Hello all!

[randa4770]

Hi! My name is Randa. I am married with two children, a dog, and now two hermit crabs. We were on vacation at the beach and, of course, my son wanted to buy some hermit crabs. Well they seemed interesting and I too had always wanted one (even as a little girl).

We have been crab owners since September 2016. We filled the temporary cage they give you with beach sand. When we arrived home I started doing research on how to care for them lol. One crab died within a week or two. The other crab survived and has been living in the temporary cage until just after Christmas. We now have a 10g tank and a second hermit crab we bought from Petco. I opted for play sand as my substrate. And we also used the sand from the beach. (We scooped up extra beach sand and put it in our plastic sand buckets lol. We did not know what we were doing!) Anyway, substrate, food dishes, water dishes, and extra shells is all we have in the tank right now. I have been looking on here and google to get ideas as to how to set up our tank. I hope to buy/make more things in the next few weeks. We definitely need some climbing and hiding materials.

So I just wanted to say hey to everyone. And thank you all for this wealth of information in one place!

PS: I have really fell in love with these little critters and already want a bigger tank and more crabs. They are so fun to watch. The temporary cage was in my son's room but the 10g tank is in the living room so we can all enjoy them.

[kieagcarm]

Welcome, this forum helped me completely and I hope you take all its knowledge to heart. We love pictures here, and I can't wait to see your crababies! Do you have names for them? Are you giving them both salt and fresh water, they need both to survive and even breathe right(they have gills). How much play sand do you have in the tank? It needs to be at sand castle consistency and at minimum 6 inches deep so they can molt and dig. I was very unprepared when my parents bought crabs for my daughters. I hope we can help you get everything together these interesting creatures need to strive and be happy

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[randa4770]

The smaller one is Sheldon and the new larger one doesn't have a name yet lol.

I'm thinking I need more sand but I have to wait until they are both above ground to be able to change that. I don't have salt water right now. I'm still working on it all. My husband talked me out of buying a humidity gauge the other day when we picked up the second crab and heater. So I need to do that also. Lots of work still to do.

[daws409]

Hi and welcome to HCA!

Sand - you can add more with them down. You just have to add 1/2 inch per day til desired depth and lightly layer it (not packing it down).... Play sand not calcium sand.

Gauges - definitely is a must. Analogs aren't reliable. You can get a digital one (AcuRite) for under $10 at Wal-Mart or any hardware store.

Salt - marine grade such as instant ocean... Mix according to package. Make sure both water dishes are deep enough for them to fully submerge. Doubled up Tupperware can work. (one dish with rocks, pebbles, or marbles in bottom submerged in sub and the other sits inside holding the water... Can use plastic canvas or mesh as ramps.

Welcome again! If you have any questions, shoot away. We're all here to help. [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]

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[randa4770]

Is there a sticky of websites that you all like to purchase from or brands that are acceptable? Where do you all get the rope things and the plastic looking things for the crabs to get out of the water?

[daws409]

Is there a sticky of websites that you all like to purchase from or brands that are acceptable? Where do you all get the rope things and the plastic looking things for the crabs to get out of the water?

I use plastic canvas as ramps for the pools. They're found in Wal-Mart craft section usually with yarn. The rope (I assume fish net) can also be found in any craft store.

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[kieagcarm]

Is there a sticky of websites that you all like to purchase from or brands that are acceptable? Where do you all get the rope things and the plastic looking things for the crabs to get out of the water?

Plastic mesh canvas for yarn stitching, cross stitching I'd what I use and I got a sheet for 69¢ at joann fabrics, I got my fish net from Amazon once and still have so much extra, for less than $4. If you go on Amazon and type in reptile decor, or really just reptile, it brings up tons of cool stuff for crabitats, I get most of my stuff off Amazon cheaper than stores. Cholla wood, driftwood, mopani wood are all great things for them to climb, plus they live in trees in the wild so they love it.

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[randa4770]

Thank you both so much for the info. I am heading to Amazon right now. Never would have thought to look there.

