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Land Hermit Crab Owners Society Basic Care Sheet

These are the bare bones of hermit crab care, ideally for someone who is thinking of or has already purchased their first hermit crabs. For more detailed information or help from more experienced owners, visit one of our C.A.R.E. Sister Sites. To make sure you get all of the essentials from the start, print out our shopping checklist.

The Crabitat or Crabarium

A glass aquarium is the ideal home for your hermit crabs. Those plastic boxes are unsuitable and cost more than a 10 gallon aquarium. If you can find a free leaker someplace even better! Your aquarium needs a lid. This lid can be glass, or acrylic just so long as it holds in humidity. A mesh lid is a great way to stabilize the glass or acrylic and it helps prevent escape. If you are using a mesh lid, you can cover it with Cling Wrap or something similar.

The substrate

There are many different substrates for sale for hermit crabs but not all of them are safe. The most common substrate is playsand. Unfortunately over the past year, problems have been surfacing. One of them being the amount of iron filings found in playsand. If you can afford marine sand, buy it instead.

There are a variety of coco fiber substrates out there. Three brands state they are 100% natural and these are the only brands we endorse. Eco Earth, Forest Bedding, and Gro Brick. As the qualith of Beast A Beast and Hermit Crab soil is unconfirmed we do not recommend using them. Forest Bedding seems to be the most mold resistant.

Crushed coral comes in a array of brands, coarseness and price. These are typically good substrates, if you select a fine grade and provide an additional place in your crabitat for molting. Crushed coral substrates don't allow for digging burrows for molting.

River pebbles can be used if you follow the same guidelines as for crushed coral. Use very small, smooth pebbles and allow for a separate area for molting.

Aquarium gravel that is coated or colored is not an acceptable substrate.

Your substrate should be twice as deep as your largest crab for successful molting. If you are using coral or pebbles, make sure the molting area is deep enough.

Heat

Hermit crabs live in tropical regions. This means your crabitat needs to be warm and moist. Under the tank heaters are the most common way to heat your crabitat. They are sold according to tank size. Another method is overhead reptile lights. You can use day glo and moon glo together to maintain warmth through the night. Your crabitat should have a RANGE of temperatures. The coolest being 72F and the warmest being 80F. Don't guess, buy a thermometer.

Humidity

Proper humidity in your crabitat is critical. 70% relative humidity is the minimum. Maximum should be 80% relative humidity.

Food

A varied, nutritionally complete diet is a must. This is hard to accomplish with commercial foods alone. Offer fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, protein, calcium to start. All items should be organic or at the very least pesticide free. Insecticides will kill your crabs. Hermit crabs are scavengers so over ripe fresh foods are often more tempting. Change food after 2 days to prevent mold growth.

Water

All crabitats must have two sources of water. One fresh water and one ocean water pool, deep enough for wading in. All water should be treated with a dechlorinator first.

Spare shells

Your hermit crabs will love you if you provide at least 2 spare shells for each crab you buy. This is important for molting but also combats shell envy. If another crab desires an inhabited shell, they may drive the other crab from it and take it. The evicted crab needs to have well fitting shells available to move into.

Molting

Molting can take place in your main tank. Unless you have a surface molt, it is best not to interfere with your crab's molting process. Surface molters can be isolated in tank to prevent tank mates from disturbing them.

Socializing

Hermit crabs need friends. Purchase at least two.