I'm new to hermit crabs and want to know if I have their setup right

[fluffyb1rde]

Hi I'm new to keeping hermit crabs I had been considering getting some for awhile and was doing research on them planning to build the perfect habitat for them before I got some but a family member got me one as a gift so I went from someday in the future to I need a setup now I'm just wondering if I'm doing this right I have a 36 gallon bowfront tank that has full spectrum lights a substrate is half aquarium sand and half bioactive mix currently there are two cholla pieces in there a betta log an aquarium plant that was sturdy enough to hold my gifted crab, declorinated fresh and salt water pools with sponge on the sides and stagum moss I currently have 5 crabs Bruno who was the one gifted to me he's about the size of a golf ball including his shell then I have four hermit crabs I got from a local store that are about a quarter to half of bruno's size I picked them up because I read that hermit crabs do better with friends I'm still trying to decide on names for them there are also some dairy cow isopods in the tank on the bioactive side

[wodesorel]

What kind of aquarium sand? Not all sand is safe and many of the sands sold for fish is painted or coated which can potentially flake off and cause problems for hermit crabs. Plain playsand is all natural and a lot better, and much cheaper as well. It should be at least three times deeper than your biggest hermit (legs included) which can work out to 6 to 8 inches for a golfball sized crab. Having enough deep substrate to allow them to molt safely is important when you have multiples! If mixed with biological material used for bioactive mixes, it also becomes bioactive - to a point. Since there aren't any live plants to use up the stored nutrients from the broken down poop it won't ever become a truely self maintaining system.

[fluffyb1rde]

The sand is supernaturals its not colored or painted bioactive mix is a tropical mix from zoomed I will be adding plants soon currently I'm growing them up a bit in a spare 10gallon tank until they are sturdy enough for the crabs to climb they are going to have pathos, Bromeliads, air plants, and live moss.

[steven1453]

Hi I'm new to keeping hermit crabs I had been considering getting some for awhile and was doing research on them planning to build the perfect habitat for them before I got some but a family member got me one as a gift so I went from someday in the future to I need a setup now I'm just wondering if I'm doing this right I have a 36 gallon bowfront tank that has full spectrum lights a substrate is half aquarium sand and half bioactive mix currently there are two cholla pieces in there a betta log an aquarium plant that was sturdy enough to hold my gifted crab, declorinated fresh and salt water pools with sponge on the sides and stagum moss I currently have 5 crabs Bruno who was the one gifted to me he's about the size of a golf ball including his shell then I have four hermit crabs I got from a local store that are about a quarter to half of bruno's size I picked them up because I read that hermit crabs do better with friends I'm still trying to decide on names for them there are also some dairy cow isopods in the tank on the bioactive side

I have 36 gallon bowfront tank too... How is going setup friend? Did you decide true sand? I wonder your project

[fluffyb1rde]

My goal is to make it like a beach fading into a forest or jungle and as close to their natural habitat as possible the plants still have some growing to do but the crabs seem to like it three are burrowed down and molting eventually I plan to get a small greenhouse and turn the entire thing into a vivarium