Thank you guys so much for joining our channel! In this video we will discuss how to clean your hermit crab tank! Come along with us as we clean our 700 gallon tank set up! We will show you our step-by-step process of how we clean up our hermit crab tank! Happy Crabbing! -The CCS Crew
Hi there! I am so fascinated by your setup and believe it is absolutely fantastic! I was just wondering how you feel about bioactive setups because I haven't heard you speak about it but I believe would be absolutely beneficial for a massive tank like that and help keep it clean so much more!
This came out at the perfect time for me! I was wondering when, how, and what to do to clean and maintain the hermit crab tank. I still don't have any crabbies, because I wanted to see the work involved in tank maintenance. Now, I really want to start thinking about how many hermit crabs I want and where I could set up. I will look to adopt not buy.
Your tanks are absolutely an inspiration! They look so miniature and cozy such as the baby tank! Your water tanks are beautiful too. They look like hermit crab houses! ❤
True! It took us nothing short of six hours but we truly did enjoy every second of it! We ❤️ our crabs and truly enjoy all of the work it takes to keep up with them and their home!
YAYY YOU POSTED!! it’s funny because when you posted the travel video, right when i got back from “vacation” my crabby was down in molt and still is lol i hope...
I just got my first 3 hermit crabs! I have them in their smaller tank for the PPS 30 day period. I am following all of your guidelines for healthy happy crabs but my concern for when I put them in their 40 gallon tank is...mites! I know I can't control every thing around this issue but I want to minimize as much potential for getting mites if possible. So my idea is to dehydrate the majority of the food I give them (fruits, veggies, meats, grains). My thoughts are that dehydrated foods are dry and they don't smell strong like fresh food would smell. Am I on the right track with this thinking in preventing food mites? Any other suggestions for prevention of food mites or any other mites? I will try to keep humidity managed in the tank as well. Have you experienced mites before in your tanks? Thank you! We love our crabs and can't wait to get them in their big tank!
Hello there! Congrats on your new crabbies! That is awesome! It sounds like you are on the right path to happy and healthy hermits! As far as mites go, we have had them several times :( We have noticed, that when we use predominantly dry foods and foraging, mites are far less easily introduced to the tank environment. Crabbies do LOVE fresh food though, so when we offer them fresh foods we wash them well in prime treated water and then we only leave it in over night taking it out early in the morning to prevent the mites from populating. If you do happen to get mites, do an initial surface clean like we did in this video (do not remove substrate for food mites as they are not harmful to hermit carbs!) After you clean surface items in prime treated water (which you should only do once, soon after you notice the mites), clean the glass thoroughly. Often the mites live on the walls of the tanks, and wiping them off daily with with water and a paper towel dramatically decreases their population. Wipe the walls of your tanks and replace your food dishes daily until you notice the mites have diminished. Happy Crabbing! We hope with helps :) The CCS Crew!
I used normal tap water in my substrate do you think they will be ok? I dechlorinated their drinking water but not the soil. Do you think they will be ok or should i redo the tank
Hello, I wanted to thank you for all your helpful videos! I must have watched them all at least three times now. I am preparing to adopt some hermit crabs through lhcos, and am getting everything ready to set my tank up. I did have a question, when you clean the glass with the water, do you put some prime drops in that or does it not mater if you treat the water you are cleaning the glass with? May be a silly question, but I'd rather make sure so I don't make the hermit crabs sick! Thank you so much!
Im one year in and these videos have been so helpful thank you SO much for making these. I have a question though, what do I do if I have a mite infestation and how do I prevent it from happening?
I’m so glad our videos are helping you on your journey! Just yesterday we recorded a video on what to do if you have mites! It should be out soon! Just to ease your mind, mites are not dangerous for your crabs.
@@CrabCentralStation WOW! Okay then I am asking this question right on time! I will be patiently (desperately) waiting to it. And what a relief 😩 I was so worried. The good news is I’m planning on upgrading their tank and going bigger. We plan on adopting a 3rd crab, so I will eventually have to move them into a new space anyway. Additional question, the tanks and sand can be very heavy. What do you put your tanks on? Did you build something specifically to hold the tanks or just purchase standard tables?
We built our tank stands. Our house sits on a concrete foundation. We also anchored the tank bases to the studs in the walls. They do get very heavy, you want to make sure the base is secure!
Thanks so much for the video! Super helpful! A few questions... - I used critter carriers as pools. They're dug into the sand and supported by a shelf. How do I keep the sand from falling between the tank glass & pool since it's not 100% flush and square like yours? - can large/heavy logs be removed for cleaning if they're not dug into the sub, or is it best to just leave the really heavy items so they don't collapse molt tunnels? Thanks!
Good questions! Unfortunately there is no perfect way to keep sand from falling in between the pool and glass. As for heavy logs, I would leave them when possible.
You’re welcome! It is such a passion for us. We are so thankful for your support. We are working on getting a camera set up so we can do that for you guys 😊
Hey I have a suggestion in regards to filling up your tanks after a water change. You can connect a hose to your kitchen sink and just run it to the crab room. Hope that helps and will take a lot less time. Have a great day
Sorry if this question is long over due but if you dont mind me wondering, why should you not ever take out all the substrate for cleaning? Is there a reason to not ever do that?
Thinking about how I might build a crabitat, testing my thinking about the reality I am seeing here. First thought was to build a sculptured ferro cement tank base. Still thinking if that is worthwhile. Sand depth is more important, is more important. One thing I think would be better is to use frameless glass for the tank front panels, and this can be shaped ie not as high at the front to make visual access better. Of course this depends on how high the crabs can climb on glass. Another possibility is to build the tank with tight radius bent glass so the back bottom and front are all one piece with the front being profiled for better access. Then it needs 2 end panels which would have holes cut in for water treatment hoses. Maybe. There is so much to know here before even starting. The tunnel digging is really interesting. Do you ever have to fish out the malt shells?
The baby shells are too cute.🥺 not me dumping down salt water and sand in my bathroom sink every time I clean the tank oops now I know to dump it outside
@@wendymartin6256 springtails are a form of microfauna (tiny bugs) that are often used in bioactive enclosures for reptiles and amphibians to clean up waste and mold. I thought they might also be beneficial for hermit crab enclosures and small enough where they would not be eaten and not cause any issues for the crabs.
Sorry....thought of one more question as I went further in the vid 🤔 When you cleaned in the sink you sprayed some things off. Is chlorinated water not a danger? That part was sped up, so not sure I was seeing everything.
Correct, chlorine is not good for our hermit crabs. I usually spray the big things off in the sink and then dunk it in a bucket of prime water, then dry on the counter. However, if you are allowing the items to completely dry (or you hand dry it) the sink tap water shouldn't be a problem. It's only an issue if the items will be placed back in the tank wet, where the crabs can drink from the dripping/pooling water (which I strongly suggest not doing because you don't want all that water soaking into your substrate).
I know, you answered my question about this before, when I was wondering how you sanitize the coconut huts and what-not. But, I was wondering, if you haven't already, would you please do a video, showing EXACTLY how you "bake" them to sanitize? I am too scared to buy the hut until I know precisely what I am doing.
That tank is made by a company called Exoterra. They make terrarium tanks for reptiles. We just remove the wire screen top and turn it upside down over a base tank. Super easy access to clean and feed. We found most of ours second hand on FB Market.
Thank you for this. I have a question though. You mentioned adding leaf litter and that they especially like that in fall and winter. My assumption, because they are a tropical species and their tanks are kept, as much as possible, at the same humidity and temp, that a seasonal cycle wouldn't exactly apply. Idk. I live in Florida where 99% of the year is summer. We're very thankful for those 5 days of slightly less summer in winter. Lol. My question is, do you change anything with the seasons and if not, how do you think they would know what season it is? Just curious about your thoughts on this. 😊
Great question! I think it has to do with moon phases and barometric pressure. I don't even have a window in my crab room. However, they mate and spawn according to moon phases and their behavior definitely changes during the different seasons. My tank temperature and humidity stays at tropical levels all year.... somehow they know! They are amazing creatures!
