How Many Hermit Crabs Per Gallon?
by Vanessa Pike-Russell A simple adaption of the ‘per Gallon’ rule would be ‘per Gallon divided by the percentage of vertical height used’. That is, if you only use the bottom third of the tank, calculate how many Gallons your tank holds, then divide by 3 to deduce how many hermit crabs you might comfortably keep within that crabitat. One of the reasons why I am supporting the creation of custom made tanks, is because land hermit crabs are not fish, and the surface area needs to be taken into consideration when purchasing a tank. We have all seen hermit crabs climbing the sides of their tank like arachnids as they try to make their way around tank items due to the narrowness of their crabarium. When I moved to Tasmania in December 2000, I purchased a 2ft by 1.5ft crabarium to fit within a nook in my lounge room. Not only was it cheaper to purchase than a standard 2ft fish tank, but I was able to fit more items comfortably within the tank, and just the extra half a foot width helped to
