All My Shelldren-Hermit Crab Advocate

05/08/2026

Just gabbin😂

05/08/2026

Fun fact Friday! Did you know that hermit crabs molt!? Ehhh what is molting, you ask!? Molting is a process in which they bury themselves under the substrate for a few weeks sometimes up to a year….during which time you have pet sand.😂 this is why it is incredibly important to have the appropriate amount of substrate. Not enough depth to dig = no molting or surface molting which are both 🚫 and could lead to ☠️. 😩

But why!? Molting allows the hermit crabs to shed their exoskeleton in order to grow. Their exoskeleton is NOT their shell annnnnd they eat it once they shed it for the nutrients. Yummm 😂The molting process is an incredibly vulnerable time for a hermit crab and they are still vulnerable once they come back up from a molt.

It’s ridiculous to see my reaction each time one of mine comes back up …the relief! 😅

You can learn more about the molting process here:

Learn how hermit crabs molt, why they bury underground, how long molting takes, and what keepers should expect before, during, and after the molt.

03/21/2026

Not sleeping because you can’t stop wondering what hermit crabs do alllll night long (allll night 🎶)!? Have no fear…I present to you… an overnight crabitat timelapse. They are ridiculous and hilarious. You’re welcome 😂❤️🐚

03/01/2026

Thing I never thought I’d do at 44…

Be stealthily crawling around my office floor to take pictures of my hermit crabs and not scare them.😂

But look at this adorable little guy!❤️🐚

02/25/2026

Jaws 🦈 and Lucy 💎

Both rescues, both thriving.🥰

02/23/2026

PROPER CRABITATS

One would hope that beach shops and chain pet stores would sell you the appropriate set ups for your hermit crabs…but I learned very quickly how wrong and inhumane what they sell you really is.

While it may seem intuitive to put these guys (and gals) in something that gives them holes to breathe, hermit crabs are actually born in the ocean and have modified gills, so they require constant humidity around 80% at all times, so putting them in the mesh wire cages they keep them in at beach shops, and sending them home in a tiny terrarium with holes at the top (from both the beach shops and pet stores) is completely wrong and is just slowly suffocating them. 😩

When we were at the beach and I very irresponsibly purchased Carl…and then Bob…without knowing anything at all… I was pumped that I got the Hermit Crab free when I purchased the cage.😂🤦‍♀️

Then… I read about what they actually require to survive and thrive and that ended up with me taking a trip to the Ace Hardware in the Outer Banks to buy a plastic storage bin with a lid. Then I realized that the gravel that they sell is absolutely incorrect as well, so I got a whole bunch of sand from the beach and baked it to kill any parasites or bacteria. More information on sand in a later post. 🏝️

When we got home, I got a $10 tank off of Facebook marketplace, thinking that would totally suffice… And here we are less than a year later with one 125 gallon, a 55 gallon, two 20 gallons and a 10 gallon (for quarantined or sick babies ). 🫣🥴….somehow my husband still loves me.🤣

Happy to answer any questions about tank size or anything else! ❤️🐚


02/21/2026

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8xNucPo/

76 likes, 11 comments. “Whew! She was a labor of love! 125 gallons of pure hermie love! Big thanks to And a big thanks to my husband and son for carrying and pouring 625172399 pounds of sand!😍❤️🐚”

02/21/2026

Whew it’s been a bit! I’ve rescued 4 new little hermie friends in the past 2 months and have also acquired a 125 gallon tank that took over a month to get cleaned, designed and up to par for my shelldren! This “crabitat”….thats what we call them in the 🦀 community 😂…was a true labor of love. I learned so much while building this and thought I’d share some pictures and some fun facts, of course!

* I have a 125 gallon tank with a 20 gallon topper.
* what’s a topper!? I had no idea what a topper was when I first started learning about hermit crabs, and their habitats. A topper is basically a reptile terrarium flipped upside down and placed on top of the tank. It helps to create length in the tank to give them more space to climb.
* I used 500 pounds of sand and about four huge bags of Eco earth cocoa fiber in this build to create the perfect substrate. Shout out to my husband and son for carrying all of it and pouring it into my tank for me! So heavy! So dusty!
* purple picher hermit crabs need at least 6 inches of substrate in their tank. Ecuadorians require a bit more humidity and around 10 inches of substrate.
* Ecuadorian and hermit crabs can be very spicy and total bullies so my one Ecuadorian, who coincidentally was our very first Hermit Crab (Carl 🙄😂) is in my 55 gallon with only one other crab because he clearly cannot play nice # with others and tries to murder them all and steal their shell.

Please enjoy these pictures and video of their new fancy crabitat!

01/20/2026

Oh look, I started a TikTok and I have absolutely zero idea what I’m doing! 😂 but please follow me!

Check out Jenny’s post.

01/16/2026

12/24/2025

Friendly reminder 😬 🐚 ❤️🎄
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Do all 9 of my shelldren have stockings? Yep. Are all 9 of my shelldren getting a treat on Christmas morning? Yes, yes they are. This is 44😂 🦀