What to do when you discover that the tank is flooded with water? I’ve placed the hermit crab into a new 24 x 18x 12 exo terra tank, but I’d like to try to save some of the substrate and sand from the old 10 gal tank, sands was about 3 inches on the tank that flooded with 1 inch of water. I think it’s from humidifier that was set too high.
Good job moving the crab to a safe tank! You can bake the old substrate in your oven to dry it out and reuse it. It may take awhile, but it will save you money. You can also spread it out on a table (put some kind of tarp under it so you don't damage the wood. I would highly suggest not using a humidifier at all. You will continue to run into floods using a humidifier. All you need is the correct heat mat on the back of your tank, the right substrate (5:1 ration and depth), two water pools, and a sealed tank. Those elements will create the perfect heat/humidity with no need for a humidifier or spraying the sub.
What can I use to clean the new 29 gallon tank I have before setting it up for them and where can I get the stuff for them to climb on and what kind of water is safe to clean the sides of the tank
White vinegar diluted with water is a good and safe cleaner for the tank. Check out the description in our videos for links to all kinds of great stuff for the tank and necessities.
Okay, so I am still currently in the PPS period, but I am wondering how to clean my tank when I first get it if it's really dirty? I thankfully had a friend who happened to have a 55 gallon tank they were no longer using, but I'm unsure of what products I can use to clean it since it's so dirty. It really needs a thorough cleaning. Thank you for your great videos!!! It's so helpful to me on this journey to giving these crabs a happy, healthy and long life!
I am so sorry that I missed you message! I hope you are well on your way by now. I'm glad that our channel has been helpful to you. Please reach out if you need something else.
You guys have inspired me so much! I have 4 hermit crabs in a 20 gallon long tank rn, but I feel that they don’t have enough room. I want to do 3 40 gallon tanks together (two on the bottom and one on the top connecting them) However, I am a little intimidated about the cleaning (because I usually take all of the substrate out and replace it) but I know in the video you said it was bio active. Are you 100% sure the 5 to 1 ratio takes care of all the waste?
Hi! Yay, we're so glad you are here at CCS with us! It sounds like you have a fun project on your hands! Be careful with turning tanks upside down as toppers. Our experience in doing that lead to a flood in 6 months. There is no good way to maintain the area under the topper and it creates a rainforest effect with the high humidity. The 5:1 ratio is a wonderful combination for your substrate! If maintenance is done regularly (food taken out, foraging items replaced often) and the heat and humidity is within the recommendations consistently, your substrate should last many years without needing to be replaced.
@@CrabCentralStation Great! ty! and this was just an idea (cuttings costs wise) but i just thought, would a plastic storage bin work as a topper? I was thinking that if you cut a hole in the top and replaced it with a screen, would that reduce humidity? Or would the plastic cause mold anyway?
I got the substrate thing with the soil looking type thing im not quite sure what to call it and there’s little little white bugs crawling in there is that an infestation?
You are so welcome! Thank you for watching and supporting our channel and family 😊 We found those bowls at a local pet shop. I will see if I can find them online. If I do... I'll come back here and post a link for you!
I found some that look similar! Yay! petshopia.net/product/sungrow-reptile-food-bowl-4-5x5-5-inches-unbreakable-half-coconut-shell-with-husk-tank-dcor-and-humidifier-for-bearded-dragons-tortoise-snakes-bullfrogs/?gclid=CjwKCAjw8cCGBhB6EiwAgOReywqmT8C9D_7II_voqpdCjxNyGH_rXC6JiEuVTt1RETtSS7MTWc3gZxoCoXYQAvD_BwE
Hello I have a question about hermit crab water for my freshwater pool I give my hermit crab like the water that I drink and I want to know if I just put the conditioner in it or no or I should just use sink water and put conditioner in it for freshwater?
Tap water is actually better than bottled water for our hermit crabs. It has different minerals that are beneficial for them. You want to add Prime every 48 hours.
We do have some cat balls in there! We take the bell out because it is metal and can rust. We also have hamster wheels, natural wood to climb, cork wood tunnels to hide in, coconut huts.
hi your content is awesome but i have a question, i just got some hermit crabs yesterday and had listened to everything the pet store told me. I want to add some more substrate so it’s six inches deep and not 2 like i have it right now. Should i wait a bit before i do that because i don’t want to cause any stress to them? i don’t know how i would pour the substrate in evenly without moving them. what should i do?
Welcome to CCS! Check out our video on PPS (post purchase stress). We walk you through the best process and how to help your new pets acclimate slowly to correct conditions.
hi big fan but I have a question I will be getting 2 hermit crabs in less than a week so I was wondering if you guys will make a video (a beginner hermit crab tank) with links and like I don't know how to say it but just anything I need to know plz and thx.
Hi! Welcome! Thank you for watching our videos! We do have a basic hermit crab care video that talks about all the things you will need for your tank. We have links in the description of that video to all of the products we use. For new crabs though, I would start with the PPDS method. This gives your crabs 30 days to acclimate to the correct conditions. It also gives you time to work on gathering all the correct supplies to build them a great forever tank once they finish PPDS. th-cam.com/video/-Heriyvv2mo/w-d-xo.html
My sand has these little bugs that look almost clear and almost unnoticeable until I put the sand up close and I notice them kind of moving about. My crabs are absolutely thriving and beautiful…but just noticing these little micro bugs has me in an absolute panic that I need to change everything, and one of their buddies is molting. :( what do you suggest? Is this going to hurt them? How do I know if it’s going to hurt them? Thanks ❤
This is one reason we suggest doubling up your pools. Crabs love to molt under them - silly little guys! Since you know that you have a crab right under/by your pool. Just use a turkey baster or some other suction tool to suck out the water. Then, carefully pour the fresh water in the pools.
Hey I have a question if your temperature in your crab tank is good and I have salt and fresh water but I wanted to know if their water need to be heated as well cause to me the water fill cold and if they like warm temperatures?
@@CrabCentralStation thank you 😊 I have another question can you use driftwood from the beach to put in my crab tank it’s a really good piece that’s clean I’m trying to build different things for my crabs .
Sorry if you explained any of this in the video (I didn’t watch the whole thing). Why are the pools so deep? Do the crabs swim all the way down there? I have had my crabs for 25+ years and I’ve never had water that deep in their tanks. I didn’t think they could swim? And is that salt or fresh water that’s in there? Do they have separate drinking water bowls? Thank you! :)
Hi 👋 these are 10g water pools. I have 2 fresh water pools and one salt water pool. The crabs need to fully submerge so that they can fill up their shells with water. They have modified gills and need shell water to help them breathe properly. The pools don’t have to be this deep, just deep enough for your largest crab to fully submerge. My crabs do “swim” all the way to the bottom. When the moms spawn their babies they spend a good amount of time u set water. Just make sure you provide an easy way in and out of the pools. If they can’t get out easily, they can drown.
Do you have a video outlining what to do in case of a flood? I think one of my filters was splashing water out, bc twice in a row my fresh water tank drained to 25% within two days (whereas my salt water tank didn’t). When I felt the sand below the water table, it was definitely wetter than the sand not near the water tanks, but not crazy high in amount of moisture. There was a crab that looked like he came up mid-molt from under the water table (put him in a pint plastic container with holes in the tank with small amount of substrate, his claws, calcium, castings, high protein food, and water). So I’m pretty sure it’s too wet under there for them to dig. 😬 One crab is still down somewhere. Idk what to do.
Our crabs roll them around all the time. We don't see it often because they seem to do this at night. When we check on them in the morning, the cat toys are in different places.
Do you have to scoop the tank everyday? We just got 2 and is didnt realize it was this much work so I’m definitely trying. I don’t see crab poop so I don’t know how it can be scooped everyday without seeing anything
Welcome to CCS! You do not have to scoop the sand often at all. Your substrate will become bioactive and the crabs eat most of the poop. You want to scoop/take out fresh foods every 24 hours and dried foods every 3 days. Foraging items like leaves, bark, worm castings, can stay for weeks.
