconut husk and is digging into the substrate. He is very inactive, so my guess is that his starting to molt. I'm not really sure though. Also, he immediately took a bath in the salt water pool and then switched shells as soon as I got him. But, after that he just went into the hut. The little crab sometimes visits him in the hut. I really want to make them happier, and any help would mean a lot.If this any bit confusing just ask, and I'll post some pictures.

crazycrabber · Post by **crazycrabber** » Sat Aug 09, 2014 7:37 am

are their big pinchers purple? If so they are likely pp hermit crabs, purple pincher or carribean hermit crabs. Also you said one of them changed shells right away, the second most common species, ecudorian hermit crabs rarely change shells, while the most common, purple pincher hermit crabs change even for fun! Also was the shell he changed out of painted? If so immediately take it out, pet stores force them in them and they are unhealthy! Finally i think the inactive one, depending on how long you have had him could be suffering from pps, post purchase syndrome, or just destressing! Not always bad for them to not be to active, too active can sometimes mean not comfortable and really stressed. Welcome to the forums!

oz646 · Post by **oz646** » Sat Aug 09, 2014 8:41 am

Thanks crazycrabber. The medium sized one is definitely a PP. The other on is still pretty pale from molt and I cant ID her. I have couple more questions though after doing more research. For two hermit crabs how often and how much should I feed them? I want to start feeding them a all natural diet. I was reading about all this complicated stuff you have to do for nutrients and feeding, but I just wanted to know what most people do for this kind of stuff( heres the link ). This leads into my next question, Can I/Should I add another crab to my tank? I'm not going to do it now, but I was wondering if I should upgrade before I do that. This one may be silly but can hermit crabs actually go under the water if they have a way out? One more (I have a lot of questions), any tips on adding a second level? Mine right now is ok, but I really want to add more.

jenok · Post by **jenok** » Sat Aug 09, 2014 9:11 am

Your link is similar to our food list. Check it out at the top of this forum. The easiest way to do their diet is too provide something from each category food a couple times a week. Another words give them a varied diet everyday of something new. I think it is the second food list again at the top of this forum that has some examples on feeding crabs. Your crab being a pale color means it didn't get a very good diet (probably there are exceptions).You would be better off asking all your questions in the LHC part of the forum. As for adding a crab I would wait awhile and it depends on your tanks size. If you look at the very bottom of the main forum page there is an archived library full of info and second level ideas. Welcome, hope this helps.

oz646 · Post by **oz646** » Sat Aug 09, 2014 10:31 am

Thanks jenok. I'm about to go shopping and going to buy a lot of food/ supplies. At first the whole food thing felt over whelming, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. Thanks for posting jenok and crazycrabber, I'm probably just going to start posting in LHC part for now on out.

