welcome to the crabitat

About two months ago, Josh was trying to find a reason to use his empty 10 gallon fish tank.  It had been sitting around collecting dust after his turtles had outgrown it.  I suggested hermit crabs because I had a couple when I was in junior high.  Leslie and Matt have a bunch now too.  They're pretty cute, low maintenance pets.  At least that's what I thought.

We started out with four crabs named Wolfpack, Torple, Munch, and Jerry (many of the names are inspired by characters from TV shows we watched like "Parks and Recreation" and "How I Met Your Mother").

Wolfpack

Torple

We bought two more crabs (Beast and Rex), and before I knew it, Josh was dreaming about a 20 gallon tank to accommodate our expanded hermit crab community.  He suggested using the 10 gallon as an isolation tank when the hermit crabs molt.  Then we bought three more crabs (Criss, Swarley, and Magnum) who are a different species called Ecuadorian.

Beast

Rex

Criss

 Swarley

 Magnum

 Swarley and Wolfpack enjoying a conversation

 Wolfpack chilling in the crab shack

 Swarley is feasting, Criss is chilling in the vines, Wolfpack is hiding under the chola wood, and Magnum is descending on the chola wood

After we got the 20 gallon, Josh's interest with hermit crabs soon turned into an addiction.  He would obsessively mist the tank with water to keep it humid and constantly worry about their well-being.

Within a week, he decided to remodel it.  It was nice to see him caring for them, but I never imagined that he'd take such a strong liking to them.

 By the time he invested in a 60 gallon tank, I knew that I had created a monster.

He checked hermit crab forums for tank inspirations and DIY projects.  He bought some night lights, built a humidifier, added deeper water baths, and further developed the engineering for a second story that stores extra shells (he says that people call it a "shell shop").  There are a few more renovations and additions that are in the works like a moss pit and blueberry species hermit crabs.

Even though it seems a little crazy, it's fun to see how happy he gets when he's around the crabs.  And the crabs are very active and happy in their new home/palace!