I am new to hermit crabs and really had no idea how much they require for a healthy life. Unfortunately I put mostly echo earth on one side of the tank and sand on the other after seeing another misinformational video. So now one of my crabs has been under there for days and I'd like to take everything out and start over with the proper mix of sand and earth but I don't want to disturb that crab. I feel I need to do it asap cause I'm definitely getting mold in the tank. Any help with this issue would be appreciated!! Ty!
Do you ever get mold on your suction cups? Mine get mold on them. All i do is wipe them with a rag and put back in place. Also, i knoticed my tank on the inside gets cloudy and looks to almost be growing like mold or some algae looking thing, idk maybe its just like dust. Idk what it is but i usually just leave it as im layed back about it as well as it is not harming anything.
We don't use suction cups in our current tank because our crabs are too big and they just pull them right down. If a decore item has sections cups, we take them off and use zip ties to attach decor. The cloudy look on the tank glass we do get as well. I just clean it using water and a paper towel.
@@CrabCentralStation thnx! I was a little worried about the cloudyness on tank. As i am a littls paranoid sometimes. My crabs r getring bigger but r still about mediums. Plus i dont have any backrpund or anuthing to ziptie to. I love your setup though!
Just a quick clarification: you do not need to pick up there leaving(droppings) or clean up what ever you can get? Also keep the old substrate by adding new on top when needed?
Correct, you do not have to collect their droppings. However, you can if you would like. Just use a slotted spoon or something for the surface, don't dig down and don't remove items that are su k into the substrate. You should never have to replace your substrate unless you have: fungus, bacterial bloom, flooding, or bugs that are harmful to the crabs (springtails, isopods, and grain mites are not harmful). If you need to deepen your sub over time, you can safely add 1" of substrate every couple of days. Just make sure you sprinkle it evenly accross the surface rather than dumping it in one spot and then moving it around with your hands. You want the weight of the new sand to be evenly distributed so as not to disturb molt caves.
Hi there! Last night I had a bit of a hermit crab crisis and I am looking for some advice. I was just recently gone for vacation for a week and I left my hermits with my bestie who isn’t very experienced with them so I just told her to keep an eye on them. I had given them dry food and clean water just before I left. A couple days after I got back I discovered that I had a food mite infestation in the tank. Today I cleaned out the entire tank and soaked everything with warm water and sea chem prime. While I was cleaning the tank I unfortunately had to dig up one of my crabs that was molting. He is in a shell right now but is very white and I was wondering if there is anything specific I should do to keep him safe. I was also told to soak my crabs to get any mites off of them but now I’m unsure if that’s a good idea for the guy that has just molted. Any info/advice would be greatly appreciated!!
Hi! Great video! What is your advice for those of us that have pods and tails in our tank? I am always scared when I take out the leaf litter and moss they will hitch a ride and I will lose some. Especially the tails, since they are so tiny and you can barely see them. TY!
Hi! That is a GREAT question! I hope to add both tails and pods to our tank at some point! I would suggest gathering the foraged items off the surface like I did in this video and place it in a separate bin that you keep in the tank (kind of like a "compost" bin). This way it is still available to your tank clean-up crew, and the crabs actually, but you are still able to tidy up the tank and add fresh foraging items. I hope that was helpful?
Great questions! We currently have a small, but growing, springtail population. We have had powder orange isopods in the past but did not appreciate their rapid reproduction rate! We an to introduce isopods again at some point. We are researching different species so that we can get the best fit for us. We do not recommend live food in the crabitat. There are too many risks in an enclosed environment.
Are the succulant plants in your take live ? I am wanting to get live plants as well for our 55 gallon . we have not got any new crabs to go into our new tank yet as one of my crabs has buried and seems to be molting. We can see him in his cave as he has made it in the corner . should we just leave him alone to molt until he is done and then introduce him to the new crabs in the new tank ? I am worried he will be lonely when he comes out of molt .
absolutely, 100%, let the crab complete his/her molt before moving to the new tank. Some live plants are safe. Check out www.crabstreetjournal.org for the safe list (just type in safe plants in the search bar). Keep in mind any plants you want to use will have to be replanted in 100% organic soil (no fertilizer), and quarantined for 60 days due to pesticides. The crabs will most likely destroy the plants quickly, so for us, we couldn't keep up with the replacement of live plants. It was time consuming and expensive.
We use artificial plants in our tank. Real plants have to be non-toxic, reanted in soil without pesticides and the. Quarantined from stores, and can not be planted in the substrate itself. The crabs tare them up pretty quickly.... which gets expensive to replace.
Hey! Great video. I have a tank and the full set up but I was wondering where the best place to adopt (not buy) hermit crabs are. I'm looking for the best price. I looked on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace and there weren't any in my area. Do you have any ideas where I can get them? I'm getting two by the way.
Oops, answered your other comment before seeing this one. I'm so glad to see you looking to adopt! Josh's Frogs online sell captive bred hermit crabs. They are the only resale store that carry Mary Aker's babies (you can google her blog). We also have captive bred babies but are currently sold out. We did get more to land this past summer but they are too little to adopt out right now. They will be available in July 2023. We have Lila's though, an exotic breed of hermit crab. You can also go to www.LHCOS.org/adoption for adopting crabs that need to be rehomed.
So for a small critter crate that’s about 2 gallons how often would I need to test the water and what is a partial water change? Empty half the water and add new? To permanently keep them in I would put them in the put the sand in around it right? Also do you change it more often with a bubbler than a filter
You should prime your water every 48 hours and test it once a week! Without a filter you should do a water change every 2-3 days (roughly) and with a filter we do a partial water change once every (other) week! Partial water change means that we siphon out half of the water from the tank and replace it with fresh water.
@@CrabCentralStation I left a comment on your advanced water pools video. You are over priming your water. I see by this video that you grasp some of the concepts of the land economy system for your crabs although these large land terrain cleaning is excessive as well....yet don't have correct knowledge regarding water ecosystems, some best practices are very similar, but it appears that you don't understand the ecosystem methodology. And why you're cleaning your over cleaning certain objects in your land terrain in the manner in which you do, as you aren't applying this knowledge towards the water ecosystem effectively. It isn't about creating a pristine water pool but a water ecosystem. I respectfully urge you to research various water ecosystems and adapt those concepts to your water systems. Over changing water, over using priming chemicals too often, not creating a proper substrate for larger water pools etc. Creates a very sterile and potentially harmful environment. Good bacteria needs to be present that as your water ecosystem will naturally build up to reflect the natural helpful bacteria of your crabs bodies. Every time your crabs enter this sterile and over chemically treated water, it washes off the healthy bacteria on their bodies which they now have to try to rebuild in their land environment. Also the water chemicals that help neutralize chlorine etc may neutralize those chemicals but it the chemicals you are using does not then magically disappear, it stays in the water. There are excellent videos on how to maintain a water stable aquarium that you only use these types of chemicals sparingly and once your economy system has stabilized you use the very minimal amount even less frequently. There is a science to this system that is easy to maintain once established and the best way to destroy this balance is to do a large water change and add a bunch of chemicals thinking that will help as your aquarium becomes toxic to any life forms it is supporting. The natural ecosystem has been completely destroyed by doing this. I will caution you, so aquarium/fish videos also perpetuate the over cleaning, over changing water and over using chemicals. Look for videos that talk about the cycle of bringing your aquarium to a water stable ecosystem, not a pristine sterile environment. No ecosystems land or water etc. Are sterile, sterile means no cycle and a system has to have a cycle to be sustainable. Good luck and Take care.
@@AmandaHugandKiss411 We appreciate your comment. I believe you are coming at this with aquarium keeping in mind. Land Hermit Crab water care is different than aquarium care for marine life. Land Hermit crabs do not live in the water, it is a hydration source for them. If a person would like to create a bioactive enclosure, your suggestions are good to note. The only chemical we are adding to our water is Prime, which If you visit their site, you will read that you can not "over prime" water. We have testing kits, both fresh and salt, and test our water regularly - which we advise others to do as well. Ultimately it comes down to the difference of creating an aquatic LIVING condition in your aquarium, which is not needed for land hermit crabs. The majority of crab keepers don't have pools large enough to consider aquariums, but rather water containers for drinking. Our videos are based on Hermit crab care, not aquarium care or aquatic life. If you look at our breeding videos, you will recognize that we do have an understanding of water care and how to properly care for our hermit crabs. It is very rare to have hermit crabs breeding in captivity..... yet we do.... so we must be doing it right. The advice we give on our channel is research based and comes from marine biggest and hermit crab keepers that have been practicing hermit crab husbandry for over 20 years successfully. Perhaps you could do some research on the difference between hermit crab care and marine life... there is a bug difference in how to care for each of them.
