How to Breed Hermit Crabs: 15 Steps (with Pictures)

Co-authored by Craig Morton

Last Updated: September 9, 2024 References

If you are hoping to breed hermit crabs, you could try setting up a blind date in a mating tank! Although it is very difficult to breed hermit crabs in captivity, you can give it a try by creating a nice environment for mating. It may take a few tries but your persistence could pay off with some young hermit crabs for your “crabitat.”

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Setting up The Mating Tank

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Although it is very difficult to breed hermit crabs in captivity, you can possibly do it in an indoor saltwater tank. In addition to the tank where you currently keep your hermit crabs, you can set up a separate tank that is devoted to mating. ^{[1]
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Research source} The minimum tank size is ten gallons.
You’ll need to recreate the natural conditions for mating, which includes a beach and sea in your ten-gallon tank. At the bottom of your tank, add two inches of sand. ^{[2]
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3
Make an ocean area by adding a saltwater container. Since the Mother crab will need to deposit her eggs in the sea, you’ll need to recreate a little ocean in the tank. Add a saltwater container in a low area of the tank. It should contain a mix of de-chlorinated water and an aquarium salt mix. ^{[3]
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- Don’t use regular table salt for the saltwater container.
4
Keep the temperature in the ideal range. Add a heat rock to maintain a temperature of between 24 and 28 Celsius (75-82 Fahrenheit). You should also locate the tank away from direct sunlight and drafts, since you want to maintain a consistent temperature during the mating process. ^{[4]
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- The water in the tank should be between 72 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (22-26 Celsius).
5
Maintain 70% humidity with a garden sprayer. Because hermit crabs are very sensitive to humidity levels, you’ll want to maintain adequate levels of humidity throughout the breeding process. You can use a garden sprayer to mist the tank. You should also keep the sand substrate moist. ^{[5]
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- Use a hygrometer to measure humidity levels.
You’ll need to create a relaxing atmosphere to get your hermit crabs into the mating mood! For instance, you could add some nice scenery to your mating tank. Adding some branches and vines to the tank will give your crabs a place to hide and something to climb around. This touch of nature will help create the right atmosphere. ^{[6]
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You can make it easy for the hermit crabs to move back and forth between the two tanks by making a ramp. In this way, the hermit crabs can crawl between their home and mating tanks.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Mating The Crabs

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In captivity, hermit crabs breed between February and August. They typically breed in June and July, so try breeding your hermit crabs in the spring or summer. ^{[7]
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2
Find a mature female in your crabitat. Look in your main hermit crab tank or “crabitat” for a mature female, which should be medium sized. Wait until the hermit crab comes most of the way out of her shell before checking to see if you have the right sex. Inspect her body for genitalia called gonophores, which are located close to the abdomen on the back of her legs. You should see two tiny holes. ^{[8]
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- If you can’t see the two tiny holes, it is a male.
Pick a mature male crab from your main tank. You’ll need to wait for one of them to crawl out of its shell. At this time, you can inspect its body for genitalia called gonophores. If you can’t see two tiny holes at the back of the body, you have a male. ^{[9]
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4
Place the crabs together. Put the two crabs in your newly created enclosure. If they don't mate, try a different combination of crabs. ^{[10]
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- Be aware that it is very uncommon for breeding in captivity to actually happen, so don't be discouraged if nothing happens.
It takes one month for the hermit crab eggs to hatch. Let the mother put the eggs in the saltwater container. The eggs should hatch when they touch the water. ^{[11]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Raising the Larvae

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1
Use the cup method. Place the larvae in aerated cups. Put some small shells in the cups, which the larvae can use. Put the cups into a sand substrate. Feed the larvae brine shrimp and spirulina. ^{[12]
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- You can feed them three drops of live plankton per day.
2
Put young hermit crabs in a transition tank. Your transition tank should be half beach and half marine water. Put in a couple of containers with salt and fresh water. Put a coconut in the tank, as well as some nice shells. Make sure the young hermit crabs have a ramp going from the sand to the water containers. ^{[13]
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- Young hermit crabs like to eat their siblings.
- Use regular marine salt water for the transition tank. You can purchase it at most pet stores.
3
Feed young hermit crabs a high-protein diet. You can give them marine copepods, which are available at the pet store. You could also give them frozen krill, marine crayfish or shrimp granules and a couple drops of live plankton. ^{[14]
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- For fourteen days, try feeding them a mixture of brine shrimp, marine infusoria, and powdered spirulina.

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Why do the babies need to be separated from their parents for 40 days?

Community Answer

So they don't eat them or kill them. Don't take any risks.

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Is it hard to pull the eggs off? Will the mother claw at me?

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You shouldn't be pulling them off of her, this can damage the eggs. Try dipping her in the water upside down and flushing the eggs out. If that doesn't work let her try again herself.

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Every where I look it says you can not breed hermit crabs in captivity. Does this really work?

Community Answer

It's possible. The most common problem is the two crabs don't want to mate, they are not sexually mature, or they aren't interested in each other. Some successful attempts have been done with many crabs and multiple tries.

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The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Using another tank for mating can end up stressing out your crabs and cause them to not breed. They may do better in their main tank where conditions are perfect and they can choose who they breed with, which can be multiple females at once.
You can breed hermit crabs but it is extremely hard. The environment must be just right. It must be the perfect temperature, perfect set up—if anything’s wrong or they don’t like anything they won’t breed.
Do not use heat lamps for your crabs, as it can cause burns. Instead, attach a heat pad to the back of the tank.

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Warnings

It is very difficult but not quite impossible to breed hermit crabs in captivity, so don’t get your hopes up too much!

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