Geranium · Post by **Geranium** » Sat Aug 09, 2014 11:37 am

I posted this recently on Facebook. It doesn't go into the details of why just the advice, mostly learned here. You will notice some things that I would recommend you change such as getting rid of the calcium sand as a substrate, it is downright dangerous. Also not in the following, the sponge should not go in the water, it is good cellulose source but grows harmful bacteria when wet.I just posted this to another post, copied here. Okay so basics. Tank: Glass Aquarium Tank 10 gallon minimum, they will quickly out grow it so I would suggest larger if you are willing/able, look for free ones on freecycle or craigslist.Substrate: Fill it 6-8 inches with playsand with some EcoEarth mixed in, more sand than EE twice the depth your largest crab is tall, at least 6 inches deep. Some use just playsand without incident, some use just EE but there is some concern over the pH doing harm to molting crabs. Hydrate it with dechlorinated water, many advise dechlorinated aquarium salt water to inhibit mold growth. Playsand not calcium sand, the petstores are wrong, it is not good for them as a substrate, non colored/white sand is fine for a food. The substrate should be hydrated so it is sand castle consistency so they can easily create molting pockets/caves and tunnels.Humidity and Heat: Gauges are important. The heat and humidity should be no lower than 75 each, preferably closer to 80, for exotics 85. For heat, UTHs (under tank heater) are a good place to start. They need to be side or back mounted, under is dangerous for many reasons due to the depth of the sub. You will need the equivalent of 3 times the heat of your tank, for instance a 10 gallon tank would need one or more UTH which combined are rated for 30 gallons. Lights can be used in addition to the UTHs in the larger tanks 20/30 gallon and up. On smaller tanks they usually sap the humidity. To keep the humidity up you want your sub at sand castle consistency and you want a good lid. Some use glass panes or plexi over a mesh lid or just the glass, some use tank lids, some use Saran Wrap or Glad Press & Seal. Either way make sure there are no escape routes, these guys can climb almost anything and are incredibly strong at times and in unexpected ways. If the lid and sub alone don't keep your humidity in a good range you can try adding a damp moss pit, larger pools near the heaters, pools with bubblers, humidifiers, etc.Food: They can eat most real food, shrimp, chicken bone marrow, bananas, popcorn, eggs, dry maple leaves and organic honey are some of the favorites of mine. Variety is important. Most of the commercial food in petstores is bad for them. There are websites such as The Hermit Crab Patch and The Hermit Crab Addiction Store which have good reputations for healthy dried foods. They will need all sorts of variety including fiber sources and calcium sources. Mine enjoy a mix of pulverized cuttlebone, egg shells, crushed oyster shells and calcium sand. To that I usually add worm castings which they are obsessed with!Water: They will need both salt and fresh water available to them at all times. Many love to soak in the bowls so they should be deep enough. You can add river stones or needlepoint canvas to make sure they can easily get out. The waters need to be dechlorinated with a product that breaks down the chlorine but also the heavy metal bonds to make the water safe for them. The salt should be aquarium salt, I use Instant Ocean because that is what I can find. Decoration/Entertainment: They need places to hide like huts or leafy plastic plants or even tipped plastic or glass bowls. They will also need stuff to climb on, sticks of safe woods, maple & oak are my favorites because they are in my yard. Make sure you soak them in declor salt water and bake to kill off bugs, etc. Or cholla branches are wonderful. I found some really nice big ones on sale in the bird section. Shells: Spare shells in ever so slightly larger sizes and similar shapes to what they are in. Shapes being the opening rather than the outside. At least 3 shells per crab. No painted shells. The carved ones are really neat though.Crabs: I would suggest starting with PPs, they are the ones with the big purple claw and small round eyes. They are more hearty than the others. They are all nocturnal so will likely sleep all day and be up near dinner time.

oz646 · Post by **oz646** » Sat Aug 09, 2014 2:54 pm

Thanks Geranium. I literally had just left for shopping when you posted. I got most of everything on that list except the play sand. I got coconut fiber, logs, fake plants, meal worms, blood worms, fruit salad, gauges, a turtle island, and I'm going to order a protein mix from The Hermit Crab Patch. I have plenty of egg, vegetables, and fruit at home already. I still need to get a UTH though. It's getting late where I live and I don't want to dump out the sand and reorganize everything at night. Thanks for the posts and I'll let everyone know how it goes tomorrow.

oz646 · Post by **oz646** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 4:47 am

Alright, I'm heading to Home Depot later today to get some play sand, then finally setting everything up.

oz646 · Post by **oz646** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 9:52 am

Is sakrete play sand safe? They didn't have any other.

Geranium · Post by **Geranium** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 10:20 am

Looks fine from what I found online. It is play sand.

oz646 · Post by **oz646** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 2:10 pm

Almost finished! I ordered some moss online and are just waiting for that to arrive. I'm gonna use the turtle island as a second level piece when I get the moss. I'm still thinking on names for crabs, but I'll let everyone know when I name them. Album

Geranium · Post by **Geranium** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 2:33 pm

Looking good! Can't wait to see it finished.