The Best Hermit Crab Habitat: Reviews & Guide 2022

Hermit crabs are fantastic burrowing animals which make intriguing pets. And they live long lives, given with a proper home. Correctly setting up a hermit crab habitat, also called as “crabitat” is crucial for their overall health and happiness. Hermit crabs are not that easy, throw away pets that most people believe them to be, and getting the best hermit crab habitat and setting it up takes effort and time.

So, if you are a proud owner of these little creatures, then here are some of the top recommended habitats for the little crustaceans.

Top 10 Best Hermit Crab Habitat

Koller Products Repitat Reptile Carrier

Being Amazon’s Choice for Hermit Crab Tank, the Repitat Reptile Carrier takes the first place on our list. Unlike any other terrariums, this habitat comes in an oval shape which makes it quite unique.

Ideal habitat for hermit crabs, toads, newts, and other small creatures, the Repitat Reptile Carrier will keep your pets secure and safe, completely enclosed with a removable access door. The habitat is also well-ventilated in order to provide enough air circulation inside.

Made from impact-resistant plastic construction with a panoramic view which allows you to see your adorable pet inside. This 1-gallon habitat can be the perfect housing for small pets and includes a basking island and carrying handle to act as a carrier to take your pet to school to a visit to the vet.

NYCP House-Shape Glass Terrarium

A stylish, house-shaped glass terrarium, this one from NYCP can be a great centerpiece on your table and is ideal for raising reptiles, insects, or live plants such as ferns and moss, or both.

This high-quality geometric terrarium is made from framed transparent material glass. It features a swing lid for easy access on the inside of the terrarium and prevents escaping of pets. Having copper alloyed frame, the stylish terrarium does not hold water, so it is much suitable for land hermit crabs and other reptiles.

Lee’s Hermit Crab Hideaway

The Lee’s Hermit Crab Hideaway Kit consists of everything that you might need for raising a hermit crab. It comes with a Hermit Hut which is an ideal environment to keep the little crustaceans safe and secure.

The kit also comes with a Medium Kritter Keeper, natural gravel, decorative plants, sponge for watering and a detachable night-sky scene for a complete hermit crab habitat. Its dimensions are 11 ¾” x 7 ¾” x 8”, which is big enough for at least 2 hermit crabs or a large one.

Penn Plax New World Habitat

The Penn Plax New World Habitat is a habitat tank that can be used to house hermit crabs, newts, snakes, frogs, fish, gerbils, hamsters, bugs or any other type of small pets. Penn Plax offers you 3 size choice: large, medium or small.

The habitat comes with several great features which also depends on the size that you choose. These include compatibility with light units, recessed gravel bed, compatibility with hamster tubing, curved expansive viewing face, ventilated flip-top cover and a handle.

Exo Terra Allglass Terrarium

Designed by European herpetologists, the Exo Terra All Glass Terrarium is an ideal amphibian or reptile housing. It features front door opening that gives you an easy access on the inside for feeding and cleaning.

It comes with a specially-designed lock that prevents the escape of your pets. Also, it has full-screen top ventilation that will allow infrared and UVB penetration and is also completely removable for easy cleaning or decorating. At the back of the screen, the cover features 5 closable tube inlets or wire on both sides for installation of Waterfalls, Heat Wave Rocks, sensors and more inside of the terrarium.

The terrarium’s bottom plate is raised in order to mount a substrate heater. Its extra high fixed front window is suitable for thick substrate layers for burrowing pets. Its natural background helps keep the natural ambiance so that your pets can feel at home.

ReptiZoo Mini Reptile Glass Terrarium

The Mini Reptile Glass Terrarium from ReptiZoo helps provide your pets with a comfortable and durable place to live in. The terrarium can hold water and is watertight. Its top is constructed from the metal screen in order to provide enough ventilation and allow heat sources inside the cage.

