Hermit Crab Tank Upgrade

Hello everyone, I am going to upgrade my hermit crab terrarium in the next few days. I have some new bedding coming in the mail along with a new heater and some supplies for my aquatic pets. The new bedding is coconut hull, and I really have to upgrade it because the crabs' previous substrate was aquarium gravel. Somebody that had had hermit crabs for a while and that I thought had experience with them told me "their tank can stay at room temperature, so it doesn't need a heater", and that "gravel is fine because if you use sand it'll get stuck in their shells".
Anyway, I am changing the bedding material, adding a heater, and putting in some crab-safe terrarium plants. They love to uproot mondo grass.
I will post some "before and after" pictures soon.

 

Great! I have to Hermies myself, and my tank stays is heated to 79 degrees! Also, my hermies love to dig in my sand!

 

I love Hermies! Can't wait to see pics!

 

PICTURES PLEASE!

 

I haven't ever seen pictures of your crabs or tank!

 

Here are the crabs, and some "before" pictures of their terrarium.

Crab key:
Karmen or Carmen- whitish shell and reddish legs
Pinchels- zebra turbo shell and orange-ish legs
Tracy- large, knobby shell, dark brownish legs

All of the crabs are purple pincher hermit crabs, and none of them have molted yet since I got them so I hope their new substrate comes before they decide to molt!

 

Here are the crabs, and some "before" pictures of their terrarium.

Crab key:
Karmen or Carmen- whitish shell and reddish legs
Pinchels- zebra turbo shell and orange-ish legs
Tracy- large, knobby shell, dark brownish legs

All of the crabs are purple pincher hermit crabs, and none of them have molted yet since I got them so I hope their new substrate comes before they decide to molt!

Karmen is wearing a pica magpie.
Pinchels has a pacific or classic turbo on.
Tracy is wearing a silvermouth, and the last crab has an apple murex.

 

Yes pics please! I know when I had hermit crabs they needed high humidity and stuff to climb, dig, heat, etc. room temps can be far too cold for those great little creatures

 

I re-did their terrarium with the new substrate, still waiting on the heater it's coming today, and I put in some wood for my crabs to play on- Tracy was almost six inches up on the wood! I'll post some pictures as soon as I can.

 

Karmen is wearing a pica magpie.
Pinchels has a pacific or classic turbo on.
Tracy is wearing a silvermouth, and the last crab has an apple murex.

There are actually only four crabs. Pinchels was pictured twice, once out of his shell and once while in his shell. Thank you for the shell ID!

 

They are soo neat!

 

HI fishlore! I haven't talked about my hermit crabs yet on fishlore. I have 2(Sandy and Hermy) in a 5-7 gallon container. I "saved" them from a church that had them as rewards for children if you did a certain amount of good deeds or something (don't worry, they gave children accurate caresheets so hopefully their parents would listen and buy a better home) Luckily before I saved them I researched about them and gave them an okay? habitat. Anyway, here is their tank now (below)

As you can see it is way too small. So petco is having their $1 per gallon sale again and I got a 20 long tank for them. However, Hermy is still molting and we have to wait until he comes up until I can switch. I just got it today, take a look (below):

Anyway, I need some help. Thanks in advance to any input.
First, can someone tell me if I'm doing everything right (keep reading)? I don't want to suddenly find out that I'm doing everything wrong.
I need a hood/top to keep the humidity in, does anyone have any ideas?
Can I get anymore crabs?
Do I need a light?
Is there anything else other than more sand and a shells that I need (I have salt bowl, fresh bowl, hut, hygrometer and thermometer already that I will be switching over)?

I do not have a heater because right now in florida it is still very hot and the temp. is still 80 degrees in the hermit crabs' current tank. Does anyone have any reccomendations for a good, but cheap, heater? Do I really need one if it is still this warm

 

Hermit crabs need a freshwater dish and a saltwater dish. The saltwater dish should be deep enough that they can submerge themselves. I’d recommend getting a rope climbing mat, and hanging it, as I’ve found that hermit crabs tend to climb.
Use Eco-Earth substrate. It holds humidity well, and is good for them to burrow in.
Also remember that hermit crabs need fresh veg every day!

