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Hermit crab belongs to the family of crustaceans with crabs and shrimp, and the identifying feature has a snail shell on its back. The habitat of this creature is the sea, with rocky shores, sandy beaches, and high temperature and humidity.
Saying that doesn’t mean you can’t bring hermit crabs to the mainland, take care and nurture them like you would with other fish and amphibians.
To do this, you need to prepare quite a few tools to establish a habitat similar to the crab’s homeland – the beach, temperature, and humidity characteristics.
There are quite a few hermit crab starter kits on the market that both help you not miss the essential tools to prepare and save a hefty fee.
Don’t miss any information in the article below to know what this fantastic toolset will bring to you and the hermit crab.
Our Top Picks
| Image | Name | Details |
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Zoo Med Laboratories SZMSCK1 Hermit Crab Kit – | Item Dimensions: 9.45 x 12.45 x 3.05 inches.
Item Weight: 1.8 Pounds. Includes: Thermometer, Sand, Soil, Food, Trial Size Hermit Crab Drinking Water Conditioner |
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Penn Plax HC25 Hermit Crab Starter Kit | Item Dimensions: 9,88 x 6,38 x 8 inches.
Item Weight: 1.7 Pounds. Includes: sponge, gravel, climbing grid, natural branch, and full color background. |
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Flukers Hermit Crab Starter Kit | Item Dimensions: 9.5 x 6 x 7.25 inches.
Item Weight: 2 Pounds. Includes: Corner Dish, Bowl, Sponge, Hermit Crab Pellets, Fresh & Saltwater Conditioner, Thermometer and Hygrometer. |
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Lee’s Hermit Crab Hideaway Kit | Item Dimensions: 11.75 x 7.75 x 8.5 inches.
Item Weight: 3.38 Pounds. Age range description: All Stages Includes: Hermit Hut, night-sky scene, sponge, decorative plant, natural gravel, Medium Kritter Keeper. |
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TetraFauna Viqaquarium, | Item Dimensions: 20 x 8,9 x 14 inches.
Item Weight: 11.76 Pounds. Includes: Dry land, Water section, 80-GPH submersible pump powers waterfall. |
Review
Hermit crabs usually live in tidal flats and rocks. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t take care of and nurture this creature at home.
There are many tips for you to be successful in changing the habitat of crabs. For beginners, to both save money and have a comprehensive solution, you should consider choosing one of the hermit crab starter kits below:
Zoo Med Laboratories SZMSCK1 – Best for overall
Important Specifications
- Item Dimensions: 9.45 x 12.45 x 3.05 inches.
- Item Weight: 1.8 Pounds.
- Age range description: All Stages
- Include: Thermometer, Sand, Soil, Food, Trial Size Hermit Crab Drinking Water Conditioner.
Product’s highlights
Zoo Med Laboratories SZMSCK1 has almost everything you need to care for Hermit crabs.
First, Zoo Med provides you with all the tools to build a suitable habitat for crabs. The kit includes soil, sand, and especially snail shells – indispensable items for any hermit crab.
Not only does it provide tools to set up, but the product also includes devices to help you monitor your living environment.
As a beginner who does not have much experience observing and caring for hermit crabs, you will need the exact numbers of devices such as thermometers, salt meters, water levels of Zoo Med. so that appropriate adjustments can be made.
Choose the starter kit of Zoo Med. You also have a plate, food exclusively for hermit crabs. From an economic or convenience perspective, the kit also deserves positive reviews.
Check Latest Price: View on Amazon
What we like
- Easy to use.
- Fit tanks with a capacity of 10 gallons.
- Suitable for all stages.
- Cheap.
- Include most of the necessary tools.
Things to Consider
- No storage tank available.
Bottom line
Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc. is well known for its products specifically for amphibians, fish, and other aquatic animals. With the target audience this time being Hermit Crab, Zoo Med’s product did not disappoint those who love this brand.
Penn Plax HC25 – Best for beginners
Important Specifications
- Item Dimensions: 9.88 x 6.38 x 8 inches.
- Item Weight: 1.7 Pounds.
- Include: sponge, gravel, climbing grid, natural branch, and full-color background.
Product’s highlights
If the Zoo Med Hermit Crab kit has the slight drawback of not having a tank available, then in Penn Plax HC25, beginners do not have to buy this tool separately. The HC25 Hermit Crab Starter Kit includes a 1-gallon container.
The Penn Plax HC25’s bin has a vented lid with openings and a sturdy lid. For a long time to come, you may not need to consider buying new containers.
