Can I Use an Aquarium for a Hermit Crab's Home?

If you are looking for a low-maintenance pet, a hermit crab certainly fits the bill. All hermit crabs need to thrive is the right habitat, some quality food and water and some extra shells to move into. If you have an old aquarium lying around the house, you can use it for your hermit crab habitat. But before you go crab shopping, you need to set that aquarium up properly and accommodate the special needs of your new pet.

  1. Secure Cover

    • Hermit crabs are natural climbers, and with their powerful claws they will be able to climb the rocks, plants and other decorations in the aquarium. If you plan to keep your hermit crab in an aquarium, you need to cover that tank securely with a fitted screen cover. Check the cover carefully and make sure it fits tightly and securely. Watch your crab carefully when first introducing it to the tank. If you see the hermit crab pushing on the screen, place a heavy rock in the middle to keep it down and prevent a possible escape.

    Food and Water Dishes

    • No matter what type of cage you use for your hermit crabs, you need to provide sturdy food and water dishes. When setting up the tank, you can choose food and water dishes disguised to look like small rocks. That gives your hermit crab aquarium a more natural look and feel, and the weighted bottoms of the dishes reduce the chance of a spill.

    Extra Shells

    • When you set up an aquarium for your hermit crab, you should provide a wide variety of extra shells. As hermit crabs grow, they outgrow the shells they currently call home, and they must look for new discarded shells to move into. Offering a variety of different shells lets your hermit crab to select the best fit. Those shells also serve as decoration, making the tank look better and more natural.

    Not Loners

    • Many people assume that hermit crabs do best alone; after all the word "hermit" is part of their name. The truth is that hermit crabs are sociable animals, and they generally do not like to live alone. Keeping your crabs in an aquarium gives you room to select several quality specimens and house them together. Monitor the tank for signs of trouble and separate the crabs if need be, but in most cases you will find that your new pets get along just fine with one another.