The cover comes with specially designed feeding ports. Its easy “lift and pull” sliding door is simple to close o open and prevent your pets from escaping. The habitat offers some closable tube and wire inlets on both sides in order to install sensors, waterfalls, heat wave rocks and more inside the habitat. Lightweight, the glass terrarium is not that heavy and is quite easy to move from one place to another.

Nature Gift Store Hermit Crab Complete Starter Kit

Suitable for beginners, Nature Gift Store offers a complete starter kit for your hermit crab. This kit offers everything you need in order to raise your tiny crustaceans. What’s more is that you also get 2 LIVE “purple pincher” crabs along with the habitat.

Featuring a 2-gallon habitat, the kit also includes water treatment solution, water mister, plastic plants, plastic palm trees, choya wood for climbing, clamshell food dish, and sponge with clamshell for water, extra shell, food, and coconut fibers.  The habitat is a healthy and safe home for 2 new members of the family and is great for kids of all ages plus homes, offices, science classes, and classrooms.

TetraFauna Viquarium

A reputable brand name, Tetra offers high-quality pet habitats and solutions that add beauty and ease to every home. This particular product, the TetraFauna Viquarium will convert a standard aquarium into an aqua-terrarium, a combination of terrarium and aquarium in one. It comes with a water section and dry land, making it very suitable for hermit crabs that can live both in land and water.

This habitat is quite easy to set up and is large enough to house several hermit crabs and fishes. It also features 3-stage Whisper filtration for quiet operation and uses 2 ReptoFilter medium cartridges. Multipurpose and highly versatile, this habitat allows you to house different species in one go.

Exo Terra Nano Wide Terrarium

Another great terrarium from Exo Terra, the Nano Wide Terrarium is also a glass habitat suitable for amphibians, reptiles, and small animals. The terrarium features a single from opening door, allowing easy access inside the habitat for feeding, misting or maintenance. It also helps in preventing your pets from escaping their habitat while also retaining the humidity and heat inside.

It comes with a reliable lock that prevents the unwanted opening from curious pets or children and adds an extra security measure in order to keep your pets safe inside the terrarium. Moreover, the full-screen top cover lets infrared and UVB penetration and is completely removable for easy decorating or cleaning of the terrarium. There are also durable locks on its side in order to secure the top as well as built-in closable tube and wire inlets on both sides in order to securely run tubing and wire inside the habitat while making sure that your pets won’t have a chance to escape.

The terrarium also offers a waterproof base and is fixed to be extra high in order to allow deep layers of substrates for burrowing pets as well as providing enough space for glass mounted decors. Lastly, the terrariums natural looking rock background creates a natural looking habitat for your pets so that they will feel at ease.

MarineLand Contour Glass Aquarium Kit

The MarineLand Contour Glass Aquarium Kit provides a stylish and quick foundation or starting your new aquarium. This 3-gallon habitat boasts curved glass as well as a LED lighting system which uses bright blue and white LEDs, showing off your aquarium at any time of the day.

Its glass canopy slides back over the aquarium filter in order to provide a space for daily feeding as well as water care. IT also helps prevent your pets from escaping and maintain the temperature inside the aquarium. Lastly, the aquarium comes complete with a 3-stage filtration system that works effortlessly in order to provide a healthy and clean aquatic environment.

Accessories for Hermit Crabs

SunGrow Natural Coco Hut

SunGrow develops an all-natural habitat primarily for shrimp but it can be for hermit crab by using a simple coco hut. It can be innovated by your own wanting designs (if you want to) to make your hermit crab more amazing.

It has a wide single opening that is perfect in rendering privacy for your hermit crab. The opening also allows it to easily enter and go out of its habitat. This natural habitat can be placed inside the aquarium to be more secure but before doing so, here are the things you need to do: Wash the coco hut with boiling water then soak it in fresh water with stimulated carbon to free it from unseen dirt.

SunGrow Eco-Friendly Hermit Crab Hut

Get ready your hermit crab to play the tunnel game.

