kermit and steaves cage

Question
hi, i recently asked one of the other experts about my cage and other things and i have yet to get a replied, so i was hoping you could please help me. i built my hermit crabs cage myself and was wondering if it is suitable for them(it is in the shape of a cylinder 10in. in diameter, and is 20in. high including the 4in. of sand.there is a small tunnel that leads to their food and water, which is separated from the main cage but is easy accessible). it is literally a cage not a glass aquarium. the sand i have in it (about 4 in. deep) is not a fine sand but is not too coarse. i have a salt and fresh water bowl and a food dish. i try to change up their diet a bit every time i feed them.i made them a coconut hut.i have plenty of shells of different sizes. i have 2 hermit crabs (Kermit and Steve) Steve is very shy and never comes out for me. how can i bond with him? Kermit she is just the opposite. Steve is 1/2 the size of Kermit and Kermit is about the size of a babies fist. i am conserned that there is not much if any moisture in the cage and i can't keep the temp. the same. is there something i can do to promote moisture in the cage without having to purchase an aquarium? or would an aquarium be the best way? i really appreciate your help! thank you!

Answer
Dear Michelle,
thank you for your question.
A cage is not suitable for hermit crabs because it's not possible to keep the humidity as high as the crabs need it. They need a relative humidity of at least 70% because they breathe through modified gills and cannot breathe if the air is too dry. Your cage is also a bit too small, crabs grow pretty fast and need lots of hiding places and stuff to climb on, I think that a 20g is the best size even for two crabs. They will grow out of a 10g pretty fast, in a bigger tank it's a lot easier to keep humidity/temperature stable and it's easier to put in everything you need with room to spare for the crabs to run around in.

Try looking for old tanks in the ads of your local paper or online, for example at http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites.html Garage sales are another good place to find cheap tanks.

You can find a lo more excellent info on crab care in these websites:
www.thecrabbagepatch.com
www.hermitcrabassociation.com
www.landhermitcrabs.com
www.epicurean-hermit.com
www.hermit-crabs.com
http://www.crabbytalk.com/

I hope I was of some help to you
Jennifer