The crab hermit is interesting creatures and they are gradually becoming popular with those who love novelty. Instead of raising saltwater, freshwater, or turtle species, they want a new experience with some crab hermit.
We spent a lot of time and effort researching dozens of crab cage hermit to choose the best ones. If you are thinking of keeping a few hermit crabs, you need to prepare an ideal habitat for them. The best hermit crab habitat is what you should first consider in order to establish a suitable habitat for your pet.
There are many types of cages for hermit crab available on the market, however, all of them are suitable and safe for this species. And besides, it is very difficult for beginners to choose an ideal cage.
Below is a list of the ideal crab cage hermit that we have carefully selected. You can count on it to decide which one is right for your pet.
Top 7 Best Hermit Crab Cage 2021 [Review]
#1 Koller Products Repitat Reptile Carrier with Cover and Handle (Editor’s Choice)
This is a 1-gallon cage that is suitable for a lot of small organisms, including crab hermit. It is also an excellent starter hermit crab cage for those who have no experience with this tiny creature.
This cage is made of impact-resistant plastic, its service life is quite high compared to other plastic cages. It’s easy to clean and convenient to take with any ride.
This cage has a quite unique oval shape, you can observe the crab hermit from any angle, without any position hidden from view. It also allows you to easily cover the entire habitat of the crab hermit and can quickly intervene if something goes wrong.
Besides this, this cage has a very flexible door. It will keep the crab closed so that the crab hermit won’t easily crawl out, but it’s big enough for you to access the space inside.
However, the shock-resistant plastic doesn’t keep the look as clear forever as glass, it will become duller after a while.
#2 Generic Aqua Culture Aquarium (10 gallons)
If you want to invest in a larger cage for your crabs hermit then this is a good choice. This 10 gallon tank is large enough to hold about 4 hermit crabs at a time while they still have plenty of room to move.
This cage is made of glass so it gives the clearest view to the owner of hermit crabs. It is also a highly durable cage.
Although made entirely of glass, this crab hermit crab comes with a fairly cheap price. It has a solid construction so you don’t have to worry about its safety.
This is an ideal habitat for burrowing crab hermit because you can add a lot of substrate into this cage. It is also ideal for keeping the temperature and humidity consistent.
However, it does not come with any lid, so you will have to invest in a separate lid for the crab habitat.
#3 NCYP Black Brass Copper House (Copper and glass cage)
Although this is an ideal small house for you to feed plants or insects, it is also ideal for mimicking the crab habitat.
This cage is made of glass and a copper frame, offering a remarkable longevity as well as a beautiful appearance. It is designed as a miniature house, you can place it on a neat table.
This unique design is sure to make the crab cage stand out. It also has enough space for you to set up many accessories for the cage.
However this cage seems a bit cluttered and it is difficult to set up accessories to maintain temperature and humidity.
#4 Exo Terra Faunarium (Plastic cage)
Exo Terra is a famous manufacturer and you can count on their products. And this plastic cage is one of the safest options for simulating the habitat for your crabs.
Dimensions 14.5 x 8.7 x 9.6 inches are large enough to hold a few crabs with other accessories. The bottom of the cage is also wide and deep enough that you have more substrate for the crabs to burrow comfortably.
It also comes with a ventilated lid so that the air is always well circulated in the cage of hermit crabs.
However the plastic material is a bit brittle and it can break if you treat it too sloppy. Visibility is also reduced after using it for a while.
#5 Zoo Med Laboratories Hermit Crab Kit (10-gallon kit)
Zoo Med is also a reputable manufacturer in this industry and this 10-gallon kit habitat from them is also a formidable competitor to any product on this list.
It is an ideal choice for those who do not have much experience with crabs hermit. This selection covers all the basics of how you can set up a habitat for your crabs.
This kit comes with accessories such as decorations, thermometer, soil and sand. These accessories and cages are specially designed and specially designed for crabs so you don’t need to worry about its applicability.
In particular, this hermit crab cage kit comes with a very reasonable price. Both the cage and its accessories are of high quality and durability.
However, this cage is quite small to grow many crab hermit at the same time. And you will need to invest in some other necessary accessories.