I saw a roach in my tank (probably a American roach by color) but I heard you have to deep clean the tank but one of my crabs is having their first molt
I need help! I’m new to owning hermit crabs, and I’m trying to find answers on a few things. I recently bought two hermits, and one disappeared. I’ve seen them digging a few days beforehand’ and I just figured one may be under the substrate. But I read that sometimes it takes a while for them to appear back on surface. Is that true? If so, how would I clean their tank without being worried of collapsing their tunnel. Thank you for your time!
Hi Chelsey, welcome to Crab Central Station! We are so glad you have joined us on your hermie journey! We have a lot of great videos that will teach you all about Hermit crabs and their care. We have a video about your question too... Where is my hermit crab.... You definitely, 100%, do not want to dig for your crab. They dig down, for fun, to destress, and to molt. Disturbing their molt can be a death sentence. If you have your tank set up properly, it becomes bioactive! Way cool! You shouldn't have to replace your substrate.. . Ever (uses you have mold, bacteria, or bugs)! Watch the videos on our channel on how to set up your tank with 5:1 playsand:ecoearth. How to create heat/humidity/water/food/enrichment/maintenance.
watching this a few days after i cleaned my tank, with a crab down (not sure if he’s molting) and i pulled up (but didn’t replace) two items that were dug into the substrate 🤦🏼♀️ i hope i didn’t collapse anything down there 😕
@@CrabCentralStation ahhhh super excited ! Yall are my favorite channel ❤ My hermit crabs truly thank you for the proper care you teached me so i can provide for them !!!! (:
Hello! I am from Indonesia You Guys have very amazing tank set up with Beautiful Hermit Crabs. Anyw I am very confused about cleaning the Hermit Crab tank. Some sources say that we need to remove all of the sand but you said the opposite. So Basically you guys never change the sand for forever except when those 3 reason happen?
Hello 👋 Welcome Vicky! Thank you for your kind words! You are correct, we do not change our substrate at all unless we have mold, bacteria, flood, or dangerous bugs. That's assuming the substrate is the 5:1 playsand to ecoearth ratio. If you are using a different kind of substrate.... the maintenance might be different.
@@CrabCentralStation Thank you for your answer! Could you please kindly tell me what is play sand that you are currently using? what kind of sand is that? Furthermore, do you have any other alternative brand of the play sand because it seems like I can't find any store that sell quikrete play sand in My Country (Indonesia). Currently I'm using natural beach sand that has been washed and sifted with brick of 'Eco'. What do you think?
I think that will work perfectly 🥰. I'm glad you have washed the sand though. You don't want to bring parasites, fungus, bugs, ect.. from the beach into your closed environment tank.
I have those tiny white gnats.... and constantly have a hermit crab that's gone under (so can't empty it). No idea how to clean that out. :( I squish them when I see them and keep the tank as clean as possible (normally wouldn't be so tidy, but.. bugs). The crabs seem chill and they aren't all over the crabs or anything. I see them under the food dish when I pick it up. Any ideas? Is raking the top enough? I haven't done much of that. I did read with bugs you need to absolutely scrub all tank accessories, etc. Yikes.
If they are white grain mites, you don't need to change the sub or wash decor, they are not harmful to the crabs at all. Just continue to wipe them off the glass and scoop them off the surface of the substrate when you see them. Feed only dry foods for a couple weeks, replacing the dishes daily (I know that seems wasteful, but this is how you get rid of the bugs).
Thank you guys so much for joining our channel! In this video we will discuss how to clean your hermit crab tank! Come along with us as we clean our 700 gallon tank set up! We will show you our step-by-step process of how we clean up our hermit crab tank!
Happy Crabbing!
-The CCS Crew
What is the biggest crab you have
@@Chiaras419 We have a brevimanus that is the size of a baseball.
hi i was wondering if i can use beach sand and bake it to get ride of germs and use that mix with eacho earth
Hi there! I am so fascinated by your setup and believe it is absolutely fantastic! I was just wondering how you feel about bioactive setups because I haven't heard you speak about it but I believe would be absolutely beneficial for a massive tank like that and help keep it clean so much more!
pov ur me right now: *eating chick-fil-a on a 16 hour road trip watching my favorite youtubers missing my hermit crabs*
LOL! I LOVE this comment! Have fun! Stay safe!
This came out at the perfect time for me! I was wondering when, how, and what to do to clean and maintain the hermit crab tank. I still don't have any crabbies, because I wanted to see the work involved in tank maintenance. Now, I really want to start thinking about how many hermit crabs I want and where I could set up. I will look to adopt not buy.
Yes!!!! That sounds amazing, Gina! Thank you for researching ahead of time, supporting our channel, and adopting instead of shopping!
Your tanks are absolutely an inspiration! They look so miniature and cozy such as the baby tank! Your water tanks are beautiful too. They look like hermit crab houses! ❤
I am astonished of how much of a busy woman you are haha
That's for sure! I feel it most days 😆 I like to be busy though!
A lot of work but a good feeling when it’s all sparkling clean!
True! It took us nothing short of six hours but we truly did enjoy every second of it! We ❤️ our crabs and truly enjoy all of the work it takes to keep up with them and their home!
YAYY YOU POSTED!! it’s funny because when you posted the travel video, right when i got back from “vacation” my crabby was down in molt and still is lol i hope...
Same we were gone about a week so we hired a sitter.
I literally dream of having a setup like this for my crabs.
I did too!!! Don't stop dreaming.... it can come true! Thank you 😊
Thank you for all of the information you put out here! I'm just starting this video and hoping this explains how to disinfect a used tank I just got.
You are amazing, new subscriber. Your love for hermit crabs shines, brite!! ❤ 😊 So much important information. Thank you so much for sharing.
That intro is my tank in a nut shell right now
You got this It's KittyBee! If I can do it... you can too! We are cheering for you ❤
I was so worried I would have to change my substrate thank you so much for this it really helped
You’re welcome! Glad it helped!
You all are very helpful to me with all the hermit questions I have and you all rock.
Thank you!
@@CrabCentralStation you are welcome
I just got my first 3 hermit crabs! I have them in their smaller tank for the PPS 30 day period. I am following all of your guidelines for healthy happy crabs but my concern for when I put them in their 40 gallon tank is...mites! I know I can't control every thing around this issue but I want to minimize as much potential for getting mites if possible. So my idea is to dehydrate the majority of the food I give them (fruits, veggies, meats, grains). My thoughts are that dehydrated foods are dry and they don't smell strong like fresh food would smell. Am I on the right track with this thinking in preventing food mites? Any other suggestions for prevention of food mites or any other mites? I will try to keep humidity managed in the tank as well. Have you experienced mites before in your tanks? Thank you! We love our crabs and can't wait to get them in their big tank!
Hello there! Congrats on your new crabbies! That is awesome! It sounds like you are on the right path to happy and healthy hermits! As far as mites go, we have had them several times :( We have noticed, that when we use predominantly dry foods and foraging, mites are far less easily introduced to the tank environment. Crabbies do LOVE fresh food though, so when we offer them fresh foods we wash them well in prime treated water and then we only leave it in over night taking it out early in the morning to prevent the mites from populating. If you do happen to get mites, do an initial surface clean like we did in this video (do not remove substrate for food mites as they are not harmful to hermit carbs!) After you clean surface items in prime treated water (which you should only do once, soon after you notice the mites), clean the glass thoroughly. Often the mites live on the walls of the tanks, and wiping them off daily with with water and a paper towel dramatically decreases their population. Wipe the walls of your tanks and replace your food dishes daily until you notice the mites have diminished.
Happy Crabbing!
We hope with helps :)
The CCS Crew!
Your definitely on the right track!