It is another crab hut habitat for your hermit crab but with two open doors that keep your crab feels cozy. Consequently, you can build a tunnel out of it (one crab hut per purchase). It is a two-way habitat, including a hideaway and a climbing toy. The coco hut used is all-natural and organic that ensures your pet’s safety even when chewed. With this habitat, you can spend your time playing with your pet called the tunnel game.

SunGrow 3 Cholla Wood for Pets

A Cholla Plant which will eventually break down into skeleton wood will result in a Cholla Soft Wood. It is normally seen as home décor but actually fits as a habitat to your pet.

The package includes 3 six inches of dried cholla wood. Placing it inside the aquarium will end up a naturalistic view and attractive to hermit crabs. For further information, hermit crabs love to chew the remaining of the woods because it is nutritious for them and it serves as an additional source for food. They are free to climb on the cholla wood habitat and they can also hide for privacy. Before using it, soak it to boiling water then keep it dry to prevent forming of molds.

NilocG Aquatics Natural Cholla Wood

This dried cholla plant serves as an excellent hiding place for that tiny hermit crab. It’s the same cholla wood but comes only from a different manufacturer that adds up their own flavor to prove its quality.

The package includes 5 five to six inches natural cholla wood that is pesticide and chemical free. The company ensures the safety of your pet thus chewing it takes no harm for them. There will be more cholla woods to climb on and to use as hideout thus more enjoyable for the hermit crab to stay on its habitat. The cholla wood needs to be saturated on boiling waters for 1 to 2 days before settling down the aquarium for better habitat result.

Fluker’s All Natural Premium Sand Substrate Mixture

Give your hermit crab a break on its unnatural habitat by sprinkling a beach sandy feeling in it.  You can buy an enclosure as its permanent habitat but by adding this one will surprise your pet. Try it!

Hermit crab loves to burrow itself into the sand and with this 6-pound mixture of coconut grit, salt, calcium carbonate and well blend sand, you are letting your pet to have that natural feeling. Pour out a minimum depth of sand about three times of its shell’s size on the enclosure and make it moist. Additionally, it has probiotic for more effective breaking down of your pet’s waste in its habitat.

SLSON Large Hermit Crab Shells

The shell worn by a hermit crab is not permanent as they eventually get off the shell whenever they wanted to. The good news is you can buy a shell habitat for your pet so it won’t be worried outliving its own shell.

The package contains 3 different seashells in large sizes as it is intended only for adult hermit crabs namely Silvermouth shell, White Murex shell, Crown Conch shell. They are all-natural with no paints added to avoid harming a pet. The openings are all large that is only suitable for adult crabs. Enough ratio of a shell for each hermit crab is 3 to 5 seashells thus if you own two hermit crabs, you’ll be needing 2 packs of large hermit crab shells to properly accommodate them. Conclusively, before using it sterilized the shell for 5 minutes into dechlorinated boiling water then cool down before giving to your crabs.

THE OTHER TIDE 12 Hermit Crab Changing Shells

Your hermit crab will have many options of shells to live with. As said, they love leaving their shells once in a while.

There are 12 small to large sizes of hermit crab green turbo shells in one pack. It is all properly cleaned and polished which is pretty perfect for your pet. This will result in a better reproduction of the hermit crab as more habitats are given to it. Since more shells are included in the package, it is pricier.

Crabworx Hotel

Your hermit will surely feel luxurious with this hotel-like habitat.

It is suitable for all sizes of hermit crab since it has enough space inside and even fit for climbing on. The hotel is made of hard materials thus safe from chewing and sturdy. You can place it as décor in your house and surprisingly there’s a pet living in it. This fits a shy crab who loves to hide.

SunGrow Hermit Crab Leaves

Hermit crabs also live in the wild and through these leaves; it will have its habitat as well as a treat.

These 2 leaves maintain the needed humidity and moist environment to outgrow a hermit crab. It is a healthy habitat for your pet as it can eat the leaves as a treat and play around with it as well. Your pet will eventually use it as its hiding place which is easier for it to lift up. No chemical added for it is all-organic leaves.

