HCA: Hermit Crab Association

bought a new tank today - bought a 20 gallon LONG --- so is it better to use the 20 gallon Long --- or use the normal 20 gallon with a *second* level ?

It's really up to you....I personally went with the 20 gal long when I first started and created a few lower second levels.

i have yet to figure out how to do second levels!! i did however pickup a few more hermie friends .. so far they are much more active ....

oh AND FUNNY!!!! i put my new hermit crabs in their new home (of course one of them was in a painted shell, as that is what petco has a lot of) he has ALREADY changed shells --- we have not been home for 2 hours!! (maybe like only 1 hour since he has been in the new home)

In the beginning when I knew I was going to go buy a crab I would bring shells and a Kritter keeper with me with food and everything so on the way home they would have time to eat and whatnot. I had a crab change shells seconds after starting the car to leave the parking lot at the pet store. It was insane how fast the change was.

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i don't like the painted shells - but after he changed so quickly - my daughter said maybe in the future if we buy any, we should buy the ones in the painted shells just so they can get out of them! one of the others we bought, was *chirping* when the clerk picked it up - my daughter said she thinks it was happy to get a new home to go to ...

I would go for the 20 long personally.

I've had a crab change shells 9 times in the first day i got him, and that was just while i was watching him. I think he jumped at the chance everytime he saw a shell and at that point i probably had 70 shells in my tank.

bullshop wrote:i don't like the painted shells - but after he changed so quickly - my daughter said maybe in the future if we buy any, we should buy the ones in the painted shells just so they can get out of them! one of the others we bought, was *chirping* when the clerk picked it up - my daughter said she thinks it was happy to get a new home to go to ...

I love the loud mouths lol

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Long tanks can fit more crabs than tall tanks since there is more of a footprint for the substrate, but because of the shortness of the tank decorating is limited.

Personally, if there is room for a 20 long I'd suggest bumping it up to a 29 gallon if possible - it's the footprint of a 20 long but the height of a 20 high.

i might do that *next* time - but when i went to petco with the $1 per gallon sale - they only had 10 - 20 - and 55 --- so i was limited