HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hello!

So, I won a crab at the fair this year (I know now that fairs are awful for crabbies, but at least I'm trying to give Eugene the best care I can!)

I have Eugene in a 20 gallon with mixed eco earth and playsand. He has both fresh and saltwater pools, a balcony to climb to, a coconut hide and several nice shells to choose from (no paint!)

I was thinking of getting him a friend since there is plenty of room, but my SIL has cautioned me because she had a hermie years ago and when she added a couple of friends for her, something happened and they all died.

So i wanted to know if there are recommendations to ensure the safety of Eugene and any friends i might find for him. (I was thinking of posting in our local FB city group to see if anyone else got a fair crab but didn't know how to care for it, so I could rescue more)

Thank you for any help/advice!

Sounds like you're doing the right things!
Is the tank a 20g high or long? Highs have a 24"x12" footprint and longs are 30"x12". Do you have a sealed top on the tank and a heat mat on the back of the tank to maintain the heat and humidity they need?

If all that's good, I'd get a tank mate for Eugene asap.

Like you say, it's best to adopt, but there are sources where you can find captive bread beauties to adopt as well. I wish I had known that before I got into the hobby!

It's a tall, not a long, i wanted a long but this is what i found first. Yes, I have all that set up..

I will look for him a friend!

Nice! I was going to say, if you have a pet supplies plus near you, they're running a $1/gal on aqueon tanks up to 55gal. If you've already got the 20 high going, that's fine too, I just wouldn't do more than 2 crabs in it for decent sized crabs.

Here is the HCA guide to the number of crabs per tank, depending on the size of the tank:

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=92541

When you add another crab(s), consider giving both old and new a quick dip in the fresh water - that way nobody smells like a newbie/ interloper!

Thank you! I had been "trolling" this site for several days before I posted.. I obsessively research whenever I become responsible for another life.

Eugene is between small and medium, so one more tank mate should not stress the crabitat. It's a tall 20 so less 'surface' area but i have one balcony now and am thinking of adding another. One for a shell shack and one for a moss pit.