Best Cheap Hermit Crab Supplies Under $10 on Amazon
Cheap hermit crab supplies under $10 on Amazon for the win! There are lots of great inexpensive things for your crabitat to find on Amazon, but also some really bad ones. In this article I’m including all the supplies I’ve used for my recent 10 gallon hermit crab tank set up that I found on Amazon. Plus I’ve included a bunch more supplies I’ve found that are cheap, great, and would make a great addition to a hermit crab habitat!
I’ve included supplies in each category for all 8 Essential Elements for a Healthy Hermit Crab Habitat… with my favorite choices first. I hope this helps you make your habitat even healthier and happier!
Contents
- Water bowls
- Food dishes
- Sand/substrate
- Extra shells
- Thermometer/Hygrometer
- Climbing, stimulating fun
- Hiding things
- Landscaping things
- Food and other needed supplements for good health
Water Bowls under $10
Amazon has the best selection of water bowls, period. You’ll find everything you’d find in your local pet store PLUS lots more to choose from. Also, the prices are often less than in your local store. (sorry local pet stores, do better stocking better hermit crab supplies!)
Fluker’s Hermit Crab Headquarters Lagoon for Hermit Crabs is my personal favorite hermit crab water bowl for small spaces. It’s the perfect size for a 10 gallon starter tank for your small (or new) hermit crabs, also great for larger set ups. It looks great, it’s got a built-in ramp so your smallest hermies can crawl out easily, and it will also fit a medium sized hermit crab. It’s got a rim around it, so less sand/substrate gets in, and… it’s less than $10 on Amazon!
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Fluker’s Lagoon for Hermit Crabs is approximately 5.5″ x 4″ and 1″ deep.
An extra small and small hermit crab both fit inside together, submerged.
Great option for small habitats. Bottom is not flat. See suggestion below for using sheet moss to create a perfect shaped hole to place it in.
Large turbo shell fits 3/4 submerged (2″ shell with a 1″ opening)
Sheet Moss for Landscaping
This Fluker’s hermit crab lagoon sits in sand/substrate, it’s not flat on the bottom. Suggestion: use sheet moss to create a specific place for this bowl to sit in. Soak the sheet moss, then place it in a hole in the sand/substrate to fit this bowl. The rim of the bowl should sit on the sheet moss. Once the moss dries, it will create a perfect little pocket that allows you to easily take the bowl out, clean it, and put it back into the same hole. The sheet moss keeps the hole/shape in place, and also prevents sand/substrate from getting into the bowl, keeping the water cleaner for longer.
Other than the above Fluker’s Lagoon which is specifically made for hermit crabs, I look in the reptile section for water bowls. Reptiles have a larger selection of water bowls, and you can easily find larger bowls with built-in ramps with a depth of one inch and more. Remember, your hermit crabs need to submerge themselves in water (at least 3/4 of their shell).
Note: you don’t have to use a bowl made for pets! Want more ideas? See my article on Hermit Crab Water Dish Options for Smaller Crabitats – Hermit Crab Pets here.
Food Dishes Under $10
Food dishes should be shallow and small. No need to take up lots of prime real estate in a hermit crab habitat for big food dishes. I love using flat shells for food, and use 2-3 different ones places in different parts of the habitat. Why? Less food rot!
Suggestion: use one food dish for the main daily meal. Then use a small flat shell or other flat surface for dry food and/or mineral supplements, and another for millet or other snack food.
See my article Hermit Crab Food for more ideas on what to feed your hermit crab pets.
Bottom line: you don’t need to spend money on a food dish. You can even use plastic water bottle or juice caps and your hermit crabs will be perfectly happy!
Sand/Substrate Under $10
Hermit crabs need a sand/substrate that closely mimics what they live and burrow in, in the wild. For Caribbean Purple Pincher Hermit Crabs (most common type of hermit crabs in the U.S.), a combination of sand plus coconut fiber makes a great healthy substrate for bottom of the habitat.
Not sure what type of hermit crabs you have? Here’s my article of most common types of hermit crab pets with photos.
I use two types of sand, and mix both with coconut fiber. My favorite sand is Fluker’s Hermit Beach Hermit Crab Sand, which is a blend of sand and coconut fiber and comes moist and super clean (no dust). It’s usually under $7 for a 6lb bag on Amazon. I do add more coconut fiber to this product…. so it’s about 3 parts sand to 1 part coconut fiber.
The other type of sand I like to use is a Florida crushed coral with fine granules, which is very similar to what hermit crabs live in, in the Caribbean. This product is mainly packaged for reef aquariums, found in the saltwater section of a local pet store (some also on Amazon for good prices, often around $10 for a 10lb bag).
THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG RATIO FOR MIXING SAND AND COCONUT FIBER TOGETHER. THE RIGHT ANSWER DEPENDS ON YOUR HABITAT’S PARAMETERS AND NEEDS.
General suggestion: 3 parts sand to 1 part coconut fiber.
But many people prefer a more sandy substrate, which would be 5:1 (sand to coconut fiber).
In the front part of the habitat I usually put a small section of only sand, and only coconut fiber in one corner section. Why? Hermit crabs are funny little creatures and they like to pick their perfect spots. They all seem to have different preferences, so give them a choice, right?!
Another type of sand others suggest is play sand, which is made/packaged for kids so it’s non-toxic and clean, and inexpensive, found at The Home Depot and other big box stores in the outdoor section.