 

Hermit crabs need a freshwater dish and a saltwater dish. The saltwater dish should be deep enough that they can submerge themselves. I’d recommend getting a rope climbing mat, and hanging it, as I’ve found that hermit crabs tend to climb.
Use Eco-Earth substrate. It holds humidity well, and is good for them to burrow in.
Also remember that hermit crabs need fresh veg every day!

Yea, I have a fresh and salt bowl. I mist every day and top off bowls every day. I feed them fresh fruit, fresh veg, chia seeds, nuts, and sometimes raw shrimp/seafood if I have it. They seem to really like cucumbers, so I give them that often.
Thanks for the input!

 

Just opened the top up. Sandy is in the top corner with the brown spotted shell. Sorry for the horrible pictures, when I upload them I use my ipad2, which takes absoulute trash photos.

 

- I would reccomend using a glass top to keep in the humidty/heat... but that's me.

More crabs is a difficult question. They do grow, and ultimately a large (large) group of crabs will not fit as well as a large (small) group of crabs. So, you potentially prepared to move them to a larger tank when they outsize this one? If not, then I would leave it as these two. If so, then I would only get another 2 (I would just stick with a total of 3 crabs) and be prepared to move them to a larger home within a couple of years.

Lights aren't required, if you have it in a room that receives day/night cycles. Otherwise, if you want one or the crabs are in a area that's a little dark, supplemented lighting would be awesome!

May require a larger heat pad - especially during winter - but other than that. No, just decorations...

 

Thanks! I will keep my 2 crabs.

 

Anyway, I need some help. Thanks in advance to any input.
First, can someone tell me if I'm doing everything right (keep reading)? I don't want to suddenly find out that I'm doing everything wrong.
I need a hood/top to keep the humidity in, does anyone have any ideas?
Can I get anymore crabs?
Do I need a light?
Is there anything else other than more and a shells that I need (I have salt bowl, fresh bowl, hut, hygrometer and already that I will be switching over)?

You can use plexiglass lids, or aquarium hoods with lights on them. I am using led strips on both my lids.
Unless you understand and are willing to upgrade quicker in the future, I would stick with a few crabs in a tank this size.
Nope, as long as you can see them without it, lights are not required.
I suggest that you give crabs things to do, such as climbs from plastic plants, wooden branches and decoration, or fishing net draped across the back or sides of your tank.

Please take note that you will need Instant Ocean for saltwater, and a dechlorinator that removes heavy metals and chlorine.
I recommend Seachem Prime, but you can use other types of water treatments

Here are a few photos of my tank for reference and ideas.
It’s a 55 gallon with a 20 gallon topper.

 

Thanks! Very nice crabitats! And yes, I do have prime and some ocean salt that was given to me by a very nice Saltwater Only LFS.

I have some plastic rope that I'm going to hang around so they can climb, a wooden root from a dead hibsicus, and a fake plant from one of my old fish tanks. I also have one of those coconut hulls for them to hide in, but I'm thinking I'm going to use one of those half log things instead because they are much more spacious.

 

Here’s Sandy out and about.

 

I am curious to know how things are going, what's the news with the build?

 

I am going to Michals today or tommorow to try to find a plastic sheet that I can fit onto the top of the crabitat and keep the humidity in. Hermy (my other crab) is still underground molting. He probably has a couple of weeks left as he went underground 3/4 weeks after Sandy, who has been up for 1 1/2 week.
Quick question, do I need to drill any holes anywhere for ventilation or whatever? I will open and close the lid a lot to feed and top off bowls so not sure if I need holes for air.

 

I am going to Michals today or tommorow to try to find a plastic sheet that I can fit onto the top of the crabitat and keep the humidity in. Hermy (my other crab) is still underground molting. He probably has a couple of weeks left as he went underground 3/4 weeks after Sandy, who has been up for 1 1/2 week.
Quick question, do I need to drill any holes anywhere for ventilation or whatever? I will open and close the lid a lot to feed and top off bowls so not sure if I need holes for air.

Nope, holes are not necessary.

 

OK, thanks!

 

Update! Hermy came up today! I still haven’t had time to go to michals so I will go this weekend.

 

MAJOR update! Got the sand, lid and log! Still not 100% finished, I need to use some rope to attach so they can climb more and some more shells. They are now crazy active!

 

It's getting there, looks good!

 

Thanks!