Crabitat Types of Enclosures
Crabitat types of enclosures include hermit crab tanks (aquariums), terrariums, vivariums.
The best enclosures for hermit crabs are made of glass, with a glass bottom and sides with a wire mess top, which helps to keep in moisture and humidity necessary for healthy hermit crabs while also allowing fresh air flow.
It’s also possible to create a healthy hermit crab habitat enclosure from wood and wire mesh, a plastic bin or tub. And if you’re a little crafty and creative, you can create a hermit crab habitat hack from a piece of furniture!
The type of enclosure you choose should depend on your budget, the temperature and humidity where the enclosure will be located, how many hermit crabs you plan to keep among other factors.
There are SIX steps to creating a healthy crabitat. Considerations should include where you live and the typical indoor temperature of your home, how much time you have to spend on maintaining/cleaning your crabitat, and how many hermies you plan to keep together.
Types of Crabitat Enclosures:
- plastic hermit crab starter kits (travel box)
- plastic bins and storage containers (temporary)
- screen or wire cages (in hot climates)
- glass tank, aquarium (top opening)
- glass terrarium, vivarium (front opening)
- repurposed furniture crabitat hacks! (creative!)
Types of Enclosures with pros and cons
Plastic Hermit Crab Starter Kits
These are cheap, small plastic boxes that should ONLY be used TEMPORARILY for short travel/relocations.
They are usually $10 or under, and a good way to take a hermit crab from the pet store to your home.
They are NOT made to keep hermit crabs in for more than a few hours, they are too small and don’t have enough ventilation or humidity.
If you are giving hermit crab pets as a gift, this is NOT a suitable permanent enclosure for them.
Plastic Bins and Containers
Larger sized plastic bins and containers can be temporarily repurposed to house hermit crabs successfully (IF you make sure there’s sufficient ventilation!). This is a good solution if you have to move or if you’re building a new crabitat and need a short-term solution.
This should only be a TEMPORARY enclosure for your hermit crabs, there is not enough ventilation or humidity (top on vs top off) and the solid plastic walls won’t make your hermies happy.
Screen and Wire Cages for Hermit Crab Habitats
Back in the 60’s and 70’s, popular hermit crab pets enclosures were home-made screen and wire cages made with wood framing.
These days we have mass-produced options with the same positive features. IF you live in a warm climate and keep your hermit crab pets on a covered back patio (not in cold indoor AC, no direct sun), an open-air screened (or narrow wire) enclosure works well. Why? Hermit crabs love to climb on screening and wire mesh and they love fresh warm air!
Zoo Med makes the ReptiBreeze Open Air Screen Cage which can work for hermit crabs, with a few modifications.
The extra large tall size (24″ x 24″ x 48″) gives good amount of room on the bottom for burrowing substrate, fresh and salt water dishes plus food.
Because it’s tall, there can be more than one level with branches for climbing. Hermit crabs LOVE the vertical height and thrive when being able to climb UP!
Zoo Med's ReptiBreeze Open Air Screen Cage (X-Large Tall)
There are substrate trays you can buy/add that help to secure/reinforce the bottom sand/coco fiber you’re using. However, these trays are 2″ deep and you’ll still need your substrate to be deeper. There are also lighting kits and options available.
But if you live in a climate that isn’t comparable to South Florida or the Caribbean, this enclosure probably isn’t a good idea. The screen allows for cold and drafts, while the hermit crabs inside need warmth and humidity!
Glass Tanks and Aquariums
Glass tanks and aquariums are the most popular types of crabitat enclosures. There are lots of sizes and dimensions to choose from, and they can meet most basic requirements for a healthy, happy hermit crab habitat.
We recommend a minimum 20 gallon tank. The most common dimensions for a 20 gallon is 24″ wide, 16″ tall and 12″ deep.
Note: 10 gallon tanks are really too small for hermit crabs, they grow quickly and quickly need more space. It’s best to spend a little extra money on a larger enclosure so it will last longer!
Basic 20 gallon glass aquarium is the minimum size for keeping hermit crab pets healthy and happy
It’s also VERY important to add a screen or mesh top. Hermit crabs are prolific climbers and they will find a way to climb out of anything, if they can. Also, the mesh or screen top will provide some ventilation, which is very necessary because temperatures and humidity need to remain near a “tropical” level.
Terrariums and Vivariums
Technically Crabitats are Vivariums: a place of life. So what’s it called if you add natural elements like plants? It becomes a terrarium! What if you add water? It becomes a paludarium!
For hermit crabs, because they can drown, we have to be extra careful about the extreme crabitats like paludariums. They look amazing but unless you’re a real pro, best to stick to a terrarium vibe. (though they are great to look at for ideas on beautifying your crabitat!)