Coconut fiber (coir) comes in loose form, and also in a brick (below).
The bricks are usually most economical. Soak in water and it expands a lot!
Extra Hermit Crab Shells Under $10
Gotta provide extra shells for your hermit crabs! They grow, they molt and grow some more, and they love changes shells. The more the better! Extra shells are also a source of stimulation for them, so it’s a good idea to have an extra few shells and rotate them. HERMIT CRABS GET BORED! Keep 2-3 extra shells for each hermit crab, inside the habitat. And every few weeks rotate those shells with a few different ones (take some out, put some others in).
Keep all your hermit crab shells! The longer you raise hermit crabs, the more shells you’ll collect over time. See my article on extra hermit crab shells with some helpful tips here.
Tip: Caribbean Purple Pincher hermit crabs prefer turbo shells the larger they get. If you have older, larger hermit crabs, turbo shells are make the best choice. They are medium weight, have a circular opening and the right interior curve to fit this species of hermit crab.
Thermometer/Hygrometer
I use the Fluker’s Thermometer and Hygrometer in One for my hermit crab habitats. It comes with a piece of adhesive, but it doesn’t stick long. I use a small square of gorilla removable tape to the back, and place on the back glass panel towards the top of each habitat.
There are a few other similar gauges that work well also. Make sure they will easily show you the temperature AND the humidity level inside your habitat.
The best ones will use a colored section so you can easily see if your parameters fall within the tropical/subtropical parameters your hermit crabs need.
Climbing, Stimulating Fun!
Hermit crabs need to climb UP! And if you have Caribbean Purple Pincher hermit crabs, being able to climb UP is essential to their good health and happiness! Did you know? In the wild, they are often napping on tree branches feet above the sand below! They LOVE to climb up. Give them driftwood or other elements to climb! They love to climb up, then cling and nap!
Aquarium-safe driftwood works well. Also, search in the reptile section for climbing branches. In most cases, it’s best to stick to using things you find for pets specifically, rather than finding wood and branches from a park. Why? Often wood found in backyards and parks will have trace pesticides and herbicides which can be harmful to your hermit crabs.
Besides wood and branches, you can add a wood rope ladder! Look in the bird section, and make sure the wood rungs are close together AND the last step is very close to the opening! Some aren’t designed well. See below… easy for small to large hermit crabs to climb up and into the coconut hole. Do hermit crabs like rope ladders? YES, they LOVE them! See the photos below, and my article on adding fun and stimulation!
Hiding Things
Hermit crabs need to hide! They need quiet, dark spots in their habitat to retreat to. They’ll take naps there, de-stress there, and hide there. But you don’t have to spend money on this! Small plastic pots placed upside down, with an entryway cut out, can work just as well as something you buy.
Landscaping and Decor
Hermit crabs live in some of the most beautiful ecosystems in the world, at the ocean’s edge. Beautify your hermit crab habitat and make your hermit crabs happier and healthier! Add green sheet moss, brown climbing branches, air bubbles to your water bowl. Add some plants!
Hermit crabs get bored. Add fun and stimulation to their habitat!
Note: hermit crabs love to dig. While live plants seem like a good idea, they won’t last. Your hermies will dig their roots up, climb all over them, and they’ll most likely die a quick death. But there are inexpensive attractive plants that your hermies will like almost as much!
Tip: use aquarium-safe plants with weighted bottoms! Place them in back for a nice “landscaped” natural aesthetic. Place them in a larger water bowl. Why “weighted bottom” plants? Your hermit crabs can’t knock them over as easily!
I also like to add small plastic toys to the water bowls sometimes, for fun. An alligator and fish are in the above photo, a starfish and shark are below. I use these for stimulation. The hermit crabs see something new in their water bowls and they are quick to go inspect!
I switch them out every week or so to something new. I find it funny. The hermit crabs find it stimulating. And my friends and family that see the habitat think it’s cool! Win, win, win! Just make sure whatever you put in is non-toxic and made for kids, and wash it well before adding, so it’s safe.
Short plants with weighted bottoms work best.
Want to go next-level with your water bowl(s)? Give your hermit crabs MOVING WATER!! See my article Hermit Crabs Love Moving Water here, which gives tips and ideas for adding air stones and mini filters to help keep the water fresher AND stimulate your hermit crabs! And the best part?
Food and other Needed Supplements for Good Health
I’m a big believer in feeding your hermit crabs the fresh healthy foods YOU eat! They are omnivores and love fruits, vegetables, and meats. (no seasoning or added salt, of course).
But it’s also important to provide a healthy hermit crab food that has the nutrients they require for good health, plus extra supplements they need especially for molting.
Amazon has the best selection of dry foods at the most reasonable prices. I always try to find the “small business” label if I can, to help support them over large big box companies. In addition to Amazon small business for hermit crab foods, Etsy has some great hermit crab pet owners that make and sell their own hermit crab food products.
Beware of brown pellet “food”. Most hermit crabs don’t recognize that as food at all, and will starve. But there’s no reason to spend lots of money on buying food for your hermit crabs IF you eat healthy at home! Here are some ideas for feeding your hermit crabs without spending lots of money!
Tip: it’s always a good idea to keep mineral blocks and/or cuttlebone inside the habitat. It provides extra needed calcium (and hermit crabs also just love to pick off tiny pieces from the blocks!).
What’s cuttlebone? Here’s my article on what is cuttlebone and why hermit crabs like it, here.
Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API