HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi! Now that the crabs have been digging and working the sub, it have sunken a bit. We want to refill or "top it up" if you want Four of the inmates are down, can we still remove all the plants and roots to fill up some more? Or will it disturb the (maybe) molting crabs? We will redecorate a bit as well. I think it would be no problem, but since I'm new to this, I want to ask [SEE-NO-EVIL MONKEY]

Also, how deep does the crab burrow? Are they at the bottom of the tank? I would think it would be natural to dig deep so that the feel safe enough to molt?

As far as adding sub, you can add 1 inch per 24 hours as long as you don't pack it down. To my understanding, plants should be potted to protect the crabs so that roots don't grow into the sub too much. I don't know how new your plants are, and I wouldn't want to disturb the ones down. I would probably leave the plants alone until the molters come up, for fear of collapsing tunnels/caves. Molters go at all different levels. It's really hard to say. Each crab is different. Also, I just want to make sure you checked safe list for plants

Edit: also with plants: having them potted allows you to water them properly without getting the sub wet.

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Adding more sub, like Gotbutterflies said is the best way to approach. If you want to rearrange, the important thing is not to push things down into the substrate, or bury objects into the substrate as you may collapse tunnels/caves.

Most likely they are at the bottom, I have had crabs in 8-9 inch deep substrate and they were found along the bottom, so it wouldn't surprise if they bury up to a foot or more in the wild.... But some others have noted that their crabs moult almost directly below the surface, so regardless the important thing is to make sure keep disturbances to a minimum,

Thanks for the answers! The plants are all one the safe list and in there pots

Anytime!