HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Is 4 crabs in a 29 Gallon tank pushing the limit? Is it considered overcrowded? I really think there is only enough room for three in a tank that size. I currently have 2 crabs in a 20 Gallon, which is my starting size. I'm considering a 29 for my tank upgrade.

crabby33 wrote:Is 4 crabs in a 29 Gallon tank pushing the limit? Is it considered overcrowded? I really think there is only enough room for three in a tank that size. I currently have 2 crabs in a 20 Gallon, which is my starting size. I'm considering a 29 for my tank upgrade.

One, It depends on the size of the crabs.
What size are your crabs?

If you have 4 large crabs, that is overcrowding. But if you have 4 little, small crabs, it may be fine for a bit, but you'll still need to give them more room because they grow. I have two small crabs in a 40 gallon, so I could put two more crabs in because there is a minimum of 10 gallons per crab. Although, I have heard of people who keep up to 7 crabs in a 10 gallon with no problems. I personally wouldn't keep that many in a tank that small, but if the crabs are happy, that's all that matters Hopefully my input helped you.

I have two crabs in a 20 Gallon tank. One is a large. He's in a fluctuosus with a 1 1/4" opening. The other one is a medium in an apple murex with a 7/8" opening.

crabby33 wrote:I have two crabs in a 20 Gallon tank. One is a large. He's in a fluctuosus with a 1 1/4" opening. The other one is a medium in an apple murex with a 7/8" opening.

Oh, I apologize! I misunderstood. You are fine with those two sized crabs in the 20 gallon. You might just be able to put other crabs in the 29 gallon, just not too many large crabs.

Your input did help. I think there would be room for just one more crab in a 29 Gallon for a minimum of 10 Gallons per crab. 3 crabs in a 29/30 Gallon tank. 4 crabs in a 40. 5 crabs in a 55.
I haven't gotten the 29 yet. Right now, I'm just considering what is and isn't considered overcrowding.

crabby33 wrote:Your input did help. I think there would be room for just one more crab in a 29 Gallon for a minimum of 10 Gallons per crab. 3 crabs in a 29/30 Gallon tank. 4 crabs in a 40. 5 crabs in a 55.
I haven't gotten the 29 yet. Right now, I'm just considering what is and isn't considered overcrowding.

I'm glad that I helped Just a question, Will you be posting any pictures of your setup and/or crabs in the near future?

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Yes, I will post a pic of both crabs in the near future. Oh, and just so you know, if I post a picture of the tank, I currently don't have a UTH right now. I had two Zoo Med ones but they crapped out on me and I threw them away. I will get a new one when I can afford it. I use a fish tank hood with an 18" Repti Glo fluorescent light for daytime lighting and it gets turned off at night for the day/night cycle.

And my sub may look a little low but my crabs can still completely bury and build caves. It's about 3 inches and I need to add more on top for the right depth.