Not simply a kit to provide a suitable habitat for crabs, the product also gives you many options to build that habitat most similar to nature, most aesthetically pleasing.
You can completely do the above with gravel, mesh, branches, and the colorful background that Penn-Plax provides.
Another point worth noting is that you can use this kit to raise both amphibians and reptiles.
Check Latest Price: View on Amazon
What we like
- Can be used for both reptiles and amphibians.
- Include a 1-gallon capacity container.
- Beautiful decorations.
- Provide complete tools for beginners.
- Cheap.
Things to Consider
- Small size.
Bottom line
Without a doubt, the Penn Plax HC25 is a good set of tools in the price range that any beginner should consider choosing.
Flukers Hermit Crab Starter Kit – Best for a healthy environment
Important Specifications
- Item Dimensions: 9.5 x 6 x 7.25 inches.
- Item Weight: 2 Pounds.
- Includes: Corner Dish, Bowl, Sponge, Hermit Crab Pellets, Fresh & Saltwater Conditioner, Thermometer and Hygrometer, Shells, Spray Bottle, Care Guide.
Product’s highlights
The Flukers Starter Kit contains all you need to create the healthiest, natural habitat possible for your Hermit crabs.
First, the kit contains tools to help establish the living environment.
Specifically, Fluker has allowed you to create a small lagoon right in your own home with the provision of a water basin. In addition, the manufacturer also provides additional steps so that the hermit crab can quickly move from hiding to the “Lagoon” that you build.
Next, the Fluker kit also includes a thermometer and hygrometer to help you control the crab’s habitat, thereby making reasonable changes.
Besides, the Fluker Hermit crab starter kit also includes a spray bottle, saltwater conditioner, and many other convenient accessories. It can be said that, in addition to the tank, the substrate such as sand/soil, and the heating system, the product from the Fluker brand already has everything you need to be able to start nurturing and caring for the Hermit Crab.
Check Latest Price: View on Amazon.
What we like
- Accurate, easy-to-read thermometers and hygrometers.
- Include feed pellets for Hermit Crab.
- Freshwater and saltwater air conditioning works well.
- The quality of the sponge is quite commendable.
- Nice shell, quite large.
Things to Consider
- Care manuals are not very helpful.
Bottom line
The Flukers Starter Kit has almost all the tools to help set up and maintain the Hermit Crab’s habitat. In particular, each accessory of the product is handy, bringing positive changes.
Therefore, Flukers is one of the options worth considering.
Lee’s Hermit Crab Hideaway Kit – Best for Decorating
Important Specifications
- Item Dimensions: 11.75 x 7.75 x 8.5 inches.
- Item Weight: 3.38 Pounds.
- Age range description: All Stages
- Includes: Hermit Hut, night-sky scene, sponge, decorative plant, natural gravel, Medium Kritter Keeper.
Product’s highlights
Not only focused on creating a safe and secure habitat for hermit crabs, Lee’s toolkit also includes many beautiful decorative accessories.
Specifically, the toolkit, besides owning familiar products such as sponges for watering, also has designs that can only be found in Lee’s Hermit Crab Hideaway Kit.
The removable night sky curtain is one of Lee’s beautiful designs. Or the decorative plants and pebbles that the manufacturer provides are also quite impressive, receiving the love of many users.
Combine all of the above, and you have an excellent hideaway kit that can make an impression no matter what angle you place it on.
Check Latest Price: View on Amazon
What we like
- Large size container.
- Impressive colors.
- Contains Medium Kritter Keeper.
- Include detachable night sky view.
- Bins with lids keep the Hermit Crab safe.
Things to Consider
- Not too durable.
Bottom line
Aesthetics is one of the factors that should be considered when choosing a starter kit. And surpassing many representatives from top brands, Lee’s Hermit Crab Hideaway Kit deserves to be one of the products with the highest aesthetic effect you can find.
TetraFauna Viquarium All-In-One Terrarium – Best for large tanks
Important Specifications
- Item Dimensions: 20 x 8.9 x 14 inches.
- Item Weight: 11.76 Pounds.
- Include: Dry land, Water section, 80-GPH submersible pump powers waterfall.
Product’s highlights
Hermit Crab doesn’t take up too much of your space. That is why many manufacturers often do not focus too much on improving the size of the tank. However, if you keep more crabs, you will see the disadvantages of using a small tank.
TetraFauna Viquarium will be the long-term solution for you. The kit works well with tanks with a capacity of 20 to 55 gallons.
