New Crab Care-taker~

[Jackdaw]

Hello, everybody. I'm Jack and I ended up with a hermit crab. I've been doing research and will be picking up a 20l tomorrow and after I get that set-up, I'll be getting my girl Sapphire some friends (probably named Ruby and Garnet). Tbh, I got Sapphire as a rescue. She's in a five gallon tank with sand/eco earth substrate-- it's five inches at its highest and half an inch at its lowest (I keep the water dishes at the low side and her hides at the deep sides.) Heat is around 75*-80* and humidity is around 65-75% (hopefully that'll smooth out in a larger tank-- the five gallon is temporary and was just quickly set up the night of her rescue).
She's mostly been hiding as I've only had her for a few days, but whenever I go in to mist her tank and change her food and water, she gets all active and comes out to investigate. I was wondering if anybody could help me identify what species she may be. She willingly climbed onto my hand today and was happily exploring so I'm hopeful she'll be alright. I try not to disturb her too much while she adjusts but like I said, she came over when I was doing food/water changes so I let her check me out.

https://imgur.com/gallery/YndRk
https://youtu.be/0wOfIBzPRDw
https://youtu.be/STziZv5AOfs

[LadyJinglyJones]

Plighted crabs ensnare all kinds of people every year. Be warned, they are highly addictive.
Welcome to the fold!

Are the names a ref to Steven Universe?
You're right that the larger tank will likely hold humidity better - what kind of lid are you planning to use?
Acrylic or glass make a big difference. And if you have difficulty, bubblers can give you a boost.

Saphy looks like an E, or equadorian (also called Eccies).
Scientific name is Coenobita compressus.

This species prefer higher temps & are considered to be very active diggers. There is some potential for digging up fellow crabs when they're moulting in smaller tanks. When you get her a buddy, maybe stick to just one unless you upgrade to a larger tank. I think a thirty gal is the recommended min size with these guys (?).

Try to make sure when looking for a friend for her that you find one of the same species... purple pinchers are rather more common than Es.

Edit: Okay, here's the E species info page!
http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 51&t=92454

[Hermias_mom]

Welcome to HCA! Good for you, for rescuing a crab! That's awesome that you've been doing your research and care so much about her!!! You're in good company here at HCA!

I assume you've seen them, but they're just so awesome - link to HCA care sheets is here: http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... m.php?f=51

One thought, if she's an E, minimum recommended substrate depth is 10-12", especially once she has a buddy, to prevent Ecuadorians from digging up molters. Also feed plenty of protein. The safe food list has many options.

In your search for more crabs/species buddy for Sapphire, have you checked out the HCA adoption forum yet? There may be some crabbers in your area wanting to re-home crabs, or some folks on Craigslist wanting to get rid of their crabs. Adopting crabs from previous owners is a good way to avoid supporting the pet industry (all land hermit crabs are wild caught and transported in horrible conditions), and often the crabs will be less likely to die from post-purchase syndrome (PPS) once you bring them home. There may not be anyone in your area trying to re-home their crabs, but I figured it couldn't hurt to look.

Have you seen the pics/video of crabs on the hamster wheel yet? If you're getting a 20 gallon tank, you might have space for one. Personally, I think it's the funniest thing ever, watching them walk on a hamster wheel.

If you haven't already purchased it yet, please be advised that getting the largest tank you can is probably a wise use of resources. Many crabs double in size in a year, and can live 10-20+ years in captivity given optimal conditions, and it sounds like you plan to give your crabs the best crabitat ever! Once they're jumbos, recommended tank size is 100 gallons (to give them the tank width to walk around well), and they need at least 15+ gallons of space each. More details in the HCA care sheets on sizing your tank for the size and number of crabs you have or plan to have.

EDIT: Second-hand tanks work great for crabbing. It doesn't have to hold water. Craigslist, Bookoo, Letgo, Offerup, consignment sales and thrift stores are good places to look. And occasionally Petco and Petsmart have 1$/gallon sales for tanks 40-50 gallons and under if you're in the USA.

If you have any questions, please do let us know. We're here to help!

Happy crabbing!!!

[Jackdaw]

Thanks everybody! I've been reading through all the info I can. Today I bought a 29 gallon tank instead of a 20. I wanted to get a 40 breeder tank but they were sold out and today was the last dollar per gallon sale day so i settled for the 29. A 55 is sadly too big for this moment in time, though I'll happily upgrade their tank for them in the future. I just wanted to get them a more spacious home as quickly as I could. I got the biggest bag of eco-earth they sold and a more powerful bulb for the heat lamp. Sapphire has a friend-- Garnet! Booger pinched me when I was inspecting him. I'm definitely gonna watch for more on Craigslist or the adoption pages. My girlfriend is going to pick out a Ruby. And they definitely are Steven Universe references. My girlfriend's idea.

I'll post pictures in the morning of their tank and setup. Humidity and temperature are both holding steady at 80% humidity and 78-82 degrees depending on if I'm running the fan in my room or not, so I'm very happy with that. Garnet was already chowing down on the food I offered and Sapphire is still exploring. I'm really glad I found this forum. I want to give them the best life I can!

[Jackdaw]

Tadaaaa~ my crabitat so far. I have a food dish for dry food and one for fresh food. I'm gradually adding more climbing things and shells for them. I'm going to have to order some online cause none of the shops around here have the kind my guys like and I know Garnet wants to get it of her painted shell.

Crabitat https://imgur.com/gallery/QwwEu

I love lying on the floor before bed at night and watching them do their things. I'm also going to add some play sand to their substrate within a few days after my paycheck goes through. Any suggestions are welcomed!!

[GotButterflies]

Welcome to the HCA!

Love the upgrades you are already making for your crabs! They are really lucky to have you!

You've already mentioned that you are going to add more substrate - so that is great - you need at least 10-12" for e's

I recommend deeper water bowls for your crabs. You don't need to buy the expensive kind from the pet store. Most of us use tupperware containers. I'll see if I can find LadyJinglyJones link : http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... r#p1030806

Do you have any craft stores like Michaels, Hobby Lobby or Joanns fabrics around? Both of those accept each others coupons. They carry shells that hermit crabs like, here is the shell guide: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 24&t=92552 You could find some great shells for your crabbies there. Check for Cholla wood there too. Some of us add second and third levels by adding height. You can add branches from safe wood for them to climb. Safe wood would be off of the safe list. No pesticides or fertilizers used. Freeze or bake the wood first to kill bugs.

Hope that gives you some ideas

[C_fiesta]

Tadaaaa~ my crabitat so far. I have a food dish for dry food and one for fresh food. I'm gradually adding more climbing things and shells for them. I'm going to have to order some online cause none of the shops around here have the kind my guys like and I know Garnet wants to get it of her painted shell.

Crabitat https://imgur.com/gallery/QwwEu

I love lying on the floor before bed at night and watching them do their things. I'm also going to add some play sand to their substrate within a few days after my paycheck goes through. Any suggestions are welcomed!!

Lovely! Congratulations on the adoption!

The sponges you have in the dishes will eventually harbor bacteria. You can dry them out and just place them in the tat, they might nibble on them. Instead of sponges, many people use plastic craft mesh as ladders available for less than $1 at craft stores. You can also use suction cups to hang fish net or more greenery for them to climb. They love to climb!

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