I used normal tap water in my substrate do you think they will be ok? I dechlorinated their drinking water but not the soil. Do you think they will be ok or should i redo the tank
Thank you for helping me with caring for my crabs it has inspired me to make my own channel
That's so cool!
Hello, I wanted to thank you for all your helpful videos! I must have watched them all at least three times now. I am preparing to adopt some hermit crabs through lhcos, and am getting everything ready to set my tank up. I did have a question, when you clean the glass with the water, do you put some prime drops in that or does it not mater if you treat the water you are cleaning the glass with? May be a silly question, but I'd rather make sure so I don't make the hermit crabs sick! Thank you so much!
Where did y’all get the coconut dish you use for the worm castings and green sand?
I have been waiting to see how y'all do this. Thank you for posting this ☺️
You're welcome! We're glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching!
Im one year in and these videos have been so helpful thank you SO much for making these.
I have a question though, what do I do if I have a mite infestation and how do I prevent it from happening?
I’m so glad our videos are helping you on your journey! Just yesterday we recorded a video on what to do if you have mites! It should be out soon! Just to ease your mind, mites are not dangerous for your crabs.
@@CrabCentralStation WOW! Okay then I am asking this question right on time! I will be patiently (desperately) waiting to it. And what a relief 😩 I was so worried. The good news is I’m planning on upgrading their tank and going bigger. We plan on adopting a 3rd crab, so I will eventually have to move them into a new space anyway.
Additional question, the tanks and sand can be very heavy. What do you put your tanks on? Did you build something specifically to hold the tanks or just purchase standard tables?
We built our tank stands. Our house sits on a concrete foundation. We also anchored the tank bases to the studs in the walls. They do get very heavy, you want to make sure the base is secure!
How do you make these amazing tanks. What are the tanks on top of the big tanks?
Thanks so much for the video! Super helpful! A few questions...
- I used critter carriers as pools. They're dug into the sand and supported by a shelf. How do I keep the sand from falling between the tank glass & pool since it's not 100% flush and square like yours?
- can large/heavy logs be removed for cleaning if they're not dug into the sub, or is it best to just leave the really heavy items so they don't collapse molt tunnels?
Thanks!
Good questions! Unfortunately there is no perfect way to keep sand from falling in between the pool and glass. As for heavy logs, I would leave them when possible.
Thanks for showing us and its a great reminder of what to do and not to do. Would love to have a cam on the little ones and show them over night .
You’re welcome! It is such a passion for us. We are so thankful for your support. We are working on getting a camera set up so we can do that for you guys 😊
Hey I have a suggestion in regards to filling up your tanks after a water change. You can connect a hose to your kitchen sink and just run it to the crab room. Hope that helps and will take a lot less time. Have a great day
This is a great idea! Our kitchen is unfortunately quite far from our crab room but for someone with a shorter distance this is a great idea!
Sorry if this question is long over due but if you dont mind me wondering, why should you not ever take out all the substrate for cleaning? Is there a reason to not ever do that?
Thanks for the video! Greatly appreciated!
Thank you for watching!
I continue to rewatch this video before a big clean...I am now up to a 150g with two 100g toppers!
Wow that’s amazing i bet you have such happy crabs!
i love this channel and the way they care for there crabs! keep up the amazing work!
Thank you so much! We appreciate your support!
How do you clean the sand where they molted? Or does it need to be cleaned?
Thinking about how I might build a crabitat, testing my thinking about the reality I am seeing here. First thought was to build a sculptured ferro cement tank base. Still thinking if that is worthwhile. Sand depth is more important, is more important. One thing I think would be better is to use frameless glass for the tank front panels, and this can be shaped ie not as high at the front to make visual access better. Of course this depends on how high the crabs can climb on glass. Another possibility is to build the tank with tight radius bent glass so the back bottom and front are all one piece with the front being profiled for better access. Then it needs 2 end panels which would have holes cut in for water treatment hoses. Maybe. There is so much to know here before even starting. The tunnel digging is really interesting. Do you ever have to fish out the malt shells?
The baby shells are too cute.🥺 not me dumping down salt water and sand in my bathroom sink every time I clean the tank oops now I know to dump it outside
I did that in the beginning too....oops!
We have the same green side ways spin wheel.
Cool!
@@CrabCentralStation totally cool
So do you just leave the molts in the sand? Is there not a risk of it rotting or causing issues?
The crabs actually eat their exoskeleton after they molt. It is full of calcium and helps their new exoskeleton harden.
@@CrabCentralStation thank you for the reply!
I love hermit crabs 👍
Yay! Us too!
Do you need to boil the shells if they're from a beach? I'm gonna be getting hermit crabs eventually, but not yet(Don't have everything yet)
Great video! Since you mentioned bioactive, have you ever considered adding springtails to your tanks?
Yes ma'am, we have springtails right now. So far.... they're good.
May I ask what are springtails.I have 2 hermit crabs since May 2021. I am learning a lot from your channel .
@@wendymartin6256 springtails are a form of microfauna (tiny bugs) that are often used in bioactive enclosures for reptiles and amphibians to clean up waste and mold. I thought they might also be beneficial for hermit crab enclosures and small enough where they would not be eaten and not cause any issues for the crabs.
Welcome to CCS! We are so glad you have joined us on your hermie journey! Harmony Belles gave a great answer to your question 😊
Sorry....thought of one more question as I went further in the vid 🤔 When you cleaned in the sink you sprayed some things off. Is chlorinated water not a danger? That part was sped up, so not sure I was seeing everything.
Correct, chlorine is not good for our hermit crabs. I usually spray the big things off in the sink and then dunk it in a bucket of prime water, then dry on the counter. However, if you are allowing the items to completely dry (or you hand dry it) the sink tap water shouldn't be a problem. It's only an issue if the items will be placed back in the tank wet, where the crabs can drink from the dripping/pooling water (which I strongly suggest not doing because you don't want all that water soaking into your substrate).
I know, you answered my question about this before, when I was wondering how you sanitize the coconut huts and what-not. But, I was wondering, if you haven't already, would you please do a video, showing EXACTLY how you "bake" them to sanitize? I am too scared to buy the hut until I know precisely what I am doing.
We can work on that for you! We might make an instagram short about it!
Thank you, that would be awesome!
4:58 I was wondering where did you get the tank that has two doors?😍
That tank is made by a company called Exoterra. They make terrarium tanks for reptiles. We just remove the wire screen top and turn it upside down over a base tank. Super easy access to clean and feed. We found most of ours second hand on FB Market.
@@CrabCentralStation THANK YOU!!
Is it necessary to replace items back where they were taken from?
Not at all. Mix it up and give them a new environment to explore!
Thank you for this. I have a question though. You mentioned adding leaf litter and that they especially like that in fall and winter. My assumption, because they are a tropical species and their tanks are kept, as much as possible, at the same humidity and temp, that a seasonal cycle wouldn't exactly apply. Idk. I live in Florida where 99% of the year is summer. We're very thankful for those 5 days of slightly less summer in winter. Lol. My question is, do you change anything with the seasons and if not, how do you think they would know what season it is? Just curious about your thoughts on this. 😊
Great question! I think it has to do with moon phases and barometric pressure. I don't even have a window in my crab room. However, they mate and spawn according to moon phases and their behavior definitely changes during the different seasons. My tank temperature and humidity stays at tropical levels all year.... somehow they know! They are amazing creatures!
@@CrabCentralStation wow. That's honestly fascinating.
What to do when you discover that the tank is flooded with water? I’ve placed the hermit crab into a new 24 x 18x 12 exo terra tank, but I’d like to try to save some of the substrate and sand from the old 10 gal tank, sands was about 3 inches on the tank that flooded with 1 inch of water. I think it’s from humidifier that was set too high.
Good job moving the crab to a safe tank! You can bake the old substrate in your oven to dry it out and reuse it. It may take awhile, but it will save you money. You can also spread it out on a table (put some kind of tarp under it so you don't damage the wood. I would highly suggest not using a humidifier at all. You will continue to run into floods using a humidifier. All you need is the correct heat mat on the back of your tank, the right substrate (5:1 ration and depth), two water pools, and a sealed tank. Those elements will create the perfect heat/humidity with no need for a humidifier or spraying the sub.
