New to the crab world!

[SLKleem]

Hello, I am new to the forum and have 2 new crabs that came from a beach store. I have now learned that is not the right way to acquire these guys but am trying to do the best for them. I am so glad I found this site and am learning the right way first time around. I did acquire (for free) a 20 galllon high aquarium and now have the sand, ee, prime, instant ocean, 2 "pools" and a start at healthy food. These things are on order- 9 turbo shells (I did best I could with measuring) from Naples Sea Shell, thermometer/hygrometer, ultratherm uth, and a hut for hiding. Want to get them in the aquarium today even though I don't have all the important stuff yet. I have read that often these guys will dig down right away when they are put in a new home with proper substrate. It seems like I read somewhere that it is not necessarily very healthy for them to do that right away when they have been stressed so bad. Should I only put a little substrate in for a bit while they are able to access lots of healthy food and their pools, and destress while waiting for the rest of the supplies to arrive and then put the full depth of the substrate in? Also any particular foods good to give them a boost during this stressful time?

Thanks!!

[C_fiesta]

Hello, I am new to the forum and have 2 new crabs that came from a beach store. I have now learned that is not the right way to acquire these guys but am trying to do the best for them. I am so glad I found this site and am learning the right way first time around. I did acquire (for free) a 20 galllon high aquarium and now have the sand, ee, prime, instant ocean, 2 "pools" and a start at healthy food. These things are on order- 9 turbo shells (I did best I could with measuring) from Naples Sea Shell, thermometer/hygrometer, ultratherm uth, and a hut for hiding. Want to get them in the aquarium today even though I don't have all the important stuff yet. I have read that often these guys will dig down right away when they are put in a new home with proper substrate. It seems like I read somewhere that it is not necessarily very healthy for them to do that right away when they have been stressed so bad. Should I only put a little substrate in for a bit while they are able to access lots of healthy food and their pools, and destress while waiting for the rest of the supplies to arrive and then put the full depth of the substrate in? Also any particular foods good to give them a boost during this stressful time?

Thanks!!

HI! Welcome!
I'm not yet a crab mom, but I've done lots of reading. I think you should put them in the tank with the proper height and mix of substrate right away, even if it's not perfect. If they are stressed enough, they will surface molt which is worse. I would give them organic honey along with basically anything on the safe foods list.

I'm sure others will chime in as well!

Welcome again!

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[Jellybean!]

Hi and welcome! I agree with the post above, I would give them the regular amount of substrate right away. I think it's fine for them to dig down right away - mine have always done that. Usually my new ones will dig down right away and won't resurface until their done molting, although some stay up and check things out a little bit before they go down!

Also honey is great for them at a time like this! I get mine at an organic store - I thought I read it has to be organic, not sure on that one, but better safe than sorry. Cuttlebone can provide some calcium for them too.

Good luck! Let us know how everything goes!

[Hermias_mom]

Hello, I am new to the forum and have 2 new crabs that came from a beach store. I have now learned that is not the right way to acquire these guys but am trying to do the best for them. I am so glad I found this site and am learning the right way first time around. I did acquire (for free) a 20 galllon high aquarium and now have the sand, ee, prime, instant ocean, 2 "pools" and a start at healthy food. These things are on order- 9 turbo shells (I did best I could with measuring) from Naples Sea Shell, thermometer/hygrometer, ultratherm uth, and a hut for hiding. Want to get them in the aquarium today even though I don't have all the important stuff yet. I have read that often these guys will dig down right away when they are put in a new home with proper substrate. It seems like I read somewhere that it is not necessarily very healthy for them to do that right away when they have been stressed so bad. Should I only put a little substrate in for a bit while they are able to access lots of healthy food and their pools, and destress while waiting for the rest of the supplies to arrive and then put the full depth of the substrate in? Also any particular foods good to give them a boost during this stressful time?

Thanks!!

Welcome to HCA!!! Yea for you for doing your research!!! It's awesome that you care about your crabs enough to try and find out how to best take care of them!!!

You've given a great description of what you have and where you are in your crabitat setup. Considering what you've told us, I'd recommend putting in deep substrate right away. Burrowing in it, even if the tank's not perfect yet on the temperature and humidity, should really help them de-stress.

I'd recommend mixing up 6" deep substrate using 5:1 by volume ratio of playsand/eco-earth (that's basically 5 scoops of playsand to every one scoop of eco-earth), then moisten it to sandcastle consistency with dechlorinated marine saltwater mixed just like the Instant Ocean box says. You won't need much saltwater, maybe a liter (~quart) tops added a little at a time until you get the consistency correct. I recommend you mix up the sand and EE first, then moisten until the consistency is right. It's easy to add too much saltwater. You can mix it in a bowl, a bucket, or straight in your tank, but be sure to put down a sheet or shower curtain or something around the tank or mixing area to keep sand from getting all over your house. Also, I'd say place the empty tank where you want it to be and THEN add the substrate to the tank. That tank will get heavy real quickly once the substrate is in there.