In addition to striking with an unexpected fit with large tanks, the product also impresses with the leading ReptoFilter Whisper water purification technology. The above technology consists of 3 stages, using two different filters. Therefore, you cannot doubt the quality of TetraFauna’s treated water.
Last but also the most distinguishing feature of the product: with Tetrafauna’s Viquarium, you can build a natural ecosystem. You can feed amphibians at the same time as fish and other aquatic animals.
The product is not merely a tank large enough for not only crabs but also many other animals. The manufacturer also equips the product with a three-stage filter, a submersible pump, and other valuable features.
Check Latest Price: View on Amazon
What we like
- Suitable for many different creatures.
- It is possible to create an environment where many organisms live together.
- Keep water clean with a three-stage filtration system.
- Can be used for tanks with a capacity of 20 – 55 gallons.
- Include 80 GPH submersible pump.
Things to Consider
- Missing shells.
Bottom line
It can be said, TetraFauna Viquarium is an ideal choice if you want a solution that balances efficiency and aesthetics, between protection and providing excellent living space for crabs.
Buying Guide
There is no denying the importance of preparing tools for the rearing and care of Hermit crabs. And to ease your decision, here is a list of the products that should be included in a perfect starter kit.
Tank
A tank is a tool you should own if you want to keep hermit crabs.
When choosing a storage tank, you should consider the following issues:
Firstly, you should be careful when selecting the size of the tank. In theory, the larger the tank, the less stress in the crabs.
So how can stress be reduced – a common problem with animals in captivity? The simplest way is to choose a large tank size. Usually, the Coenobita crab – one of the most popular strains of the Hermit Crab will do the best when living in a tank with dimensions of 45 cm x 30 cm.
Meanwhile, many experts believe that the tank should have a length of 60cmx30cm to raise 5 Hermit crabs or more. ,
Besides, this type of crab is quite strong, and can climb walls quite nicely. Therefore, a tank with a lid is significantly safer. For the crabs to exercise but not find a way to escape regularly, you can place them in the tank with various accessories such as wood and gravel to resemble the natural environment as much as possible.
Sand, earth
The best sand for Hermit Crab is coral sand. With this familiar sand, your property will be more aware of the current environment, thereby reducing stress to the maximum.
Besides, when shedding, hermit crabs will try to bury its body in the sand as much as possible. Therefore, do not forget to spread sand regularly. And don’t forget, the amount of sand needs to be enough to hide the entire body of the crab.
Thermometer
Hermit Crab grows best at an average temperature of 25°C. Whereas if the temperature drops to 18 degrees, in this worst case, the crab can die.
To update all information quickly and accurately, you will avoid all the trouble mentioned above. You need the help of a thermometer and a measuring device that is accurate and easy to read.
Filter
Water quality management is not just about preventing problems that can happen with water. In the process of monitoring and adjusting, you will have specific insights about the filter and make more reasonable choices. Here are two filter suggestions that you can refer to:
Unbiological filter: solids will be filtered by a filter. However, it is suggested that this method is not practical because water can still contain solids dissolved in water.
Biological filter: This filter uses the natural growth and decomposition of bacteria. However, biofilters take a long time to install and start-up.
Seashell
Crabs will change their shells each time they grow, molt. For this creature, moving without finding a suitable shell can be fatal. Therefore, you should have at your disposal, not one but several cases of different sizes.
The key to choosing the right shell size for hermit crabs is to prefer slightly larger samples than the existing shell.
In addition, before putting the apricots into the container, you should disinfect the product thoroughly so as not to affect the hermit crabs adversely.
Heater
This device plays an essential role in temperature control, especially when it is cold. In addition to adjusting the temperature, the heater is also one of the tools that can eliminate harmful bacteria.
The time when heaters are needed the most is from early fall to late spring. The optimal temperature in each season varies: in autumn and spring, and you should keep the temperature fluctuating within 25 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, a stable temperature of 20 degrees Celsius is the ideal temperature for hermit crab when winter comes.
Final Words
Compared to keeping aquarium fish or amphibian reptiles, it is clear that Hermit crabs are much more straightforward. Especially with the help of the Hermit crab starter kit, the toolkit helps you prepare all that is needed to build the ideal habitat, monitor, and care for the crabs.
According to many studies, in the natural environment, some Hermit crab species have a lifespan of up to 30 years.
Hopefully, the above suggestions will help you successfully establish a living environment similar to nature, thereby having a life expectancy not inferior to that of your natural brothers.