#6 OMEM Portable Reptile House Terrarium Habitat (Portable cage)
If you need to move a lot and want to bring hermit crabs with your trips to take care of, this cage from OMEM is the best choice. It is a portable and easy to carry cage, allowing you to conveniently and easily move it.
This cage is made of shatter-resistant plastic, has high strength and looks quite nice. It is designed so that you can easily see your pet 360 degrees without any hidden corners.
This cage comes with a ventilated lid that allows fresh air to continuously circulate in the cage. On the lid is a sturdy and convenient handle.
Although this cage is only 1 gallon, it contains enough space for your crabs to move freely. You can also easily clean this cage.
However it should only be a tourist cage and should not be a permanent habitat for hermit crabs.
#7 Lee’s Herp Haven Breeder Box (Round habitat)
This box from Lee’s Herp deserves to be in our list of best hermit crab habitat. It is a perfectly suitable and ideal habitat for your crab hermit to live comfortably and happily.
This habitat is made from hard, lightweight, and easy to clean plastic. This material is also ideal for you to take it with you on your travels. This hard plastic has a fairly long life so it can last for a considerable time.
Besides, this habitat has a lid and a ventilation system. This lid has a sturdy hinge so your pet cannot escape. The circular ventilation system around this round lid also ensures that your pet always receives fresh air.
It also has a small door on the top that is transparent so you can see inside. You can also feed crab hermit crab or change drinking water quickly through this door.
This habitat also has enough space for you to set up accessories so that your crab hermit can have a healthier and happier life. But it does not seem to have enough room to hold many crab hermit at the same time.
What Should the Ideal Hermit Crabs Habitat Have?
In the wild, hermit crabs live on marine coral reefs or on sandy beaches and tree species. So the ideal captive environment for them will depend on where they live in the wild and their preferences.
However, there are some things in common that you can set up an ideal habitat for any crab hermit. If you can’t determine their preferred habitat, that’s okay, just consider some of the factors below.
#1 Size
The first thing, you need to consider the size (or capacity) suitable for the number of hermit crabs that you keep. Make sure all of your pets are provided with a comfortable and non-confined movement space.
A cage that is too tight will cause many problems, most simply not the coexistence between the crabs hermit. If you don’t have enough free space, you will also have difficulty setting up other decorations and accessories for your pet.
So between the small, medium, and large sizes, choose one that is the right size. Don’t worry too much about the budget you have, there are many quality cages available at reasonable prices today.
#2 Lighting
Any creature that becomes your pet needs a light supply, so don’t forget to set the lighting on the crab hermit’s cage.
Currently on the market there are many types of light that you can provide to the crab hermit cage. You can use LEDs, fluorescent lights or whatever works well. It is important that the lamp is the right capacity for the crab hermit, and don’t forget to check that you can set the light up to suit the habitat of the crab hermit.
#3 Temperature
Hermit crabs will also be happy to live in a warm, hot environment. So providing their cages with accessories that maintain a warm, stable temperature is something any owner should do.
There is a wide variety of accessories available on the market so you can provide warm temperatures for your pet. Depending on the living environment you set up, there will be specific accessories.
If you set up the habitat of hermit crabs to simulate a beach, a heat mat is the best fit. For this terrestrial habitat, the heat mat will not interfere with any crabs activity and it will not affect the area. You just need to make sure you use enough sand or soil to heat mat to promote its best effect.
And if you simulate an ocean angle with the reef for hermit crabs, an aquarium heater is most suitable. It helps to warm the water at a constant temperature and helps the entire crab habitat to be warm.
You should also pay attention to the size of the crabs hermit to choose a suitable temperature accessory.
#4 Humidity
Like some other pets, hermit crabs also need to maintain a suitable humidity in their habitat. Humidity is the factor that affects quite a lot on the health and mental status of hermit crabs, so you should also pay attention to it.
The crabs hermit crabs should be kept at 50-80% humidity. You can use humidifiers or aerosols to supply them with moisture, depending on your budget and setup in the cage of hermit crabs.
#5 Filter
Even though terrestrial setups do not require a filter, we have included this here because it is necessary for water based setups. The filter is what helps keep the water in the tank clean, minimizing the risk of infection from bacteria to hermit crabs.
Not only that, but a filter will also help the oxygen in the tank never cease and maintain healthy running water at all times. It helps you more than you think.