If your EE comes in a brick, you'll need to expand it first. If you use saltwater to expand it, that will help prevent mold growth in the crabitat. It's recommended to use less water than the EE instructions say to expand the brick, then squeeze out the extra water until the EE holds its shape in your hand (kinda like damp potting soil). You might want to wear rubber gloves if you go at it with your hands, as the marine saltwater can irritate skin quickly.

Since you've got the Ultratherm on order, I wouldn't worry about temperature too much, just keep the tank as warm as you can while waiting. Bear in mind, you might consider getting a thermostat to keep your tank temperature stable. I use one for peace of mind, and it keeps my tank temp at 80-83F, but it may or may not be needed depending on your house conditions and how much you insulate your tank.

What kind of lid do you have? You can get started on getting their humidity right now, although once you get the tank temps up to 80F, it will help a lot with keeping humidity at 80%+. Cover holes in a reptile mesh lid with plastic wrap, press-n-seal, or use a glass lid and seal most of the air gaps. This should help humidity be higher, especially with the 5:1 playsand/ecoearth substrate moistened to sandcastle consistency. The crabs should love it! Even if it's not 80F yet, they will probably be ecstatic to see some properly moist substrate, and will happily dig down to de-stress. Having them dig down is a great thing, and healthy for them in the right substrate once they come home from the pet store.

Honey, cuttlebone, crushed egg shells, lots of protein (animal and otherwise), organic coconut oil (and anything on the safe food list) are great first foods for crabs that are stressed. Make sure you check out the food pyramid post by kilimanjaro as well as the safe food list. Protein should actually be the main stable of their diet. When I first started crabbing, that really surprised me. A good easy source of protein for me was dried krill or river shrimp that are sold in the reptile section of the pet store. As long as nothing is in the ingredients but krill or river shrimp, it should be safe. You can grind it up, stick it in a shell or a food dish, and many crabs will love it. Also scrambled egg is a big hit with my crabs, lots of protein and super easy to prepare. Just take one egg (organic if possible, if not use what you have), crack it into a microwaveable bowl, mix it up, and microwave for 1.5-2.0 minutes. That way there's no salt or butter or anything added, just the cooked egg. You can feed dime sized pieces and freeze the rest.

Let us know if you have any more questions. Best of luck!!!

[Raidz97]

Hello and welcome to The wonderful world of hermit crabs. I am also rather new to this whole affair, 1 year. But I do know enough to help you.

Substrate: 6-8 inches minimium or triple of what your biggest crab is, most do double but I've done triple my biggest crab. This is to allow them to fully cover themselves comfortably and molt uninterrupted. A 5:1 ratio of sand and EE is what is mostly used around here.

Water: You want to dechlorinate all types of water that will be used in The tank including the misting water. Commonly used dechlorinators are Prime. For their pools make sure its deep enough that your biggest crab can fully submerge himself. A freshwater pool and a salt Water pool are required. Instant ocean is a great Brand to use to make salt water. Just follow the directions on the box(The orange or purple colored boxes are fine).

Shells: This varies from crab species. But most PP, assuming thats The species you have, love turbo shells. I have had succes with all types of turbos minus Gold mouth turbos and african turbos, they are some of the prettiest turbos but usually none will wear them. 5-10 Shells per crab is usually a must but not to necassary. As long as they have variety they should be fine. Good vendors are Naples,richards(aka deltona I believe), and an excellent one is MyGann who is on; etsy, ebay, and amazon. They even offer free shipping. Make sure to boil them before hand to get rid of anything harmful.

Heating and temperature/humidity: Many of us use ultratherms from reptile basics or The bean farm. They are excellent Uth. Try to stay away from zoo med heaters. They are not that good and cant be insultalted to maximize its potential heat. As for the temperature range any were from 80-85 is ideal although 77-80 is good. Personally anthing lower than that and my crabs get sluggish. Humidity should be kept in the high 80's. It is advised nothing lower than 80. Higher is also good.

Food: A go to Food is coconut. They absolutly love it no matter what. Anything organic is good and as long as its not commercial zoo med or anyother store brand and its on the safe Food list,found here in The forum, it should be fine. A fantastic place to buy some staple diets or treats is The hermit crab patch. They have amazing prices and Food The crabbies go crazy for, literally crazy lol.

Decor:Anything reptile safe is fine minus the pine logs. Cholla Wood is a favorite amongst the forum. It provides good climbing and expansions to other areas in the tank. Just make sure to rinse with warm water and let air dry. Just to make sure It doesnt have any unwanted things in It. Also any craft ítem is fine to use as long as it doesnt have any toxic chemicals or paints added. Micheals, joAnns, and really any other store has Good cheap plants; shower caddies, hides, etc..

Good Luck and Hope this helps you with your crabbies. If i missed Anything im sure someone else will correct me, hopefully lol. There might be some typos/grammer issues since im on phone so sorry for that. But Again Good luck make sure to post pics and keep us updated in The process. We all love pics. Dont be scared to ask question as I was, not to long ago.  

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[daws409]

Hi! Looks like you're off to a good start. Just wanted to say welcome!

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