HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi there, I’m having a hard timing finding the right balance of humidity and temperature. I read on this board that a temp of 80 deg F is ideal for the crabs, but then my humidity increases to the upper 80’s... was trying to keep that between the recommended 70-80 %. I have a 10 gallon glass aquarium with a lid, a 6 x 4 heater pad stuck to the back wall above the substrate, 6 inches of coco fiber substrate with a little sand moistened to sand castle consistency, fresh water and saltwater containers, and sponges. When I try venting the top, the humidity goes back down between 70-80 % but the temp drops to about 75-76 def F. I read the higher humidity isn’t harmful, it can just promote more mold growth which I obviously want to avoid. Any thoughts? Thank you so much!!

My humidity runs in the 90s, and often at 99%! Mold isn't harmful to the crabs, but it can cause some issues if the humans are allergic. I have only had mild mold problems over the years. If I were you, I would be very happy with your humidity even in the upper 80s!

As long as humidity is 75% or higher then you’re good. Mine runs around 85%.

Ok great, good to know!! Thank you so much to both of you

TurtleandJaws wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 21, 2020 6:13 pm

Ok great, good to know!! Thank you so much to both of you

No problem.

I’ve had issues with mold in the past, so I keep my humidity in the 70%-80% range, which seems to help.

Temperature-wise above 70F is safe so I wouldn’t be concerned about your dips.

Hi there! A climbing wall I’ve only had for two weeks is now covered in mold... should I remove it? I’m glad my humidity is high and the crabs are happy, but if I wanted to get the humidity down to between 70-80% how would I do it? Thank you!!

P.s. how do you post a picture?! Thank you!!

Mold won’t hurt the crabs but it can trigger human allergies. I’m allergic to mold so I try to minimize it when possible.

As for lowering humidity, you could mist less or open up the lid more often. I have a hygrostat that lets me control humidity with greater precision.


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You can kill the mold with hydrogen peroxide and then treat the item with heat and salt, and return it once cleaned and dry!

Good to know!! Thanks very much to both of you!!

Thank you! What brand/type of hygrostat would you recommend?

I’ve been using the one from PetsPioneer, but anything built for enclosures will do.


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Thank you so much!