The most fun crabitats? A rainforest or jungle-like terrarium but with FAKE plants! Why? Hermit crabs are notorious for wreaking havoc on anything live! They will destroy plant life within a day!
Depending on the size/dimensions of your crabitat, it might be possible to have enough space for substrate AND a water feature. Make sure the substrate is deep enough, plenty of surface space (more than hermit crab could burrow and molt at the same time needed lots of space). AND if that task is accomplished and you have enough space still, add a large water dish with an air bubbler OR a small pool with smart access in and out (so they don’t drown). There are lots of ways to make your crabitat as natural-looking and fun as you’d like. Get creative! Look up photos of terrariums, vivariums and paludariums on Pinterest for inspiration!
Our FAVORITE pre-built type of enclosure for a healthy, happy Crabitat!
Fantastic, smart type of enclosure for hermit crab crabitats!
ReptiZoo Glass Terrarium
24" x 18" x 36"
- it’s tall, plenty of space to add branches for climbing, a hanging coconut hideaway and rope ladder, and levels
- 6″ of solid enclosed space on bottom for substrate plus wide enough surface area for large water dishes (or add a water feature!)
- cord opening to easily add interior lighting or air bubbler for water
- screen top for good ventilation PLUS optional screen mesh side panels to add extra climbing options for your hermies!
We love this glass terrarium. It’s a little pricey but great for multiple hermit crabs that will probably live to be well over 20 years old in one of these enclosures! VERTICAL SPACE is VERY IMPORTANT for hermit crabs, let them climb UP!!!
More Great Crabitat Terrarium Options
We also love the Exo Terra terrariums (usually in the reptile section) which have two large front doors that open out, and a large bottom for plenty of substrate for molting and burrowing. We actually started our crabitat adventure with a small 12x12x12 version, but our hermies quickly grew out of it and we sized up to a larger version. And a few years ago we decided to experiment with the Ikea Detolf, which gave our hermies six levels and plenty of climbing room. The downside? They grow quickly and big!!
As long as you plan ahead, and consider the Six Steps to a Healthy, Happy Crabitat… your hermies can live in captivity for more than 20 years!
If you want a larger sized crabitat but don’t think you have the space, consider using a taller and less wide base. Our current crabitat is 16″ x 16″ (long, wide) and 64″ tall.
The biggest challenge was lighting and creating enough of a space for large hermit crabs on the bottom for water (space for a bath) and enough substrate for burrowing and molting. We ended up putting a smaller saltwater dish on the 2nd level.
We love this Exo Terra Glass Terrarium for Crabitats! Large double front door, deep 7″ bottom substrate depth, tall 24″ for extra levels and climbing branches. The only possible con with this setup is the foam back. It’s natural-looking and very nice looking BUT hermit crabs will LOVE to climb on it. This means it WILL get torn up over time. What can you do? Try adding non-toxic aquarium (clear or black) adhesive and stick coco fiber and moss to it for an extra layer. But it WILL get torn up over time (hermit crabs also LOVE to pick off styrofoam… kinda like humans and popping bubble wrap!)
DIY Crabitat Furniture Hacks!
Are you creative? These are FUN!
Like a good challenge? Are you creative?
If you understand the SIX Steps to a Healthy, Happy Crabitat… you can create a one-of-a-kind habitat that will wow you, your friends and family AND your hermit crab pets!!!
Did you know? Some of the COOLEST CRABITATS ON THE PLANET were created by repurposing FURNITURE!!!
Old hutches and glass display cabinets can make beautiful, functional and healthy crabitats! Before you throw out that old piece of furniture, could you add glass and levels to make your hermies happy?
Here’s our Ikea Detolf Crabitat Hack we created for under $100! It’s got 6 levels, lighting, plenty of hiding spots, fun and stimulation for our hermit crabs.
Can you spot Fred? He’s 17 and very nocturnal, but he came out for us to take this photo.
Fred has tons of climbing space. To give you an idea of size, his shell is about 3.5″ wide.
Got growing hermit crab pets? Looking for a bigger enclosure?
Check out our newest IKEA MILSBO HERMIT CRAB HABITAT HACK!
You need about $300 and some creativity. That’s it! We didn’t use any special tools (just a drill to make a couple of holes in the metal frame for lighting/water filter cords).
We used LOTS of styrofoam, some craft wood, cement and paint and we had a TON OF FUN making this!
But what’s even more fun? WATCHING OUR HERMIES THRIVE IN THIS NEW ENVIRONMENT WE CREATED FOR THEM!
Last update on 2024-05-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API