HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Just a follow up on heating the substrate. I placed a 4” x 6” ZooMed heater on the side of the tank under the soil level. It’s been five days, and I’m impressed with the effect that little heat pad has had on the soil temperature. One inch from the glass the sub temp is 84*. Six inches from it the s...

I've seen some really cute smaller greenhouses used inside as reptile enclosures and have often thought that would be fun to try for hermit crabs. Of course the price tag on those is crazy...

Most of us don't check the substrate temperature. Some of the more scientific crabber do, but in ten years I never have. It is more important to ensure that the air is heated to the proper temps, then the sub will be a bit warmer near the surface and cooler further down - crabs can choose the temp ...

Is there an optimal temperature for the substrate? The air in my crabitat ranges from 72*-82*. The substrate, however is only 72* a couple of inches down and at its deepest spot it's only 70* which is the temperature of the house. This is a 225 gallon tank with 1/2 inch glass. I know that normally i...

225 gallon

I've been keeping plants in my crabitat for years now. The hardiest plants in my experience are spider plants, asparagus ferns, pothos, and philodendron, and the crabs usually leave them alone. The creeping fig that I put into my tank died pretty quickly. I usually put them in in small pots and sink...

I have had a fair amount of success with small potted plants in the tank. Everything is considered potential food for the crabs and I’ve usually got a few plants waiting in the wings for those times when the tank plants are destroyed. Spider plants are probably the most hardy that I’ve grown and are...

I have a large tank for my crabs, 225 gallons, and only four hermits in the tank. They range in size from large to jumbo. The two larger ones need a minimum of 12" of sub for molting. Because it would add too much weight to the tank, rather than go with the entire bottom of the tank in substrate at ...

I've been using live plants for years now. Spider plants are a good place to start. They are easy to grow, and if you start with one outside the tank it will regularly send off babies that can be moved into the tank. You can buy them from a Home Depot, etc. I wait a minimum of three months before in...

My tank has been bioactive for well over a year now and is primarily isopods. They have gotten to the point where I will need to remove some, but I'm waiting for spring since it is still pretty cold here. Once your colony is going strong you will definitely need to add more leaf litter. In the winte...

I never in my wildest dreams thought I would see a hermit crab on an exercise wheel.

Here he is again.

I brought four new hermits home yesterday. I got them from a woman who took them in as a rescue. She'd had them for less than a year, and they all did back to back molts when they came into her care. They look to be in great shape. She thought they were all PP, but two of them are very blue, even th...

I use a microfiber washcloth with diluted vinegar. It seemed to help with hard water buildup inside the tank better than paper towels did.

I use a yogurt container and made a dripper out of it by poking one small hole in it. I position it over a piece of wood or structure and let it do it's thing. The water is released slowly over the course of a couple of hours and soaks the wood/coats the structure and then evaporates.