What can I use to clean the new 29 gallon tank I have before setting it up for them and where can I get the stuff for them to climb on and what kind of water is safe to clean the sides of the tank
White vinegar diluted with water is a good and safe cleaner for the tank. Check out the description in our videos for links to all kinds of great stuff for the tank and necessities.
Okay, so I am still currently in the PPS period, but I am wondering how to clean my tank when I first get it if it's really dirty? I thankfully had a friend who happened to have a 55 gallon tank they were no longer using, but I'm unsure of what products I can use to clean it since it's so dirty. It really needs a thorough cleaning. Thank you for your great videos!!! It's so helpful to me on this journey to giving these crabs a happy, healthy and long life!
I am so sorry that I missed you message! I hope you are well on your way by now. I'm glad that our channel has been helpful to you. Please reach out if you need something else.
You guys have inspired me so much! I have 4 hermit crabs in a 20 gallon long tank rn, but I feel that they don’t have enough room. I want to do 3 40 gallon tanks together (two on the bottom and one on the top connecting them) However, I am a little intimidated about the cleaning (because I usually take all of the substrate out and replace it) but I know in the video you said it was bio active. Are you 100% sure the 5 to 1 ratio takes care of all the waste?
Hi! Yay, we're so glad you are here at CCS with us! It sounds like you have a fun project on your hands! Be careful with turning tanks upside down as toppers. Our experience in doing that lead to a flood in 6 months. There is no good way to maintain the area under the topper and it creates a rainforest effect with the high humidity. The 5:1 ratio is a wonderful combination for your substrate! If maintenance is done regularly (food taken out, foraging items replaced often) and the heat and humidity is within the recommendations consistently, your substrate should last many years without needing to be replaced.
@@CrabCentralStation TY!!! Do you have any recommendations besides a tank as a topper? or any way to avoid the flooding?
@@rottingfungus we use exoterra Terrariums as toppers. They seem to work the best!
@@CrabCentralStation Great! ty! and this was just an idea (cuttings costs wise) but i just thought, would a plastic storage bin work as a topper? I was thinking that if you cut a hole in the top and replaced it with a screen, would that reduce humidity? Or would the plastic cause mold anyway?
@@rottingfungus I find the tropical springtails are REALLY good at cleaning up mold
I got the substrate thing with the soil looking type thing im not quite sure what to call it and there’s little little white bugs crawling in there is that an infestation?
There were bugs in the new bag you bought? If so, definitely do not use it.
Thank you for this, ladies!! Where did you find that half coconut shell you use to hold their tank staples? Those are really cool :)
You are so welcome! Thank you for watching and supporting our channel and family 😊 We found those bowls at a local pet shop. I will see if I can find them online. If I do... I'll come back here and post a link for you!
@@CrabCentralStation I appreciate that very much! Thank you for your time! ❤️
I found some that look similar! Yay!
petshopia.net/product/sungrow-reptile-food-bowl-4-5x5-5-inches-unbreakable-half-coconut-shell-with-husk-tank-dcor-and-humidifier-for-bearded-dragons-tortoise-snakes-bullfrogs/?gclid=CjwKCAjw8cCGBhB6EiwAgOReywqmT8C9D_7II_voqpdCjxNyGH_rXC6JiEuVTt1RETtSS7MTWc3gZxoCoXYQAvD_BwE
Hello I have a question about hermit crab water for my freshwater pool I give my hermit crab like the water that I drink and I want to know if I just put the conditioner in it or no or I should just use sink water and put conditioner in it for freshwater?
Tap water is actually better than bottled water for our hermit crabs. It has different minerals that are beneficial for them. You want to add Prime every 48 hours.
K Thank you! :3
What toys do you use? Did I see cat toys? And can you use vinegar water or just prime treated?
We do have some cat balls in there! We take the bell out because it is metal and can rust. We also have hamster wheels, natural wood to climb, cork wood tunnels to hide in, coconut huts.
What if you only have two hermit crabs and you see them and they are not molting, then can you take out and clean something buried in the substrate???
Yay! New vid is out!
Woot woot!
What kind of leaves and flowers for forage
I have ants and food mites in my 75 gallon tank with my 5 hermits, 3 of which are molting! What would you recommend for me to do? Thanks so much!
Ahhhh! DM us on insta and we can help you out!
Very informative, as usual. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful! Thank you so much for your support!
hi your content is awesome but i have a question, i just got some hermit crabs yesterday and had listened to everything the pet store told me. I want to add some more substrate so it’s six inches deep and not 2 like i have it right now. Should i wait a bit before i do that because i don’t want to cause any stress to them? i don’t know how i would pour the substrate in evenly without moving them. what should i do?
Welcome to CCS! Check out our video on PPS (post purchase stress). We walk you through the best process and how to help your new pets acclimate slowly to correct conditions.
hi big fan but I have a question I will be getting 2 hermit crabs in less than a week so I was wondering if you guys will make a video (a beginner hermit crab tank) with links and like I don't know how to say it but just anything I need to know plz and thx.
Hi! Welcome! Thank you for watching our videos! We do have a basic hermit crab care video that talks about all the things you will need for your tank. We have links in the description of that video to all of the products we use. For new crabs though, I would start with the PPDS method. This gives your crabs 30 days to acclimate to the correct conditions. It also gives you time to work on gathering all the correct supplies to build them a great forever tank once they finish PPDS.
th-cam.com/video/-Heriyvv2mo/w-d-xo.html
@@CrabCentralStation ok thx it will help a lot
My sand has these little bugs that look almost clear and almost unnoticeable until I put the sand up close and I notice them kind of moving about. My crabs are absolutely thriving and beautiful…but just noticing these little micro bugs has me in an absolute panic that I need to change everything, and one of their buddies is molting. :( what do you suggest? Is this going to hurt them? How do I know if it’s going to hurt them? Thanks ❤
They are likely just mites. The majority of mites are harmless but some can cause a problem for the crabies. Do your research;)
Idk what to do I need to change my water pools but there buried into the ground just a little and one of my crabs is molting so what should I do?
This is one reason we suggest doubling up your pools. Crabs love to molt under them - silly little guys! Since you know that you have a crab right under/by your pool. Just use a turkey baster or some other suction tool to suck out the water. Then, carefully pour the fresh water in the pools.
Ok I will do. thank you!
You're welcome 😊
Hey I have a question if your temperature in your crab tank is good and I have salt and fresh water but I wanted to know if their water need to be heated as well cause to me the water fill cold and if they like warm temperatures?
You do not need to warm the water. The warmth of the tank will warm up the water enough for them.
@@CrabCentralStation thank you 😊 I have another question can you use driftwood from the beach to put in my crab tank it’s a really good piece that’s clean I’m trying to build different things for my crabs .
Yes. We have a video on foraging goods that will tell you how to prepare it for the tank.
Sorry if you explained any of this in the video (I didn’t watch the whole thing). Why are the pools so deep? Do the crabs swim all the way down there? I have had my crabs for 25+ years and I’ve never had water that deep in their tanks. I didn’t think they could swim? And is that salt or fresh water that’s in there? Do they have separate drinking water bowls? Thank you! :)
Hi 👋 these are 10g water pools. I have 2 fresh water pools and one salt water pool. The crabs need to fully submerge so that they can fill up their shells with water. They have modified gills and need shell water to help them breathe properly. The pools don’t have to be this deep, just deep enough for your largest crab to fully submerge. My crabs do “swim” all the way to the bottom. When the moms spawn their babies they spend a good amount of time u set water. Just make sure you provide an easy way in and out of the pools. If they can’t get out easily, they can drown.
Do you have a video outlining what to do in case of a flood? I think one of my filters was splashing water out, bc twice in a row my fresh water tank drained to 25% within two days (whereas my salt water tank didn’t). When I felt the sand below the water table, it was definitely wetter than the sand not near the water tanks, but not crazy high in amount of moisture. There was a crab that looked like he came up mid-molt from under the water table (put him in a pint plastic container with holes in the tank with small amount of substrate, his claws, calcium, castings, high protein food, and water). So I’m pretty sure it’s too wet under there for them to dig. 😬 One crab is still down somewhere. Idk what to do.
