Ideas for Adding Levels to Hermit Crab Habitats
Adding levels to a hermit crab habitat is a smart way to use extra space in the enclosure. It’s also a great source of stimulation and fun for your hermit crab pets.
They are natural climbers and explorers. In the wild they can be found climbing on tree branches, exploring large rock formations and big tree root systems.
No matter what size enclosure, it’s possible to add levels to give your hermit crab pets the climbing and exploring opportunities they crave!
Your hermit crabs desperately want to climb… up!
Elements that make good levels
There are lots of things you can use to create levels in a hermit crab enclosure. The more vertical space, the more creative you can get. Here are some ideas that you won’t find in the hermit crab section of your local pet store. Make sure to look in the bird section, hamster/small animal section AND the aquarium section!
- tree branches
- driftwood
- hanging coconut hideaways
- wooden rope ladders
- wood platforms
For hermit crab tanks that are smaller and horizontal, the limited vertical space can make it challenging to add levels. Climbing branches and driftwood tend to be the easiest ways to add more climbing opportunities for that type of space. But check out the “small animal” section of your local pet store also, because there are structures like platforms and wood buildings that your hermies would LOVE to climb all over! Some examples:
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Hamsters and "Small Animals" have some products to consider...
Unfortunately, the hermit crab section of most pet stores is tiny and often combined with other pet supplies for weird pets like spiders! Note: hermit crab pets ARE NOT WEIRD pets! So often it’s necessary to look at other sections of your local pet store for ideas.
Hamsters and small animals sometimes have cool wooden structures that are also appropriately sized for hermit crabs (will depend on the size of your enclosure and how much space you have). Wood platforms are a great solution because they allow for substrate to remain underneath, giving your hermit crabs the much-needed molting space.
The openings of hamster houses won’t be big enough for medium sized hermit crabs and larger, but this could be a good thing if you have tiny hermies that may need or want their space away from any large hermit crabs in the same enclosure.
Before buying anything to add to your hermit crab habitat, remember to measure… twice! It’s better NOT to overcrowd the habitat.
Keep in mind, whatever you put in your the habitat should be waterproof and not susceptible to mold, mildew or warping. Don’t use cardboard, paper or particle board because it won’t stand up to the humidity and water it will be exposed to inside the enclosure. You want to be able to spray water in the enclosure periodically to increase humidity and give a natural “mist” or “rain” to your hermit crabs (which they LOVE).
DIY Hermit Crab Levels!
If the enclosure has more vertical space and you like DIY projects, get creative! See our newest Ikea Milsbo Hermit Crab Habitat Hack for ideas of filling vertical space with lots of levels and climbing space.
Here are photos from the project when we were planning out and adding levels. We mainly used styrofoam sheets, planks and corners for each of the five levels.
We secured each level with Great Stuff Pond and Foam. And we connected everything with tall tree branches, also securing with the spray foam product. The project took about two months to finish, and it was lots of fun and very messy. The end result was a bunch of super happy hermit crabs!
We collected styrofoam packing for about 6 months before starting the project. This styrofoam came from furniture and other items, and there were all shapes and sizes. The best styrofoam to use is more dense, thicker and bigger than needed so you have enough to cut down.
Why do we love creating levels with styrofoam? It’s lightweight, super easy to work with and free (if you start collecting way ahead of time). And no special tools are needed to work with styrofoam, also a big plus!
When adding another level above the bottom level, make sure it’s connected in a way that your hermit crab pets will be able to safely and securely climb. Use a climbing branch, rope ladder etc. that is securely connected and won’t shift or fall.
We use Great Stuff Pond and Stone, an expandable foam spray product used for Koi pond waterfalls and stone work outdoors. It’s non-toxic to fish and plants when dry, and is waterproof. It can connect wood branches and fake rock and levels all together, and to the sides of your glass enclosure. (see upcoming posts in this Ikea Milsbo Hermit Crab Habitat Hack for photos and more on how to use this product).
- make sure each level is straight! (use a level)
- Make sure each level is secure and will hold enough weight for what you’ve planned to place on it
Sheets, planks and corners of styrofoam can be easily and security connected (glued) using Great Stuff Pond and Foam. This Great Stuff product is made for Koi ponds and water fountains so it is safe for fish and is non-toxic when dry, and waterproof.
Spray it on and it expands into a foam material “gluing” everything together that it touches. Just don’t get it on your fingers… it can take days to come off (USE GLOVES!!!).
There are a couple of similar expandable fish-safe waterproof spray foam products on the market. In our opinion this Great Stuff product is by far the best. We’ve used many cans over the years on multiple large hermit crab habitats, and we’ve also used it on the waterfall in our koi pond out back!
Why we love Great Stuff Pond and Stone for adding levels to hermit crab habitats:
- adheres to glass (most others don’t)
- nozzle doesn’t get clogged, no need to use full can all at once
- dries fairly quickly
- expands into a super secure foam that can connect wood, styrofoam, rocks and more
- fairly inexpensive (roughly $12.50 – $14.50 per can)
We just finished the Ikea Milsbo Hermit Crab Hack! We are adding posts, photos and step by steps for each phase of the project.
When we finish each new post we’ll add links to these buttons with a “click!” so you know it’s up!
We hope you get ideas for making your hermit crab habitats even healthier and happier!
Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API