New Crabby Mom here, looking for any tips

[Valaria]

Hey everyone! So I did a no no and bought 2 hermies while on vacation at the beach and brought them home with no tank set up.
I spent a day or so researching some basic housing needs and this is what I've come up with.
They've been housed in their new home (10 gallon aquarium) for about a month now and Hermie has already molted and moved into a new shell while now Crabby buried themselves about 5 days ago and I'm assuming is also molting. The substrate is all purpose sand mixed with some cocofiber roughly 3-4 inches deep. So far it seems to be the perfect substrate for them to dig in as they've got tunnels and caves that are holding up quite well.
They have 2 pools with airstones, one with salt water made with instant ocean and the other fresh water. I'm keeping the tank heated with a undertank heater I've actually attached to the back of the tank. Humidity is always reading anywhere from 80-99% with temperature usually never falling under 75 unless I've had the lid off for a period of time. I admit I'm still feeding them the hermit crab food I bought at the shop but I'm also supplementing with freeze-dried blood worms, baby shrimp, oatmeal and the occasional spoonful of organic baby food.
They have some fake plants to hide and climb, a faux rock cave to hide in, a wood and hemp ladder they can climb across and a converted reptile hammock I've got hanging down the back of the tank they can climb up
So, how far off am I in providing proper care for these guys?
As soon as I get to an actual computer maybe I can figure out how to post pictures on here.

[Jlmills525]

sounds like you're off to a good start!

eggs and egg shells are a great addition for protein and calcium. The pellets are really no good and could be harmful over a long period.

As soon as you feel able, you might want to consider a larger tank.. you can keep an eye on facebook marketplace for cheaper upgrades.

Keep up the good work.

also, if you have a smart phone, it's really easy to upload pics using tapatalk app

[Hermiecrab]

Wow! Your set up so far sounds great. Welcome to the forum!
If you aren't super into hermit crab food, I recommend checking out the below Etsy shops, you will need to still offer fresh fruits and veggies though.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/HermitGrub?re ... =952147824
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BigBeausBouti ... form-mcnav

You seem to be off to a great start, and i'm sure the crabs are enjoying they're setup!

[Valaria]

Thanks for the recommendation of tapatalk!
Here's a picture of my current set up so you get a better idea. Hermie is currently hiding back in the cave so I'll have to get a good pic of him later. Lol
Eventually I will upgrade in size however atm I'm getting ready to welcome my own little bundle (my second) and am kinda focused on that. I'll still keep an eye out for a steal on a larger tank but I'm hoping it's not a priority atm? I know as they get bigger they'll definitely need it but they're both pretty small currently.
I've also learned that Hermie has a knack for climbing aquarium tubing as I found him running across my floor the other night prior to me adding in that ladder for them to climb. I'm looking into sealing off that large hole in the lid to prevent future escapades.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

[curlysister]

Your tank looks great! I had my two crabs in a ten gallon for the first 2 or 3 years I had them with no problems at all.
You can feed lots of foods that you eat, if you don't want to buy things specifically for your crabs. Meat, veggies, fruits, grains, nuts, eggshells, bones, etc from your kitchen will give a balanced diet.
One thing you may want to look into a bit more is shells - I can't see all of the ones you have, but a few of the visible ones have D-shaped openings. Many PPs prefer shells with round openings, so you might want to ensure you are offering some of those too.
And yeah, they can be escape artists for sure - many people find that out the same way you did LOL.

[Valaria]

I have I think 2 or 3 of the D shaped one's in there. Honestly they were just in there for a "beachy" decoration. I ordered an assortment of shells from Amazon that have the nice round openings they prefer. Hermie took a liking to a solid white one in that collection that he promptly moved into when given the opportunity. I suppose it makes more sense for me to remove the unsuitable ones and replace with ones more to their liking so they have more selection. I honestly didn't think about that so thank you for mentioning it! I'll get them switched out first thing in the morning!

[Jlmills525]

Sometimes you can also find round opening (turbo) shells at craft stores

[ROSIEonFIRE]

Your tank sounds pretty good but I'm concerned about the amount of substrate you have. The substrate should be at least 3 times the hight of your biggest crab or, I don't know the exact height the cares heat specifies but 6 inches is a good rule of thumb. I'm really surprised the other posters didn't mention this. Otherwise everything sounds great! I would REALLY reccomend adding more sub. Sufficient substrate is the most important part of the crabitat and its impossible to have too much. Your tat looks really cool!