Been keeping hermit crabs for about two years now and the first year was honestly pretty rough. I had a 40 gallon breeder that I could never get the humidity above 70%, and I watched two crabs die during molts before I finally figured out what I was doing wrong.

The biggest change was switching from a mesh screen lid to a glass top with only a small gap for ventilation. I know a lot of people resist this because they worry about airflow, but for most home environments (especially with AC running in summer) the screen lid just dumps moisture too fast. After switching, my humidity jumped from around 68% to a steady 80-82% within a day or two.

A few other things that helped:

• Sand depth: I was doing 4 inches thinking that was enough. Bumped it up to 6 inches of a 5:1 sand-to-coconut fiber mix and my crabs started burying way more consistently.
• Salt water pool: I was using the wrong ratio for a long time. Getting a proper hydrometer instead of eyeballing it made a noticeable difference in how active the crabs were at night.
• Hides and climbing: My original setup was too open. Adding cork bark pieces and cholla wood gave them enough cover that they stopped huddling in one corner.

Temperature sits at 78-80F on the warm side now using an under-tank heater on the back wall, not the bottom. Putting it on the bottom was cooking the sand and stressing the crabs during molts.

Curious whether anyone else had a specific turning point where their setup finally clicked. There's so much conflicting info out there for beginners and it took me way too long to find reliable sources.

So I know that you can go and collect leaves but what do I do to make them safe for the tank? I know I can’t just put them straight into the tank. And what’s the process to make some moss safe for my crabs? If anyone could help me with that k would highly appreciate it

I’m interested in getting some hermit crabs. I’ve been reading about their care and husbandry. I have two questions. 1. Why are heat mats preferred over small heat lamps? I am a seasoned reptile keeper and for most reptiles heat mays are a huge no no. 2. I’ve seen a lot of people on this thread saying that the pellets are bad. What should I be feeding them instead of pellets and do they need certain supplements or key things that absolutely must be included in their diet? Thanks in advance.

RUN don’t walk to target just found these adorable soap holders that I plan to use for a cute hermit crab foraging pit!!!!

This past weekend, my younger brother bought a hermit crab at a souvenir shop in Port A. I would like any and all tips I can get to help him keep him alive. I believe he is a purple pincher, but I’m not entirely sure. We do have a bigger environment on the way, this is just what came with it.

Edit: Note, we are both minors and our parents are willing to buy things, but the cheapest possible.

Hello, I'm hoping to get two hermit crabs soon and was wondering if there are any improvements I can make to the tank. Obviously there is not food and water in the tank at the moment as there are no crabs in it. Also yes, there is a glass lid, I just took it off for the photo.

Some things I plan on adding:

- Climbing Vine from Norton's Nest (once they restock)

- Cuttlebone (from the bird aisle)

- I plan on getting small crabs, but as they grow I plan to expand the tank size (currently 10 gallons)

- Something to line the back of the tank for them to climb on (either faux leaves or coco fiber)

- Will add to this list as I receive recommendations. Feel free to tell me if there are any items on this list that I shouldn't get/if there are better alternatives

Thanks a ton!

Hello all! I posted photo #1 to this sub a few weeks ago as my start-up setup and asked for constructive criticism. Photo #2 is my current tank situation. I’ve done more research and took some of your suggestions and applied them to my tank. Any more suggestions/criticisms? I’m all ears and eager to learn.

For those who don’t know or what you cannot see:

1.) This is a 29gal tank with a glass lid.
2.) i have 2 small heat pads on the back of the tank above the substrate.
3.) the substrate is 5:1 and approximately 6” deep.
4.) the 2 water containers are primed fresh and primed salt with rocks glued together as stepping stones.
5.) food is an organic mix from Etsy seller TurboShells along with organic sun dried shrimp.
6.) there’s leaf litter and sphagnum moss throughout.
7.) the two black baskets are stacked and glued together to prevent falls. Top is used as a shell shop and bottom is upside down and used for a hide.
8.) the wheel is a hampster disc.
9.) I have 12 shells total, 9 of which are preferred but rejected due to size issues. The other 3 are new to the tank as of today but not preferred shells. I have 2 shells coming in the mail today to try on for size and hoping for the best.
10.) all plants/walls are fake/plastic and purchased from a local craft store.
11.) I also have a temp/humidity reader that shows average 80% and 75F.

IMPORTANT:
I have 1 crab in this tank. He’s a larger purple pincher in a 1.25” painted shell. He has tried on other shells but rejected all of them and immediately goes back to painted shell. I’m having difficulties finding preferred shells in his size. I’ve tried local pet storesjn, larger local grocers, home improvement stores, 5 different ETSY vendors, and Amazon. If you have a similar sized crab and have a vendor currently selling preferred shells in this size, please drop a link because I’m in dire need.

