3 in a 10g? & size Q...

[friendlyfishies]

I purchased 2 crabs & a 10 gallon for my classroom, all set up properly with a second level et. My family really wants to keep these crabs so I will be getting different crabs for my classroom. I intend to upgrade to 29g in the spring when our home warms, but for now the 10 will have to do. We would really like to have 3 crabs right now, knowing that we will be upgrading in the late spring/early summer, would it be okay to add 1 more & have three crabs in this 10g til the upgrade? & what size would these be, small or mediums? Thanks!

[Lburns]

I have 2 about that size, plus 1 smaller in a 10 gallon. I'm hoping to keep the 10 g for several years and only upgrade if/when my crabs get much bigger. I'm a newbie though so see what the more experienced crabbers tell you.

The main thing I wanted to bring up is about having these in a classroom...if you have any kids with food allergies, be cautious of letting those kids handle the crabs. My son has food allergies and is allergic to a lot of the foods that is recommended to feed the crabs -- peanut butter, nuts, eggs, etc. My son is not allergic to shellfish. My substrate has oyster shells in it. So, that's another one to be cautious of unless you mixed your own substrate. To be extra cautious, I don't feed my crabs anything that my son is allergic to. That way he can handle the crabs safely without me having to worry about him having a contact allergic reaction. Just something to keep in mind in a classroom setting if you haven't already thought about it. I'm looking out for the other allergy moms out there - life is tough for us!!!

I think your tat looks great by the way!!

[friendlyfishies]

That's a great point! thanks for mentioning it. I have sent out a notice for parents but will send out an additional notice including the food list for hermit crabs to ensure all children are safe. Thanks for bringing that up!

[Rebecca C]

I believe those little guys are between teeny and small, but closer to the teeny size.

I think your hermits will be very happy in your setup, but just one thing to be aware of, if that Cholla wood is buried in the substrate, it is bound to get moldy.

Three or four that size should be okay in there until they start growing. You can fit up to four small sized crabs in a 10 gallon tank safely, as long as there is a minimum of 5 inches in the tank at the lowest point.

Here is a helpful care sheet on this information: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92541

[wodesorel]

I agree that three to four will do well in a tank that size until you can upgrade. As they start growing, three to four in a 29 gallon is also a good number and they'll do well in that sized tank for many years. It's easy to overdo it with hermits at the start when they're small because they are so small and cute, but they can grow alarmingly quick and as they get bigger they of course will require more space for themselves. The answer to that is to continue to upgrade their enclosure as they grow (or go as big as you can from the start), but if you're wanting to keep at a 29 it'll be important to limit yourself to what that tank will be able to support in 5 years.

[friendlyfishies]

I now have 4 & am thrilled! so much activity in the crabitat tonight ...one of ones I picked up tonight is so incredibly tiny. No doubt about it, I'm joining the hermit crab addicts