Answers > How Much Would All the Supplies for Land Hermit Crabs Cost?

noone really May 19, 2011 at 11:32 am

depends how you want to set it up.
3 medium crabs. $30.00
enough river sand for a 2? foot tank 14.50
heat pad to create humidity and warmth 35.00
1 food and 2 water dishes. 18.00
things to climb on. lets say around 15.00
food 8.00
so budget around $150.00 and you should have change from that.
make sure you have a fitted lid on the tank as they need humidity to breath and they are tropical. need warmth.
the prices i gave you are ball park. thats what you would spend at the shop i work at. things may be different where you are.
good luck.

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YellowDuck May 19, 2011 at 11:32 am

$100000

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Jessica May 19, 2011 at 11:32 am

It depends on the size of your tank. A 10 gallon (which is the minimum) filled with essentials can easily run up $100. A 20 gallon (which is what you should have or larger) will run you about $50-$75 more. Since I started crabbing a year ago, I have spent over $1,000. It’s not a cheap hobby.
My estimated costs looks like:
Tank $300
Extra tank $50
Stand $80
Shells $175
Water treatments (salt, dechlor) $60
Substrate $50
Things to climb on/hide in $300
Heat lamp $20
Extra bulbs $40
Food $200

Keep in mind this is for 55g with 15 crabs. But you can see the costs add up quick. Unfortunately, pinching pennies on essentials for hermit crabs can lead to a premature death. They need very specific conditions in order to do well and a lot of the stuff labeled "for hermit crabs" is harmful for them, leading one to seek out specialty stores.

For food and shells, I reccomend: http://www.hermitcrabpatch.com/
For dechlor, substrate, ocean salt, and decor, I reccomend: http://www.petdiscounters.com/

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Heather H May 19, 2011 at 11:32 am

If you want 3 medium crabs you should really just go ahead and get a 20 gallon tank. They will grow fast, and they need space to run around.

A brand new 20 gallon is about $50 but you can probably find one on craigslist, at local thrift stores, or yard sales for cheaper.

For substrate (about 6") I use playsand. You can get a 50lb bag at lowes for $3. If you want you can mix in coconut fiber (can get it at a local pet store) for another $3

For food I just feed mine fresh foods that i’m eating (no salt, sugar, butter, etc..) so I really don’t spend anything on it.
You’ll also want some calcuim so you can buy a cuttlebone (for birds) for $1-$2 or just use egg shells.

For climbing things, you can probably just go to the dollar store (that’s what I do) for plants. Just make sure you clean them really good with vinegar and water. I also use flower pots for hidaways. Or you can use coconut huts.

You’ll need salt for fish tanks and water declorinator.

It is a little expensive but such a fun hobby. You really don’t need to (and in some cases shouldn’t) buy commerical brand hermit crab stuff. Like for water bowls you can just use tupperware containers.

Shells are a little harder to come by for cheap. A lot of people order them online because you need atleast 3 extra per crab. I found mine at walmart in a large bag for $10. Other people have said they’ve found them at Michaels, or Hobby Lobby. Those are probably your cheapest options.

You should really visit this site:
http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com

There are amazing people on there and they really helped me out a lot. They also have great ideas about how to set up your tank (without spending an arm and a leg).

I hope this helped you atleast a little bit. And good luck with your crabbing

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