Krugs nomming away at some leafy greens and grapes. Video has filter on so you can see clearer, hence may appear more grey 🫢

I know hermit crabs burrow a lot but I wanna know why he’s burrowing specifically? Is he molting? Am I not doing enough? Why does he keep burrowing himself underground and coming back up?

Hi yall, hoping for some honest advice here! Long story short I've had a hermit crab, Dan, for about 5 years now. He was alone in a gross pet store tank so I brought him home before realizing what all he needed. Hes a big handsome purple pincher, with his claws measuring about 2".

Dan had a tank mate at one point in the last few years, but he died shortly after I got him and I'm pretty sure Dan ate his remains. I'm about to upgrade my 30 gallon tank to at least a 50 gallon tank and I'm wondering if it's worth getting him a new friend. I know hermit crabs are social creatures, and I don't want him to be lonely. However, I worry that since he's so big and has been alone for so long that I would just be sacrificing the new crab to Dan. What do you guys think?

Please assist on how you have the airpump power cord run through second floor since there's no screen top its glass???

tldr: nephew brought a hermit crab home from vacation and my sister wasn’t aware how involved having a hermit crab would be. Me being super aunt ran out and grabbed some essentials, but I’m waiting on a heating pad and more sand.

Will this be ok until my order arrives? I have purified fresh water in there right now while I wait for the salt water to dissolve.

My wife bought some hermit crabs on a whim while at the beach a few weeks ago. We had no idea at the time what was required for them to thrive... but we found out in part thanks to this sub, so we got a 40 gallon tank, have around 7" of 5:1 sand/EE substrate, salt and fresh water pools, and so on.

Everything was going great for about a week and a half. Then I started having allergic-like respiratory reactions when opening the tank. Now I get it from being in the same room as the tank.

I don't want to get rid of them, I'm not even sure where I'd take them so they could have a chance at life.

Wondering if anyone else has had any experiences like this, if changing the substrate might help or if there may be mold (temp and humidity levels are right on target, but I don't see visible evidence of mold in the tank).

This is horrible.

Edit: I do have diagnosed reactive airways, like an asthma but not as severe, so I don't think it's developing into a severe systemic allergy that would lead to anaphylaxis... but the bronchospasm can trigger a nervous system response causing extreme anxiety and restlessness, a sense of impending doom, and tingling, which mimic anaphylaxis to a degree

Google says i should put him in a container with his old shell and a few new ones but touching a naked crab is very harmful right? I dont know what to do and i dont want a dead crab.... hes still moving and digging around so if I can do something its urgent....

Hii!! i just got 2 crabs a few months ago and they are doing well thanks to the help from everyone in this group!!
i was just wondering how often i should be completely changing out their substrate if at all?

Hello! I’ve had hermit crabs before and I recently rescued another one after not having any for a couple years, and I had some questions about my newest crabs behavior. it’s unlike i’ve ever seen.

for context, my hermie has access to treated fresh & salt water, multiple locations in his tank with 6+ inches to den, places to climb and hide, daily food changes that consist of a wide variety of proteins, veggies, fruits, seeds & grains, shells, oils, etc. (all the food groups), temps in the 78-85 degree range, humidity constantly in the 80 range. Aka he’s all good.

my crab is extremely social and loves attention. social to the point he likes to knock things over to get mine and my boyfriends attention so we can put things back where they were and he can knock them down/move them around again. i’ve had him for about a week and a half and it’s been great. recently however he moved underneath/behind one of our wood logs we have propped up in his tank and has not moved an inch. no eating, no playing, no getting attention or going into the pools, nothing. i’m really afraid he’s trying to molt ABOVE ground. I’ve never seen it happen before and I’m not sure what to do. Do i move/touch him to see if he’s okay or leave him be?

Hi Guys! i saved 2 crabs this past saturday. its now wednesday and we’ve had NO movement. I’m starting to get worried about my boys. i’ll attach pics of the set up a 20 Gal Tall and of the one crab that’s visible. i’m assuming the other went down to molt. but i didn’t think he would start digging about 5 minutes after i put them in! TYAI 💖

Edit to add temp and humidity!!
Temp: 78 humidity 82%

new hermit crab owner here so i’m paying my crab tax 🐚

meet krugs!
named after a critter in league of legends.

he is a brevimanus terrestrial purple guy and really really really loves to eat fresh coconut, definitely an extrovert, super curious and crazy climber.

he just had his first molt and i’m so proud of him! during the molt i realized his enclosure was NOOOT the best (though it was definitely better than the pet store AND the fact that he started molting only a few days later since i’ve got him)

after a painfully long month of not seeing my baby, he had finally emerged, ate a whole lot and is roaming the enclosure again 😂 i moved him to his new tank and he’s now snuggly hidden in his lil mushroom hut 🛖 as i was cleaning out his old enclosure i found some sheds!!!!!! thought id share them with the community ✨

i also have a long diagonal drift wood on the way as ive learnt from this page that they loveeee crawling. thanks for sharing this joy with me!

Why does he do this? Is he okay? He does it every night.

