Halloween Crabs

[Tempest66]

Hi-

I just bought my first Halloween crab. I've had hermit crabs for 15 years now and absolutely LOVE them and I've had great luck with them due to the web/book information available on them. Halloween crabs seem to be somewhat a mystery. I've done as much research as I could, but there really isn't alot of information about them.

Is there anyone here that has Halloween crabs that could give me some pointers? I have both salt and fresh water available, I'm watching the humidity, he was hermit crab food and I'm giving him fruits & vegetables. I've read that some people use grass and leaves??

The pet store also had them in WITH the hermit crabs. Can they really be put together? I only have one Halloween crab to a tank all by his lonesome. Several different posts I've found said that they can fight and kill each other, so I was afraid to have more than one. Is this the right move?

I'm new to HCA and this is my first post....Thanks for approving my membership so I can get some help

[wolfnipplechips]

Welcome. I don't know much about halloween crabs, but I know there are a couple people here who do know a lot about them. Until they come along, here are some threads you could read on them.
http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 55&t=85398
http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 55&t=88089

[wodesorel]

Halloween crabs and Patriot crabs are often confused by pet shops, so it'll be important to ID what you have since their care differs. It's probably a Halloween crab, but you should make sure.

True Halloween crabs are freshwater and/or brackish as they live in mangroves and also in forests. It's a burrower so it should have deep substrate, and they are mainly vegetarians so yep - grass and leaves are a good things for them, along with sprouts of various plants. They should still have access to proteins and also calcium sources. They also need deep enough water areas to get in and submerge if you aren't doing a palludarium-style tank. (Which are pains! I would recommend the bowls instead. )

Only one per tank is the way to go, and they do get large (up to 4 inches), so a 20 long would be the minimum it would need when bigger. They start off really cute and tiny but they will grow! Not sure on how large yours is right now.

I know there have been members who put them together with their hermit crabs, but no reports long-term on how well it worked out. Hermits can live for decades, and Moon Crabs live up to 10 years. We know that short term (a year) has worked before for one or two members, but we don't know if it impacts either one of their lifespans past that. They do have roughly the same care, although the diet is different.

[Tempest66]

Thanks Wolfnipplechips and Wodesorel for the replies!

It looks like I am on the right track (I sure hope I do right by this little guy). I double checked and he is a true Halloween Crab (his body is about 1 and 1/2 inches). I do have two deep dishs for both salt and one for fresh water. When I first brought him home and put him in the cage he was of course very scared, but he still ran right into the saltwater dish. He jumped in and started to scoop water with both claws as fast as he could to his mouth. It made me sad to see that even with how scared he was he was so deprived of the right water he immediately went for it instead of finding a safe hiding place. The store only had a wet sponge with fresh water. I've told them several times they need to have both salt and fresh because they carry all types of hermits in that cage. My little guy does go into the fresh water, but I find him in the salt dish more.

He also has a cuttlebone and I can tell he has started to make marks in it ! Right now he is working on a piece of celery I gave him for a treat and tommorow I'm going try some nice grass from outside. He does love his hermit crab food, too.

Thank you both again for your help!

P.S. I named him "PK" which is short for Pumpkin King (I'm big Tim Burton/Nightmare Before Christmas fan and I thought that might fit him good).