I love this channel. Y'all rock ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much! Mother/Daughter working together to educate and advocate!
are these like leaves from outside your house or do you purchase leaves?
We purchase some from Etsy and forage some as well
Do you need to bake the leaves? If so, do those get baked at 350° like branches? And for how long?
hi! I love your videos and find them so helpful, i was wondering where you buy your leaf litter from or what brand it is.
Thank you so much Lily! We buy our moss from a wonderful hermit crab owner that has an Etsy shop called, Because of Crabs.
Can you put springtails in your hermit crab aquarium
You sure can! Great cleanup crew and safe for hermies!
I noticed that you have some of those cat toys (those little balls with bells in them) will they actually play with those?
Our crabs roll them around all the time. We don't see it often because they seem to do this at night. When we check on them in the morning, the cat toys are in different places.
Wow, how did you learn how to do all this
❤
Big job but definitely important. Well done
It is a lot of work, but it's well worth it!
Do you have to scoop the tank everyday? We just got 2 and is didnt realize it was this much work so I’m definitely trying. I don’t see crab poop so I don’t know how it can be scooped everyday without seeing anything
Welcome to CCS! You do not have to scoop the sand often at all. Your substrate will become bioactive and the crabs eat most of the poop. You want to scoop/take out fresh foods every 24 hours and dried foods every 3 days. Foraging items like leaves, bark, worm castings, can stay for weeks.
Me and my cousin have a hermit crab and we want to learn a lot about them because we do not want them to die
Should you not completely remove the substrate every 3 to 6 months?
No, you should not!
I am new to hermit crabs and really had no idea how much they require for a healthy life. Unfortunately I put mostly echo earth on one side of the tank and sand on the other after seeing another misinformational video. So now one of my crabs has been under there for days and I'd like to take everything out and start over with the proper mix of sand and earth but I don't want to disturb that crab. I feel I need to do it asap cause I'm definitely getting mold in the tank. Any help with this issue would be appreciated!! Ty!
Do you ever get mold on your suction cups? Mine get mold on them. All i do is wipe them with a rag and put back in place.
Also, i knoticed my tank on the inside gets cloudy and looks to almost be growing like mold or some algae looking thing, idk maybe its just like dust. Idk what it is but i usually just leave it as im layed back about it as well as it is not harming anything.
We don't use suction cups in our current tank because our crabs are too big and they just pull them right down. If a decore item has sections cups, we take them off and use zip ties to attach decor. The cloudy look on the tank glass we do get as well. I just clean it using water and a paper towel.
@@CrabCentralStation thnx! I was a little worried about the cloudyness on tank. As i am a littls paranoid sometimes. My crabs r getring bigger but r still about mediums. Plus i dont have any backrpund or anuthing to ziptie to. I love your setup though!
Just a quick clarification: you do not need to pick up there leaving(droppings) or clean up what ever you can get? Also keep the old substrate by adding new on top when needed?
Correct, you do not have to collect their droppings. However, you can if you would like. Just use a slotted spoon or something for the surface, don't dig down and don't remove items that are su k into the substrate. You should never have to replace your substrate unless you have: fungus, bacterial bloom, flooding, or bugs that are harmful to the crabs (springtails, isopods, and grain mites are not harmful). If you need to deepen your sub over time, you can safely add 1" of substrate every couple of days. Just make sure you sprinkle it evenly accross the surface rather than dumping it in one spot and then moving it around with your hands. You want the weight of the new sand to be evenly distributed so as not to disturb molt caves.
Hi there! Last night I had a bit of a hermit crab crisis and I am looking for some advice. I was just recently gone for vacation for a week and I left my hermits with my bestie who isn’t very experienced with them so I just told her to keep an eye on them. I had given them dry food and clean water just before I left. A couple days after I got back I discovered that I had a food mite infestation in the tank. Today I cleaned out the entire tank and soaked everything with warm water and sea chem prime. While I was cleaning the tank I unfortunately had to dig up one of my crabs that was molting. He is in a shell right now but is very white and I was wondering if there is anything specific I should do to keep him safe. I was also told to soak my crabs to get any mites off of them but now I’m unsure if that’s a good idea for the guy that has just molted. Any info/advice would be greatly appreciated!!
so dried flowers/herbs are completely safe for crabs?
Hi Bean! Not all flowers/herbs are safe. Here is a safe flower link for you to look at:
crabstreetjournal.org/?s=safe+flowers&submit=Search
Hi! Great video! What is your advice for those of us that have pods and tails in our tank? I am always scared when I take out the leaf litter and moss they will hitch a ride and I will lose some. Especially the tails, since they are so tiny and you can barely see them. TY!
Hi! That is a GREAT question! I hope to add both tails and pods to our tank at some point! I would suggest gathering the foraged items off the surface like I did in this video and place it in a separate bin that you keep in the tank (kind of like a "compost" bin). This way it is still available to your tank clean-up crew, and the crabs actually, but you are still able to tidy up the tank and add fresh foraging items. I hope that was helpful?
Do you introduce springtails or other cleanup crew bugs? How about bugs or worms introduced into the habitat for them to eat?
Great questions! We currently have a small, but growing, springtail population. We have had powder orange isopods in the past but did not appreciate their rapid reproduction rate! We an to introduce isopods again at some point. We are researching different species so that we can get the best fit for us. We do not recommend live food in the crabitat. There are too many risks in an enclosed environment.
Are the succulant plants in your take live ? I am wanting to get live plants as well for our 55 gallon . we have not got any new crabs to go into our new tank yet as one of my crabs has buried and seems to be molting. We can see him in his cave as he has made it in the corner . should we just leave him alone to molt until he is done and then introduce him to the new crabs in the new tank ? I am worried he will be lonely when he comes out of molt .
absolutely, 100%, let the crab complete his/her molt before moving to the new tank.
Some live plants are safe. Check out www.crabstreetjournal.org for the safe list (just type in safe plants in the search bar). Keep in mind any plants you want to use will have to be replanted in 100% organic soil (no fertilizer), and quarantined for 60 days due to pesticides. The crabs will most likely destroy the plants quickly, so for us, we couldn't keep up with the replacement of live plants. It was time consuming and expensive.
are those real trees in your tank or fake? I wasnt to put a real palm in my tank but it said it was poisenous
We use artificial plants in our tank. Real plants have to be non-toxic, reanted in soil without pesticides and the. Quarantined from stores, and can not be planted in the substrate itself. The crabs tare them up pretty quickly.... which gets expensive to replace.
I just love your tanks though!!!
Thank you so much!!!!
Have you ever thought of going bio active?
Yes! we have considered adding a cleanup crew for the substrate. We have some real plants and we have some snails in the water tanks as well.
m.th-cam.com/video/8oROyjn1gnQ/w-d-xo.html
When it comes to bio
Active, these guys are the best. They know their stuff
Do you include living plants in your tanks?
Yes, we do.
Hey! Great video. I have a tank and the full set up but I was wondering where the best place to adopt (not buy) hermit crabs are. I'm looking for the best price. I looked on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace and there weren't any in my area. Do you have any ideas where I can get them? I'm getting two by the way.
Oops, answered your other comment before seeing this one. I'm so glad to see you looking to adopt! Josh's Frogs online sell captive bred hermit crabs. They are the only resale store that carry Mary Aker's babies (you can google her blog). We also have captive bred babies but are currently sold out. We did get more to land this past summer but they are too little to adopt out right now. They will be available in July 2023. We have Lila's though, an exotic breed of hermit crab. You can also go to www.LHCOS.org/adoption for adopting crabs that need to be rehomed.
@@CrabCentralStation Thank You so much! It means a lot to me that you took time out of your day to respond to my comment
I love your tanks 😭❤️
Thank you so much!
Ok ladies, I have no idea how I found your channel... but now I think I need to do LOTS of research... I MIGGT need some hermmies in my life.
We are glad you found us! Hermit crabs are definitely very interesting, we love them!
Amazing tanks they are beyond happy 👍
They seem to be really enjoying it. I love sitting in the room watching them. It's so peaceful.