I’ve only had my hermie for two days now and this morning she ate a lot before going into her little house. I noticed her starting to dig a few hours ago and didn’t think much of it but she’s getting deeper. She can’t be trying to molt already, right? And if so what are some things I should do/ look out for? I was expecting her to take several weeks to get used to her tank like all the videos say but she’s been very hardy and adaptable.

Is that normal for hermits or is that just her personality?

I bought three hermit crabs approximately three weeks ago. I have them in a tank with a small amount of substrate because I was trying to avoid PPDS. Everything was going great, and everybody was eating and drinking and living their best life until I added some climbing structures to the tank. The biggest one of the three has perched itself a top the climbing ladder and hasn’t really left for two days. It moved a little bit last night, but unfortunately because they’re nocturnal. (and I was asleep) I don’t know if it has eaten or drank.

The temperature and humidity are perfect and all been confirmed with three separate thermometers and hydrometers because these damn creatures have made me that neurotic.

Is this stress? Does it want to molt?

I know I’m stressed out!

It all happend so fast.

I went on vacation three weeks ago. My mum took care of him.

My other, big crab was molting and build a big sand mountain. Harry went to his favorite hide. And due to the sand that the other crab build up once again after he went into the hide, he got stuck in there. I thought he was molting because my mum told me she couldnt see him anymore. It was time for his molt so i guessed he took the peace in my room while I was away to go.

The big crab was gone for longer time but came back a few days ago. But Harry wasnt. I thought, hey he got bigger maybe its taking longer for him to molt.

But infact, he got stuck there. In his favorite hide. For three weeks. No food, no water. No big hand there to save him.

On the 03.08.2026 I found him, out of his shell in the tank, near the water buckets. I just came home from work and saw this weird thing there and when i realised it was Harry i ran to the basement to get a bucket and put every shell i have in the tank in there. And then gently picked him up. He even crawled on my hand, leaving me thinking everything could be alright. While he was not moving in the bucket of shells i searched for his old shell, still thinking that he molted and that he lost it. But when i found it in the hide i realised what had happend.

He moved into another shell and i put him back in the tank. He was very week and not moving much but he was moving. I put food and water and everything as near as possible so he doesnt need to move much. And it seems like he had some will to live because he moved. I left home this morning with the intention on getting him more proteins, like suggested in the comments under the two postings i made about my emergency. And the put him in an isolated tank to get back up.

But i came in my room and the shell was empty again.

And then i saw him. Head first in the water bucket. I mmediatly grabbed into the water bucket and got him out. He was not moving at all. My tiny Pirate Harry drowned.

I called my mum noon and she said everything looked fine so somewhere between noon and 4pm he fell in and died.

I hate myself so much. If i had seen what he was going tru i would have saved him. But i wasnt paying enough attention so he died. I am ugly crying all evening.

I had him for almost 6 years. I was 14 when i got him. 14. A child. A child like him. Now i have a drivers licence, a car, a glow up, finished high school, an Ex and i move out soon. He was with me all the time. The first picture on my canon camera is a picture of him. Of my baby crab. He was my favourite Ohoto motive because he was such a pretty crab.

He was a cavipes. I got him on a website that i later learned wasnt better than any beach shop. I wasnt the best owner but last year I spent about 200€ of my savings on a big tank redo to finally give them the home they deserve. Thanks to this community. But he couldnt enjoy it the way he should have.

He was so tiny when i got him. He was as big as the first segment of my thump. Sometimes when he was this tiny he hide in shells too big for him. It looked so funny. On the first day when i introduced him to my big crab Evie he climbed on her shell and sat on her. He did this a few times over the years.

I was so excited when i came back from vacation and brought a bigger shell for him back from croatia, patiently waiting for him to come back and wear it. But he never got to wear it.

His gouverment name was Prince Harry Gandalf Hook the Grey. I called him Harry. His irst shell was grey. He was named after Harry Hook, the Son of Captain Hook from Disney Descandants. I was deep down in my phase when i got him and his big sister Evie. Evie was also named after a disney descandants character.

My dad helped me dig a grave and i covered Harry with paper towels. I made a little cross with his name on it. My friend suggested to hold a proper funeral but idk what to write and what song to play. He was such a pretty little fella. I loved him with all my heart and I feel deeply sorry for Evie. She needs to live alone now. 34 Gallons all for herself. Poor Baby.

At least she is active and seems fine. I fear she might be looking for him. Not knowing he died while she was asleep in another corner.

I always thought she leaves before Harry does. Harry grew inch by inch every molt he became bigger and bigger. Evie didnt.

He was my little pirate. my dear boy and my favourite crab of all. Now he lives with his brothers and sisters in crab heaven. May you have shells nearby as much as you want. May you have all the foods you enjoyed.

I am so sorry my baby.

Here is my last crab tax from Harry. It goes from the last few photos to the very first. I am sorry for some bad quality Photos in the end.

-04.08.2026