There is a wide variety of filters that you can find on the market today. It is important to spend a little time choosing a product that is suitable for the cage of hermit crabs. Make sure it doesn’t have a flow rate that is too large, or too large for a small tank. You should also choose filters that are easy to maintain and clean to make sure they don’t cause any adverse effects.
#6 Hygienic
Whatever the crabs cage you choose, make sure you can clean and maintain it with ease. Hygienic issues are always important to any environment and you need to be aware of the dangers associated with it.
Make sure the cage you choose for hermit crabs can be cleaned easily so that it does not risk the accumulation of pathogens. Cleaning hermit crabs cages regularly will also take a bit of your time, so an easy-to-clean cage will minimize that time for you.
In addition, an easy-to-clean cage will also reduce odors, increase durability and save you budget. There are many other profound benefits that we can mention.
#7 Additional features / accessories
When you have invested money in something, you definitely want the best. And the additional features or accessories are also a factor that will make you happy with your investment.
A cage with a safety lock or a handle for easy portability is a welcome addition. Or a hermit crabs cage that comes with accessories and decorations will save you. get an investment for yourself. Although they are of small value, they have a great spiritual value.
What Do I Need to Know about Hermit Crab’s Habitat?
If you have at least one crab hermit and are interested in keeping them, we will help you know how to care and create the best habitat for them with what you have.
The first thing you need to remember for crab hermit to survive if not in natural environment, you must ensure:
Temperatures from 23.5 ° C to 30 ° C. In areas with very cold climates, keeping warm is a must.
The air humidity should be at least 70% RH (Relative Humidity). This is important in farming crab hermit. We often grow crab hermit in a glass tank and adding sand or leaving the pond in too hot places will make the internal humidity low and harm the crab hermit. To solve this problem, can use mist spray on the glass surface, on the floor and put a tray of water inside to increase the humidity.
The substrate (usually sand or coir lined inside an aquarium) should be high enough for crab hermit to burrow.
Food, drinking water, shells, other decorations, etc. to stimulate hermit crab movement and support their growth.
#1 Friend
Hermit crab is a species that lives in herds. So you should keep them at least two hermit crabs or more. However, you can also raise a crab hermit to get acquainted before deciding to raise more.
In the wild, crab hermit moves in herds for a simple reason: the more crab hermit, the more shellfish.
When one of the flocks finds a suitable snail shell and leaves the old shell, the old shell is the “new home” to another crab hermit in the herd. Thus the chances of finding a suitable shell are higher for crab hermit crabs moving in groups.
#2 Cage
This is where your crab hermit spends most of its time, so choose a clean and a bit spacious cage.
Figure out how many crab hermit crabs you want to keep, and what the layout will look like in the cage before buying a new one. Your tank should have enough space to hold the following items: food and drink trays / plates, empty shells and decorations such as branches, snails, etc.
The next important thing is to choose the material to base the tank. Should choose types that are easy to clean and convenient for the burrowing of hermit crab. Here we recommend using one of the following two: sand and coir.
#Sand
There are many types of sand and the most common is construction sand or sea sand commonly sold at aquarium stores. It is advised to use sea sand as it is dry, clean, and easier to wash than construction sand, which is quite wet.
#Coir
Some aqua stores sell processed virgin coir. This type of coir is quite earthy, dry and soft. One advantage of coir over sand is that it has good strength and does not easily collapse when crab burrows.
Coir also better moisturizes than sand. One limitation is that after a period of use, coir will attract fungus gnats, disturbing the habitat of the crab hermit. Then, if you do not know how to clean properly, you may have to remove all the old coir layer and replace it with a new one.
#Combine sand and coir
You can combine the advantages of both of these substrates. First lay the coir on the floor of the glass tank first and then spread the sand and let it loose. There is a slight downside when using this method is that everything is a bit messy and not very nice.
Final Verdict
Hermit crabs are marine creatures that are not too difficult to raise, but they also need an ideal habitat and suit their characteristics. If living in a cage with all the basic elements but important to the habitat of hermit crabs, they will grow healthier.
Before investing in a cage for hermit crabs, it is a good idea to take a moment to consider what is right for your pet and for yourself. For example size, material or budget. Never rush as it doesn’t lead to good results!