"Is it safe to keep my big hermit crab and my little hermit crab together?" I get this question a lot. In fact I've even been told by pet store associates that you should NOT keep different sizes of crabs together. Well today, I'd like to set the record straight. It is perfectly fine to put all types of hermit crabs together. The only thing that you must do to keep them happy is provide hiding and climbing areas that are appropriate for all the sizes you have as well as a much larger variety of shells.

It is true that I have had a few instances of aggression in my crabitat but every single instance (three) the aggression occurred between crabs that were roughly the same size.

You can also keep different species together without problems as long as you offer a bit wider variety of diet and take into account that different species like different types of shells. The only exception to this is Straws (C. Perlatus) and they too can be incorporated into your tank but it does take a bit more accomodating that the other species. I'm going to address these species-specific issues in a future post.

So if you've got some big guys and want some little guys or you just think that you might be ready for that large or jumbo, know that as long as your tank is big enough, you're in good shape. Adopt away!