Halloween Crab Help

[conflictsoul]

Just purchased 2 halloween crabs for my tank. I know little information on them but their eating habits and basic living conditions.

I have them in a 20 gallon tank with sand on 75% of it and 25% has a far bit of water, but not enough to fully cover them, just enough to reach their actual bodies.

I want to know if they prefer wet sand over dry sand becuase I am unsure how to get water into the tank without it being in a bowl. and keeping it away from the sand.

I have a few concerns and questions below.

I am afraid of them not eating the food that I have laid out around the sand, should I have the food in a bowl, or is it alright to just lay it around for them. I have hermit crab cakes as food currently but plan to add plants, and some smaller live bugs for them to eat.

I am afraid of them getting cold, I know i need to add more sand to keep the water level in the sand, lower. becuase they seem to dig slightly and just end up in water. I'm afraid that will get them cold or they dont like it.

Their are hard little pebbles in the sand that are about the size of the food, will they try to eat it and hurt themselves?

 

[NigelK8485]

Just purchased 2 halloween crabs for my tank. I know little information on them but their eating habits and basic living conditions.

I have them in a 20 gallon tank with sand on 75% of it and 25% has a far bit of water, but not enough to fully cover them, just enough to reach their actual bodies.

I want to know if they prefer wet sand over dry sand becuase I am unsure how to get water into the tank without it being in a bowl. and keeping it away from the sand.

I have a few concerns and questions below.

I am afraid of them not eating the food that I have laid out around the sand, should I have the food in a bowl, or is it alright to just lay it around for them. I have hermit crab cakes as food currently but plan to add plants, and some smaller live bugs for them to eat.

I am afraid of them getting cold, I know i need to add more sand to keep the water level in the sand, lower. becuase they seem to dig slightly and just end up in water. I'm afraid that will get them cold or they dont like it.

Their are hard little pebbles in the sand that are about the size of the food, will they try to eat it and hurt themselves?

http://www.animalbliss.com/halloween-moon-crabs/

That should answer most of your questions. There are a lot of google results regarding their care.

They are scavengers so having the food spread around is okay, just watch for any fights that may occur over food.

They love to dig and climb, so give them plenty of substrate to dig in and decorations to climb on. You can try to prevent them from digging burrows by giving them little caves or things to hide in and call home that sit on the substrate. The pebbles in the sand are fine.


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[conflictsoul]

I have another question, will my crabs be bothered or waken if their are 10 crickets roaming their tank?

 

[NigelK8485]

It's usually best not to leave feeder insects just roaming the tank, I'd get one of those little plastic animal carriers and pick out the crickets they don't eat and put them in the plastic carrier. That way you can continue to gutload the crickets. Be sure to dust the insects with calcium powder.


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