HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Mood - that’s my plan it’s just all too weird.

I want to thank everyone for their response. Hopefully I'm just a nervous mom. Ya don't EVEN want to talk to me while they're molting. I can't believe how much these guys have stolen my heart.

Ps thanks for responding.

Curly sister, Yes I cannot smell or see anything wrong with the substrate. I’m concerned because they stayed at the top of the 45g tank day and night for the whole time they were in the new tank first wildly moving around then just hanging there. If I moved them to the substrate to eat or drink they...

I want to start off by saying my crabs are currently in a safe environment with safe substrate, but I think I have some bad substrate and I’m wondering if it can be tested for toxins/noxious substances, fumes or whatever. This involves 2 crabs and 3 tanks, one of which I think had the bad substrate....

I’m NOT an expert, but I think if he were mine, I’d put a shallow water dish right in front of him and offer him honey on a QTip. I’d probably also put some moist moss along side him because I’d be concerned he’s dehydrated. I hope we get an expert soon because I’m just guessing.

A quick way to add humidity is to hang a piece of wicking fabric or material from the top of the tat down to a container of water. I use a scrap of fishing net. Hope you get this solved.

So do the crabs spend time under water in both the Fresh and Salt water pools? I’m setting up my new habitat and thought I might as well piggy back a question on this thread.

Thank you will do

My current tank is 20 x12 the new one is 36 x18. My current substrate is 6”. I have 2 PP with 1/2 n 3/4” openings. They’ve molted twice in the 6 months I’ve had them. I’m thinking of getting 1 or 2 more crabs of the same size because when my brave and outgoing Rocky is down my shy Pinchy seems stres...

I’m hoping to buy a new to me larger tank today and I’m wondering if the substrate needs to cover the entire tank as long as it is the right depth, content/mix, moisture etc. I’m thinking of splitting the the tank with another internal container to hold the substrate and the other side with cocoa or...

I plan to experiment:
Shells in fresh water and salt water then switch them etc.

I plan to experiment:
Shells in fresh water and salt water then switch them etc.

I thought it might be the slipperyness of salt water. Oddly enough my first shell change was into a petrified shell I was using as a water ladder. I moved all of the purchased shells into the water and Boom they went on a change spree. Rocky wears others for awhile but always goes back to that heavy...

My crabs only change shells when the shells are in the salt water pool. Is this common.
As background: I’ve only had my small crabs For 6 months and 1 has just come up from his 2nd molt. The second is currently down for his second molt. They wear < 1/2” shells.