Making The Hermit Crab Cage A Home: Setting up His Tank

You’re absolutely right!  A hermit crab doesn’t need an elaborate house like the guinea pig or even a dwarf hamster loves.  But his new tank is his castle as it were and you do want to make it as appealing to him as possible.

So aside from hanging a sign on the wall that says, “Home, Sweet Cage,” just how do you maintain a healthy environment for you pet?

I’m going to presume that you do know your hermit crab loves a tropical environment.  So your job is to make his tank as close to a “tropical hermit crab paradise” as you possibly can.

Let’s start with the tank itself.  It’s perfectly fine to use either a glass or plastic tank for your hermit crab if that’s what you have.  Just be sure to remember that this crustacean is a Houdini of sorts.  He’s a master escape artist.  That means you’ll need to ensure his safety (and save you hours of hunting) by placing a lid on his home.

You may notice that some plastic tanks are sold and marketed as “hermit crab kits.”  Try to steer clear of these.  They’re just too small to be comfortable for your crab.

You really don’t want to get any tank that is smaller than 10 gallons – and of course, if you can afford something bigger, that’s even better.  Not only are you going to place your Harriet the Hermit Crab in here, but you’ll want to give her some accessories as well – at the very least a food and water bowl.

Substrate: The Floor Covering

Just think of substrate as your hermit crab’s wall-to-wall carpeting.  Of course, your first choice should be sand – it’s what your crab would be living in if he were in the wild, so to speak.  And it’s also a great substance for him to burrow into as well. And hermit crabs do love to burrow.  It’s just one of their natural behaviors.

If you choose regular “playground sand”, which by the way can be found at any hardware or home improvement store, you may want to rinse, dry and bake it (at 300°F).  This sterilizes the sand.  And you can always re-wash it whenever you feel it’s needed.

Of course, there are other options for your substrate.  Some of these are created for reptiles, like coconut fiber-based bedding.  The fiber is ground finely so it looks and feels quite a bit like soil.  That makes it good for burrowing. You may also want to consider crushed coral.  The two substrate materials you’ll want to avoid are gravel and wood shavings.

How Hot Would My Crab Like It?

If you want to keep Harriet the Hermit Crab happy, you’ll keep the tank temperature between 72 and 80° F.  Should the temperature drop below 72, with any type of regularity, your crab may become weak and stressed.  And she’s more likely to fall ill when she’s feeling like this.

Unless you live in a tropical climate yourself, more than likely you’ll need to use a heater to keep your new family member healthy and happy.  Some owners use a combination of both heaters and lights to keep Harriet happy.

Humidity

But the proper temperature alone won’t keep Harriet happy.  You’ll also want to seriously consider the humidity requirements of your friend.  Even though crabs are land animals for the most part, they “breathe” using their gills.  The proper exchange of oxygen for the crab depends on the amount of humidity in the air.  If the air is too dry, then the crab, in effect, suffocates.

So in order to breathe properly, crabs need a humidity of somewhere between 70 and 80 percent. You’ll be surprised though at what can help the humidity level of the tank.  Just giving him his water dish can help increase the level of humidity in his tank.  You may also want to place a natural sea sponge in the dish as well.

The sponge alone holds a lot of water.  In addition, it has lots of surface area for evaporation to take place. And this process only boosts the level of humidity.

Now you have the essentials of keeping Harriet the Hermit Crab healthy, happy and burrowing for years to come!  Enjoy your time with her.