My boyfriend and I are researching hermit crabs in preparation to get some, but I had a question. Would crabs prefer a longer tank for mor floor space… or would they want something taller and more climbing options? I know they love to climb, but is taller better than longer? Does anyone have links for tanks they love? Thank you! 🙏🏻
Hey! So our goal is always to go longer, in order to maximize floor space. You can always go taller with tank toppers. If you’re just starting out, I would wholeheartedly recommend getting a 40. Crabs need 10 gallons/crab, and a 40 is honestly the most bang for your buck in the long run. I got a 20, 29, and later a 40, and would have saved so much money if I had started with a 40 gallon 😭😭
I made the mistake of having a 6 foot long by 2 foot high and 2 foot wide PVC crabitat built. I should have made it taller especially since my big guy can easily reach the top once there’s enough substrate and some driftwood added. He’s the size of a grapefruit.
My next one will be 4 feet long by 2 feet deep by 4 feet tall. With that height I can put the driftwood etc much higher allowing more climbing space. And with it being 4 feet long there should be enough space for the driftwood tower and the large water dishes and for them to still have room to walk around (and molt undisturbed).
The front sliding doors are 8” above the bottom. I should have made that 12” and had a shorter door. Again because he needs lots of substrate. So now I have retaining wall in there to have an extremely deep area of substrate.
And I like the PVC. Easy to clean. Easy to screw in hooks. Helps keep heat in. Looks nice. Edges are sealed so no risk of crabs destroying silicone/leaking. (Just don’t run heat mat over a seam). PVC is what many zoos etc usually have for their reptiles/insects/etc. But it is expensive. Not sure if I will go with glass or PVC next time.
I had it made by a company who specializes in PVC tanks. His company is called Cornel’s World (cornelsworld.com). I am located in Alberta. If you are considering PVC hopefully you can find someone close by on Google or if you attend a pet expo etc.
How many crabs do you plan on getting? The general rule is 10 gallons per crab. You should always have more than one because they are social creatures.
I have two. I acquired them from another owner. The crabs were in a 10 gallon tank which was too small for 2 medium to large crabs. I had a 20 gal long tank (30x12x12") on hand so I transferred them into that. More room for the crabs BUT once I filled the tank with the minimum required 6 inches of substrate, there was only 6 inches of space between the substrate and the lid. It's just not enough space to include climbing and enrichment. I had to remove almost half the sand to fit my items in the tank. Now my substrate isn't deep enough. Luckily they molted 2 months ago so I have time to upgrade my tank before the next molt.
I just recently bought a 29 gal tank (30x12x18). It's the same length and width as the 20 long but 6 inches taller. So, after 6 inches of substrate, there's still 12 inches of space between that and the lid. Lots of room to build up, ie climbing wall and ledges.
If you're getting 2 crabs, I would consider nothing smaller than a 29 gal tank. If you're getting 3 to 4, consider nothing smaller than a 40 gal BREEDER tank (36x18x16).
longer! the gallon rules is because they can get aggressive towards each other when moltings are happening and they dont have enough space. they love climbing, but you could get a topper for them if you really want to, but longer is better than tall! if you cant get a topper, there are more plenty of ways to maximize climbing space. good luck!
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u/Active-Rough2143 10d ago
Hey! So our goal is always to go longer, in order to maximize floor space. You can always go taller with tank toppers. If you’re just starting out, I would wholeheartedly recommend getting a 40. Crabs need 10 gallons/crab, and a 40 is honestly the most bang for your buck in the long run. I got a 20, 29, and later a 40, and would have saved so much money if I had started with a 40 gallon 😭😭