Help!

[Crabie]

For some reason our county fair had hermit crabs as pets and my son ended up winning one . We have never had a crab but are looking to give it its best life ! We have started his tank but I’ve read they are not good alone so, we are looking to place more crabs in the tank with him. How should or would we need to go about introducing him to new crabs ?

[KyMart]

For some reason our county fair had hermit crabs as pets and my son ended up winning one . We have never had a crab but are looking to give it its best life ! We have started his tank but I’ve read they are not good alone so, we are looking to place more crabs in the tank with him. How should or would we need to go about introducing him to new crabs ?

What used to be thought of as them being social is now just thought of as research sharing. Crabs tend to live the longest in singles or pairs, even though I'm the wild they are seen with hundreds of others walking along beaches at night. You don't need another crab, but you can get one if you want! You just have to think about the fact that if you have two they could fight and possibly kill one another, as well as try to dig each other up when trying to molt. Due to this, I know many people have single crabs and are very happy with such! Also, remember as crabs grow they need more space, one jumbo crab would need a 15 gallon tank, and two jumbo crabs would need a 30 gallon tank, which is a BIG size difference! If you do decide that you want to adopt or purchase another crab, most crabbers recommend dipping them both in some freshwater so they smell the same, watch them closely at first, and if any problems occur just remove the new crab and try again in a few hours! They will warm up to each other eventually!

I also recommended reading the basic care sheets! This will be very helpful! https://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/p ... p?t=119273

What are your tank conditions like? You can fill out the following to give us an idea on your current tank conditions!

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?

2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read?

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?

4. What types of water are available (fresh or salt) and how is the water treated (what brands of dechlorinator or salt mix and what ratio is used to mix it)?

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?

15. Is there any other information you would like to share that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)?

[curlysister]

What used to be thought of as them being social is now just thought of as research sharing. Crabs tend to live the longest in singles or pairs, even though I'm the wild they are seen with hundreds of others walking along beaches at night. You don't need another crab, but you can get one if you want! You just have to think about the fact that if you have two they could fight and possibly kill one another, as well as try to dig each other up when trying to molt. Due to this, I know many people have single crabs and are very happy with such! Also, remember as crabs grow they need more space, one jumbo crab would need a 15 gallon tank, and two jumbo crabs would need a 30 gallon tank, which is a BIG size difference! If you do decide that you want to adopt or purchase another crab, most crabbers recommend dipping them both in some freshwater so they smell the same, watch them closely at first, and if any problems occur just remove the new crab and try again in a few hours! They will warm up to each other eventually!

I also recommended reading the basic care sheets! This will be very helpful! https://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/p ... p?t=119273

What are your tank conditions like? You can fill out the following to give us an idea on your current tank conditions!

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?

2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read?

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?

4. What types of water are available (fresh or salt) and how is the water treated (what brands of dechlorinator or salt mix and what ratio is used to mix it)?

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?

15. Is there any other information you would like to share that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)?

One correction - when you are looking at our care sheet for how many crabs of what size in what size of tank. The minimum tank size for jumbo crabs is 50 gallon. The recommended space per crab is 30 gallons. So even if a person only had one jumbo, we would recommend a 50 gallon tank.

[KyMart]

One correction - when you are looking at our care sheet for how many crabs of what size in what size of tank. The minimum tank size for jumbo crabs is 50 gallon. The recommended space per crab is 30 gallons. So even if a person only had one jumbo, we would recommend a 50 gallon tank.

I swear it said 15 gallons per jumbo, interesting!

[curlysister]

I swear it said 15 gallons per jumbo, interesting!

The chart is read from left to right.
Jumbo crab, legspan 3.5 inches.
Minimum tank size is 50 gallons, 18 inches wide.
Space per crab is 15 gallons .
Substrate depth 12 inches.

So if a person is using a 50 gallon tank, and allows 15 gallons per jumbo crab, 3 is the maximum number of crabs (3x15) they could safely have in it.
If a person has a 90 gallon tank, and allows 15 gallons per jumbo crab, 6 is the number of crabs (6x15).

The reason a larger tank is recommended for larger crabs, is to take into account that they will use more room for digging and tunneling - and to therefore provide enough space underground for anyone molting.

I hope that makes sense!

[KyMart]

The chart is read from left to right.
Jumbo crab, legspan 3.5 inches.
Minimum tank size is 50 gallons, 18 inches wide.
Space per crab is 15 gallons .
Substrate depth 12 inches.

So if a person is using a 50 gallon tank, and allows 15 gallons per jumbo crab, 3 is the maximum number of crabs (3x15) they could safely have in it.
If a person has a 90 gallon tank, and allows 15 gallons per jumbo crab, 6 is the number of crabs (6x15).

The reason a larger tank is recommended for larger crabs, is to take into account that they will use more room for digging and tunneling - and to therefore provide enough space underground for anyone molting.

I hope that makes sense!

It does but I was just so confused because I could have sworn! It says breeders hold more crabs, so are my three crabs fine in my 40 gallon breeder?? Could I house 4 crabs in my 40 gallon breeder??

[Christopher Prieto]

The chart is read from left to right.
Jumbo crab, legspan 3.5 inches.
Minimum tank size is 50 gallons, 18 inches wide.
Space per crab is 15 gallons .
Substrate depth 12 inches.

So if a person is using a 50 gallon tank, and allows 15 gallons per jumbo crab, 3 is the maximum number of crabs (3x15) they could safely have in it.
If a person has a 90 gallon tank, and allows 15 gallons per jumbo crab, 6 is the number of crabs (6x15).

The reason a larger tank is recommended for larger crabs, is to take into account that they will use more room for digging and tunneling - and to therefore provide enough space underground for anyone molting.

I hope that makes sense!

Hi,
Do you have the same chart in centimeters and liters?
Thanks.

[wodesorel]

Hi,
Do you have the same chart in centimeters and liters?
Thanks.

Yes it's located here: viewtopic.php?f=26&t=92541