New crab owner

[JJpenguin225]

Hey im new here and hope you guys can help me out Sorry for all the questions but I am wanting to get some hermit crabs as they seem like a entertaining pet that takes responsibility bit I want to make sure I've done my research correctly I have some questions on what I have to do to care for them my questions are
1. My pet store im hoping to get them from is at least an hour away from my home how can I safely travel with them after purchasing
2. What type of lid do I get to keep humidity in
3. Do I need specific lighting
4. I think I know what they eat but how often do I feed them
5. Should I have more than one UTH or Just one I dont want them to be cold but also want to make sure I dont burn them thank you for taking the time to read and answer I just want to make sure I'm know what I'm getting Into and that im ready I dont want any deadly mistakes made.

[Pumpkincrab]

There is a care sheet on this forum you can look at. Here is care summed up:
Minimum 10 gallon tank. If you have a larger tank, great.
A glass lid is really great, but a mesh lid with saran wrap all over it works, too.
No, you don't need specific lighting.
SUBSTRATE:
Eco earth or play sand (NO CALCIUM SAND! THAT STUFF IS BAD!! Play sand from hardware stores.)
Sub needs to be 6 (or more) inches deep, 3 times the height of your biggest crab.
Your tank needs to be a minimum of 75 degrees farenheight. My tank is usually 80/81 degrees. Humidity needs to be around 80% aswell.
UTH is NOT to be placed under the tank- on the side of the tank. I have 2 UTH and the crabitat stays at 80/80. For example, get a UTH that's NOT sticky, and duck tape it to the back of your tank, above the substrate line. (Hope that makes sense! basically, you have your substrate, put the UTH starting at where the substrate stops. So it's on the back of the tank.)
You won't burn them unless the heat gets really, REALLY high.

Other care tips:
crabs need friends! Meaning 2 or more crabs is great. I have 4- but don't over crowd your tank.
Shells are so important. Make sure you always have bigger shells available.
Never dig crabs up.
Make sure there are hides, vines, and things to keep them entertained.
If you have any more questions please don't hesitate to ask!
Welcome to the HCA!

[JJpenguin225]

Thabk you

[Pumpkincrab]

No problem!

[aussieJJDude]

1. My pet store im hoping to get them from is at least an hour away from my home how can I safely travel with them after purchasing
2. What type of lid do I get to keep humidity in
3. Do I need specific lighting
4. I think I know what they eat but how often do I feed them
5. Should I have more than one UTH or Just one I dont want them to be cold but also want to make sure I dont burn them thank you for taking the time to read and answer I just want to make sure I'm know what I'm getting Into and that im ready I dont want any deadly mistakes made.

Welcome! To answer the questions:
1. There's a couple of ways you can go about this. Most like to use something easily portable like a small Tupperware with holes or even a Kritter Keeper. A deli cup could also be used, or a plastic container (either with holes punched into them!).
Line it with some moss if you have it, or a bit of substrate to help cushion them a bit. I prefer moss as it can be moistened not only for humidity, but its also a snack and a good drinking source plus they love to bury in it and it cushions them well. Keep the crabs out of the cold (if its cold where you are, keeping them tucked into your jacket is a good idea and keep the heater on in the car!)

Some like to also provide some spare shells to change into, and foods like an apple/banana on the trip home for them to snack on.

2. As for lid, ideally you want something solid to trap in heat and humidity. If you happen to live in a tropical environment (say, Southern Florida) you may be able to get away with a screen lid if you don't have AC in your house. Many like to use glass lids, or a screen lid with plastic film/clingwrap on top (taped if needed), plexiglass cut to size or garbage bags. Some even use the corrugated plastic sheets used in roofing. (Glass is my personal preference, as it's easy to clean!)

3. Lighting is not needed, provided they are in an area that receives natural lighting for a day/night cycle. Supplemental lighting is required if the tank is not in an area with natural lighting (or simply, too dim) or you want to illuminate the tank for viewing. Lighting does not have to be expensive, an a LED light for aquariums suit most people's applications.

(Check out the lighting guide if you haven't already!)
viewtopic.php?t=88616

4. Some like to offer food daily, others like change out food every couple of days (until its spoiled). You may find at first, you want to change it out daily to ensure they getting variety and understand food preferences! ^_^ but no hard and fast rules really!

5. More UTH may be needed if you live in a cooler climate and 1 UTH simply isn't enough to provide the heat needed. Many crabbers in cooler areas have heaters they unplug during the summer and only run them during the winter (cooler) months.