Setting Up a New Enclosure
Whether you bought a hermit crab or two from a coastal boardwalk or you picked one up from your local pet store, it’s important they have a properly set up enclosure so they can live long and happy lives. The information most of these stores have about hermit crabs is widely out-dated. The small plastic or wire cages and gravel they send you home with are not acceptable living conditions. We understand, we’ve all been there at some point. We can’t blame the stores, they simply don’t have the knowledge, space and resources to be able to provide everything you’ll need for an appropriate set up.
This quick guide will help you figure out what you’ll need to set up your new enclosure. If you haven’t checked out my previous post, A Simple Guide to Hermit Crab Care, please do that first! It will explain the basic needs of a hermit crab.
First things first, you’ll need a glass tank, bigger is always better. Facebook marketplace, yard sales, and craigslist are all great places to find an affordable glass enclosure.
You’ll need a secure lid for the enclosure. Most reptile enclosures come with a mesh lid. You’ll need to cover this to help retain the humidity - using plastic wrap, plexiglass, or coroplast is a great way to do this. Make sure to place something heavy on top of your enclosure. Hermit crabs love to climb, and they WILL climb to the top and they WILL find a way to escape, even when you think they can’t.
You’ll need a substrate mix that is at least 6 inches deep using play sand and coco-fiber (shredded coconut husks). Play sand meant for children’s sandboxes is a safe sand to use. You can get this for cheap at your local hardware store. You can find coco-fiber at your local pet store in compressed bricks or loose in bags. The ideal ratio is 5 parts sand to 1 part coco-fiber.
You will need an appropriate heat source. Do not use a heat lamp as it will dry out the enclosure and drop the necessary humidity. Heat mats are the best way to heat your enclosure. It’s important to have the heat mat on the back of the enclosure above the substrate. Do not put the heat mat on the bottom of the tank. The sand acts as an insulator, and will put your crabs in danger of getting cooked, and it won’t reach through the sand to the main space. You’ll want to put the heat mat to one side on the back rather than the middle, to create a temperature gradient to give the crabs a choice to be in a warm side (where the heat mat is) or a cool side (without heat mat).
You’ll need a light source, as hermit crabs require a 12 hour light/dark cycle. As mentioned previously, heat lamps are a no-no. If your enclosure is in a well-lit room that will light it up during the day then you don’t need an additional light source. LED lights, bulbs or strips, are a great way to light up your enclosure as they do not emit any heat and won’t affect the temperature. Bonus, they’re also low wattage and won’t use much power.
You’ll need 2 different water bowls, one for salt water and one for fresh water. The bowls need to be deep enough for the crabs to submerge themselves and go for a little swim. Tupperware food storage containers make a great swimming pool. But, just like humans, hermit crabs need a way to get out of the pool. Make sure to have some sort of ramp or stairs for them to climb out of the water on their own. All water must be treated with Seachem Prime water conditioner which can be purchased from your local pet store or from Amazon. Your salt water needs to be treated with Instant Ocean aquarium salt (not to be confused with freshwater aquarium salt). You can purchase Instant Ocean in measured packets from my store that are meant to go into 4 litres of treated water. You can re-use an old milk jug OR purchase a 4 litre jug of water from the grocery store. Regardless if you use bottled water or not, you’ll still need to treat your water prior to using in the enclosure.
You will also need a bowl for food. I like to use large shells (cleaned with prime treated water) turned upside down to act as bowls. I find them super cute, and they help create a natural beach aesthetic. Shallow dishes like bar-soap dishes and clay saucers are a good option. Paint pallets with the separate indents for different colours of paint are a great idea for putting different dried foods in! You can nicely display a variety of food options for your hermit crabs.
Lastly but not least, you’ll need gauges to read your temperature and humidity. Don’t bother buying the cheap analog gauges from the pet store, they are cheap for a reason. Go straight for the digital and wireless ones. Amazon, Wal-mart, Canadian Tire, and hardware stores have digital indoor/outdoor thermometer and hygrometer combos.
Reference: Griffith, Stacy. Crab Street Journal. CrabStreetJournal.org, [https://crabstreetjournal.org/blog/2014/02/18/the-newbies-guide-to-hermit-crabs/] Accessed [2025/02/17].