@@CrabCentralStation I bet, I love watching mine as well. 😊
I only have one crab right now and he is trying to dig and cave but there is a bug infestation. Any advice?
What kind of bug problem are you having? There are some bugs that are not harmful to hermit crabs.
So for a small critter crate that’s about 2 gallons how often would I need to test the water and what is a partial water change? Empty half the water and add new? To permanently keep them in I would put them in the put the sand in around it right? Also do you change it more often with a bubbler than a filter
You should prime your water every 48 hours and test it once a week! Without a filter you should do a water change every 2-3 days (roughly) and with a filter we do a partial water change once every (other) week! Partial water change means that we siphon out half of the water from the tank and replace it with fresh water.
@@CrabCentralStation ok thanks!
@@CrabCentralStation I left a comment on your advanced water pools video. You are over priming your water. I see by this video that you grasp some of the concepts of the land economy system for your crabs although these large land terrain cleaning is excessive as well....yet don't have correct knowledge regarding water ecosystems, some best practices are very similar, but it appears that you don't understand the ecosystem methodology. And why you're cleaning your over cleaning certain objects in your land terrain in the manner in which you do, as you aren't applying this knowledge towards the water ecosystem effectively. It isn't about creating a pristine water pool but a water ecosystem. I respectfully urge you to research various water ecosystems and adapt those concepts to your water systems. Over changing water, over using priming chemicals too often, not creating a proper substrate for larger water pools etc. Creates a very sterile and potentially harmful environment. Good bacteria needs to be present that as your water ecosystem will naturally build up to reflect the natural helpful bacteria of your crabs bodies. Every time your crabs enter this sterile and over chemically treated water, it washes off the healthy bacteria on their bodies which they now have to try to rebuild in their land environment. Also the water chemicals that help neutralize chlorine etc may neutralize those chemicals but it the chemicals you are using does not then magically disappear, it stays in the water. There are excellent videos on how to maintain a water stable aquarium that you only use these types of chemicals sparingly and once your economy system has stabilized you use the very minimal amount even less frequently. There is a science to this system that is easy to maintain once established and the best way to destroy this balance is to do a large water change and add a bunch of chemicals thinking that will help as your aquarium becomes toxic to any life forms it is supporting. The natural ecosystem has been completely destroyed by doing this.
I will caution you, so aquarium/fish videos also perpetuate the over cleaning, over changing water and over using chemicals. Look for videos that talk about the cycle of bringing your aquarium to a water stable ecosystem, not a pristine sterile environment. No ecosystems land or water etc. Are sterile, sterile means no cycle and a system has to have a cycle to be sustainable.
Good luck and Take care.
@@AmandaHugandKiss411 We appreciate your comment. I believe you are coming at this with aquarium keeping in mind. Land Hermit Crab water care is different than aquarium care for marine life. Land Hermit crabs do not live in the water, it is a hydration source for them. If a person would like to create a bioactive enclosure, your suggestions are good to note. The only chemical we are adding to our water is Prime, which If you visit their site, you will read that you can not "over prime" water. We have testing kits, both fresh and salt, and test our water regularly - which we advise others to do as well. Ultimately it comes down to the difference of creating an aquatic LIVING condition in your aquarium, which is not needed for land hermit crabs. The majority of crab keepers don't have pools large enough to consider aquariums, but rather water containers for drinking. Our videos are based on Hermit crab care, not aquarium care or aquatic life. If you look at our breeding videos, you will recognize that we do have an understanding of water care and how to properly care for our hermit crabs. It is very rare to have hermit crabs breeding in captivity..... yet we do.... so we must be doing it right. The advice we give on our channel is research based and comes from marine biggest and hermit crab keepers that have been practicing hermit crab husbandry for over 20 years successfully. Perhaps you could do some research on the difference between hermit crab care and marine life... there is a bug difference in how to care for each of them.
Hi I’m getting 3 crabs any advice and How I should set it out when I first get the tank
Hi Lacey! Check out our video on basic hermit crab care for answers to that question!
Ok thx
I saw a roach in my tank (probably a American roach by color) but I heard you have to deep clean the tank but one of my crabs is having their first molt
Oh no! I would check your tank for any signs of other bugs! An infestation calls for a tank redo.
Where do u get those add ons at top of tank
I need help! I’m new to owning hermit crabs, and I’m trying to find answers on a few things. I recently bought two hermits, and one disappeared. I’ve seen them digging a few days beforehand’ and I just figured one may be under the substrate. But I read that sometimes it takes a while for them to appear back on surface. Is that true? If so, how would I clean their tank without being worried of collapsing their tunnel. Thank you for your time!
Hi Chelsey, welcome to Crab Central Station! We are so glad you have joined us on your hermie journey! We have a lot of great videos that will teach you all about Hermit crabs and their care. We have a video about your question too... Where is my hermit crab....
You definitely, 100%, do not want to dig for your crab. They dig down, for fun, to destress, and to molt. Disturbing their molt can be a death sentence.
If you have your tank set up properly, it becomes bioactive! Way cool! You shouldn't have to replace your substrate.. . Ever (uses you have mold, bacteria, or bugs)!
Watch the videos on our channel on how to set up your tank with 5:1 playsand:ecoearth. How to create heat/humidity/water/food/enrichment/maintenance.
can you do a video on everything you put into their food dishes please ? that would be very helpful 😊
Hi Jenna we usually do feedings during our lives or Q&A chats. We can put this video idea on our agenda though! Thanks for the suggestion.
What if you had a small crab go under to molt and are positive its dead since its been many months
That’s your call but we always so no digging.
watching this a few days after i cleaned my tank, with a crab down (not sure if he’s molting) and i pulled up (but didn’t replace) two items that were dug into the substrate 🤦🏼♀️
i hope i didn’t collapse anything down there 😕
We are all learning more and more every day. This is a journey, glad to have you here with us at Crab Central Station!
Question........ Could you do a morning / daily routine ???
Hi Carmela Dreiling! That is on our recording list for next week! Stay tuned 😉!
@@CrabCentralStation ahhhh super excited ! Yall are my favorite channel ❤ My hermit crabs truly thank you for the proper care you teached me so i can provide for them !!!! (:
Awe thanks so much! That’s so sweet. You’re awesome! ❤️
Hello! I am from Indonesia You Guys have very amazing tank set up with Beautiful Hermit Crabs. Anyw I am very confused about cleaning the Hermit Crab tank. Some sources say that we need to remove all of the sand but you said the opposite. So Basically you guys never change the sand for forever except when those 3 reason happen?
Hello 👋 Welcome Vicky! Thank you for your kind words! You are correct, we do not change our substrate at all unless we have mold, bacteria, flood, or dangerous bugs. That's assuming the substrate is the 5:1 playsand to ecoearth ratio. If you are using a different kind of substrate.... the maintenance might be different.
@@CrabCentralStation Thank you for your answer! Could you please kindly tell me what is play sand that you are currently using? what kind of sand is that? Furthermore, do you have any other alternative brand of the play sand because it seems like I can't find any store that sell quikrete play sand in My Country (Indonesia). Currently I'm using natural beach sand that has been washed and sifted with brick of 'Eco'. What do you think?
I think that will work perfectly 🥰. I'm glad you have washed the sand though. You don't want to bring parasites, fungus, bugs, ect.. from the beach into your closed environment tank.
I have those tiny white gnats.... and constantly have a hermit crab that's gone under (so can't empty it). No idea how to clean that out. :( I squish them when I see them and keep the tank as clean as possible (normally wouldn't be so tidy, but.. bugs). The crabs seem chill and they aren't all over the crabs or anything. I see them under the food dish when I pick it up. Any ideas? Is raking the top enough? I haven't done much of that. I did read with bugs you need to absolutely scrub all tank accessories, etc. Yikes.
If they are white grain mites, you don't need to change the sub or wash decor, they are not harmful to the crabs at all. Just continue to wipe them off the glass and scoop them off the surface of the substrate when you see them. Feed only dry foods for a couple weeks, replacing the dishes daily (I know that seems wasteful, but this is how you get rid of the bugs).
Do I need to put a pool in my hermit crab tank?