What Are Hermit Crabs?

Hermit crabs are crustaceans which belong to the Paguroidea family. Not like true crabs, the hermits have vulnerable and soft abdomen. So, in order to protect their delicate and soft bodies from predators, they look and use abandon shells of other animals, usually snails.

This habit of loving in the shells of other animals which has given them their name. Hermits carry their “houses” wherever they may go. And once they outgrow their current shells, they discard it and search for a larger one.

What is appropriate habitat for a hermit crab?

Hermit crab normally lives in wild seas thus considering an appropriate habitat for them is needed. There is an aquatic type that prefers living in the corals and there is a terrestrial type that loves climbing on trees.

What to consider in building hermit crab habitat?

Foremost, make the closure tight but breathable because hermit crabs are an expert in escaping. Hermit crabs demand 70 to 80 percent of humidity to prevent gills from drying up that can even kill them. The temperature must be at the mid-range, for low temperature slows down its metabolism and high temperature will have an effect on your crab’ health. Moreover, you can put some hermit crab friendly decors on the habitat according to your want and to your pet’s comfort. In addition to that, put sand and a coconut grit to give your pet a full packed natural habitat.

How to build your own habitat for a hermit crab?

The following are the steps in building a hermit crab habitat:

Use 5-gallon tank

This is the minimum required gallon size for hermit crabs to prevent it from escaping. Its space is enough to hold up to 2 hermit crabs.

Put 2 to 3 inches of sand

This is for burrowing and for faster growth of your pet. With this in its habitat, it will be more like its natural territory.

Add some climbing toys

The toys will also serve as their hiding place and it adds more life to its habitat. It can actually serve as a natural habitat for your pet.

Hermit crab warmer (optional)

This is to maintain the moist on your pet and to make it live more as it is known for its sensitivity on temperature.

How to Clean a Hermit Crab’s Habitat?

Regular cleaning is crucial in order to keep a hermit crab in good health condition.

A larger habitat that only has a few crabs do not need frequent cleaning as much as a smaller habitat with larger crabs. Simple cleaning chores like taking care of obvious messes or spot cleaning need to be done daily. Meanwhile, a more dedicated cleaning can be done every week or two.

Deep and full cleaning should be done every month. However, in a well-balanced habitat, deep cleaning might not be that crucial at all. However, if there are signs of flies, mites, gnats or any strong odors, a deep cleaning should be the best solution.

Crabitat Cleaning Tips

Cleaning your hermit crab’s habitat need to be a part of your pet care routine. When you know how to properly clean their habitat, you will be able to keep them comfortable and healthy for a happy and long life. Here are some cleaning tips for you:

• For simple cleaning chores, the hermits can be moved to a “playpen” while you quickly clean their habitat. For deep cleaning, you need to set up a temporary housing with suitable humidity and temperature for your crabs for a day or two. This is to prevent your hermits from being stressed.
• For cleaning the sand at the bottom, you will need to use a sand scoop in order to filter out wet clumps or debris every day. For a deeper clean, you will need to remove all of the sand and can either replace it or reheat it in the oven at 250 degrees for at least 25 to 30 minutes in order to kill any bacteria.
• Hermits are highly sensitive to chemicals, specifically bleach. So, you will need to use a biodegradable cleaner or vinegar solution when cleaning. However, plain hot water should suffice.
• Boil toys and shells for at least 2 to 3 minutes in order to clean them. Live plants, rocks, and woods need to be wiped thoroughly with very hot water.
• Using hot water or a biodegradable cleanser, wipe the tanks top, bottom and sides. In case you use a cleanser, make sure to thoroughly rinse the tank in order to remove any residue.

Conclusion

Given their popularity as pets, getting the best habitat for these crustaceans is not difficult. They do not need an elaborate setup to be raised and are quite easy to take care of. Given the best hermit crab habitat, you can keep these little ones entertained and survive for years!