Just thought I'd post this here, it's a list of possible issues that may arise with mixing species incase anyone needed it
From what I have gathered: some people keep multiple species together with no problem. However, some have found to have problems when mixing species so it's quite a debatable topic. This is just some info that I have collected, but as I stated, it is a debatable topic so this isn't really a concrete list.
It's recommended not to keep Indo's and Viola's together. Indo's are shallow molters and violas are hunters so they have been known to dig up the indo's.
I know Straws, Equadorians/compressus or indos can mix with pps. Es also prefer higher humidity 80%. Straws are the hardest to keep. They require 80-85F and 80-85% humidity no fluctuation. If you mix them it's recommended to get the same size straw or a bit larger than the crabs you currently have.
Es/compressus also need a higher amount of calcium in their diet. This species has the most trouble molting and has been found to get trapped in their exo during the molting process.
C. Purpureus/Blueberry hermit crabs have a bit of a debate about them, some say they are too shy and will not stick up for themselves so they should be housed alone. Others have noted aggression around food and believe they can be housed with mixed species. needs 80F/80%humidity
Ruggies I've heard get along with pps but I've also heard that they have been noted to be pretty aggressive so it's more recommended to mix them with Es. Some recommend keeping them in a tank by themselves. I've also heard that they can be pretty docile and warm up to people quicker than most species. So as you can see there's a bunch of mixed info. needs 80F/80%humidity
Acknowledgements and References:
I would like to thank the HCA for putting all of the care and work into hermit crabs and creating an environment for members to share experiences and learn.
Also, thanks to the rest of the hermit crab community for all the hard work and dedication put into studying these fascinating creatures if not for them we wouldn't have such informative sources to learn from.
Mixing Species- possible issues
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Topic author - Posts: 250
- Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:04 am
- Location: Illinois
Mixing Species- possible issues
Crystal
"There is no right way to do the wrong thing." - KingFisher
My organic hermit crab food store, Crabby Teas is now up and running! Please feel free to check out the shop. Mention the HCA and I will include a free gift! http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrabbyTeas?ref=pr_shop
"There is no right way to do the wrong thing." - KingFisher
My organic hermit crab food store, Crabby Teas is now up and running! Please feel free to check out the shop. Mention the HCA and I will include a free gift! http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrabbyTeas?ref=pr_shop
Re: Mixing Species- possible issues
I only have E's and PP's (From what I know) but the only aggression I've seen is PPs going after other PPs. never seen any other kind of aggression. the crabs getting stuck in exo makes so much sense though, i've had that happen a few times. come across them during a deep clean, help them out of the exo and sometimes the exo is so narsty by that point you have to get rid of it, but honey & cuddlebone fix that .
Re: Mixing Species- possible issues
Thanks for the information!
like to keep my compressus' in a different tank than PP's but it's mainly because they are big and aggressive compared to my PP's. Also, the E's dig a lot; but that's another topic.
like to keep my compressus' in a different tank than PP's but it's mainly because they are big and aggressive compared to my PP's. Also, the E's dig a lot; but that's another topic.
Re: Mixing Species- possible issues
Thanks for sharing the info. I keep Es and PPs together and have never had any problems, in fact my bigger PPs seem to look after the little guys, but soon I will be introducing violas and indos! Hopefully that will go well and if it doesn't that's why I have an iso and can always put them into a 2nd 20 gl tank I have. We will see!!
Proud Mama to: 1 Human Son- Nevan
Furkids: 2 dogs- Arden, & Ella
Shell babies: 16 PPs, 5 Es, 2 Violas, 2 Indos, 3 Straws & 2 Blues
Furkids: 2 dogs- Arden, & Ella
Shell babies: 16 PPs, 5 Es, 2 Violas, 2 Indos, 3 Straws & 2 Blues