[Highnmighty217]

Welcome! Need crabber owner here from Aug/sept as well! This site as been life saver....for my crabs and outlet after bring crazy bout crabs to share things!


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[LadyJinglyJones]

Heya! Its great to have you on board... we're all pretty crab-obsessed. If you love crabs, you will fit in here. There's so much to learn about them. I feel like I could spend my life studying these adorable little monsters and still be mostly in the dark.

[randa4770]

https://vimeo.com/200580613



Hope the video and picture comes through okay.

My crabbies have been down for a little over two weeks. So I haven't done anything else to the tank. I want them to be up when I do something. It scares me with them down. Idk why...t just does. I don't want to harm them in any way, shape, or form.


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[GotButterflies]

WELCOME TO THE HCA! I miss so many posts on tapatalk. I love the computer much more! Yes, your tank is missing a lot of things. The great thing about crabbing, is it is easy to find things you can use around the home until you can afford to replace them (if you want to). First of all, the forums are a great place to search for info, here is a link to find all sorts of info:
http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... m.php?f=51 You will find care sheets, lighting, tank info, safe food list, shells needed, etc. You can add up to one inch of sand every 24 hours (lighly- do not pack it). NO CALCIUM SAND. It will harden like cement when wet. You need quickrete play sand (purchase at Lowes or Home Depot and or Eco Earth. If you mix it, HCA recommends a 5:1 ratio. Most important - you need heat, humidity and marine salt water for your tank. Heat & Humidity need to be at the very minimum 80 - humidity is needed for these little creatures to breathe - they have modified gills. Their water bowls (fresh and marine salt water) need to be large enough for them to submerge in. Most of us use tupperware containers. Dechlorinater needs to be used with water - Prime is good. Chlorine burns these little guys gills. It's overwhelming at first, but it's a labor of love that is very rewarding and fun! Good luck, we are here for you!

Edit: Your babies are adorable! Sand should be at least 6" deep or three times deeper than your largest crab (whichever is deeper). You need hides for your babies. They are prey animals and need to feel secure. They also need things to climb on. If you really want to get some entertainment, purchase a hamster wheel. Kaytee comfort wheels work good

[daws409]

Welcome to HCA! Adding to what GB said.... Heaters go ABOVE the sub. Digital gauges work better than analog as far as accuracy goes. You'll want at least 4 shells per crab. More is better. And toss that sponge in their water. They're awful for harboring bacteria. You'll need two water bowl both deep enough for your crabs to fully submerge.... One fresh and one salt. Not table salt; marine salt such as instant ocean. Can use vines and fish net for extra climbing and hiding along with cave. A shell shop will keep the shells cleaner and provide more ground space. If having problems with humidity try bubblers (air stones) in pools, moss pitt, or climbing background. Corner caddies from bath section make great shell shop and moss pitt additions.

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Edit - for some reason, I thought I saw a sponge in their water. Sorry, I realize it's not there. I'm seeing things lol.

[randa4770]

Welcome to HCA! Adding to what GB said.... Heaters go ABOVE the sub. Digital gauges work better than analog as far as accuracy goes. You'll want at least 4 shells per crab. More is better. And toss that sponge in their water. They're awful for harboring bacteria. You'll need two water bowl both deep enough for your crabs to fully submerge.... One fresh and one salt. Not table salt; marine salt such as instant ocean. Can use vines and fish net for extra climbing and hiding along with cave. A shell shop will keep the shells cleaner and provide more ground space. If having problems with humidity try bubblers (air stones) in pools, moss pitt, or climbing background. Corner caddies from bath section make great shell shop and moss pitt additions.

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Edit - for some reason, I thought I saw a sponge in their water. Sorry, I realize it's not there. I'm seeing things lol.

Can I move the heater? Will it stick at a new spot? Just move it to the top of the aquarium glass? Should it be on the side or in the middle?...or does it matter.


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[NLindsey921]

Once the heater is stuck on it is unadvised to move it. Peeling it off damages the heating elements and makes it a fire hazard.

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