Beginner Hermit Crab Care

Hermit crabs have become a true phenomenon in the world of animal these days. They have a habit of living in the shells of snails which are heaved away by them after utilizing. As the growing stages of molting continue of hermit crabs, they search for a new shell to fit their size appropriately and suit their new phase of life. Because of their lively nature and intelligent interaction, they make interesting pets. Although, the natural habitat of hermit crabs is ocean, but they can survive in the captivity as well. With proper clean environment provided to hermit crabs and care, they can live around a span of three decades.       

Hermit crabs are invertebrates. They don’t have internal skeleton like vertebrates to be larger in size and sturdier. They consist of an outer skeleton which sheds periodically as they grow. The shedding and recreating outer skeleton is called molting. Every part of their body regenerates except the Gills which are left alone. Hermit crabs are classified into two groups, aquatic hermit crabs and land hermit crabs. Land hermit crabs becomes pet land hermit crabs which are also called soldier hermit crabs, purple clawed hermit crabs and tree hermit crabs.

Taking care of your hermit crabs is the most essential need for their growth. Giving bath to your hermit crab minimum once in a week is an essential part of the hermit crab care. You would require placing your hermit crab into fresh water tank where they will wash themselves. After the bath is done, hermit crab should be dried appropriately. Hermit crab is not a choosy animal for feeding. They eat variety of food which includes vegetables like carrot, squash, potatoes, lettuce and fruits like grapes, figs, apples, raisins and bananas.

They also eat meat, small fish, peanut butter, chicken, turkey, honey, leaf litter, dog foods as well as cat foods too. You would have to dice or sliced their feeds so that they don’t have any problem eating them. Also, it is important to provide them salt and fresh water. The best thing about hermit crab is that they are not picky about their food in this way, the owner won’t have to spend big amount for hermit crabs and care about their feeding that much.

Shells are an integral part in the life of hermit crabs and care it appropriately for their better growth. You would require providing them several shells of various sizes so that they can live in their desired shell. Hermit crabs have tendency of fighting over shells of their likeness so it is necessary for you to provide them good quantity of shells so that no conflicts occur between hermit crabs.

Maintenance of humidity and temperature also plays a vital role in growth of hermit crab and care accordingly so that they stay comfortable in their provided habitat. The temperature requirement of hermit crabs is around 75F to 80F. Fluctuation in temperature could harm hermit crabs health severely.

Hermit crabs make wonderful pet as they fall under coenobitical family. Hermit crabs have hard exoskeleton and 10 feet. Hermit crabs live in the borrowed shell of sea snails most of the time. Direct sunrays can kill hermit crabs and care is required by the owner to look for a place where direct sunlight is unreachable. Hermit crab generally sleeps under the sand so that they can avoid direct contact of sun. Hermit crabs stay happier by living in groups.

Even though they are living in captivity, hermit crabs are an adorable pet to have as they live together. They don’t get exaggerated when their owner holds them on their palms. They are a friendly pet and wont move neither twitch.  It is extremely hard for the owner to know when the particular breed of hermit crabs breeds are molting. Generally, they will begin to act strangely and look different as well.  Three signs of molting process have been acknowledged which are:

  1. Hermit crab’s eyes begins to get cloudy
  2. Hermit crabs starts to dig more than usual.
  3. They may start to consume more water and food than normal.

Calcium is an integral part in food of hermit crabs and care will result in substantial growth at significant pace. During the process of molting, hermit crabs sheds their exoskeleton and regenerates new one in which calcium is utilized. Try to provide them food which has high level of calcium in them so that they stay healthy even after molting and no risk of life occurs. By keeping in mind these important information regarding hermit crabs and care, you can ensure your pet have a long life.


Hermit Crab Shells

Hermit crabs are beautiful creatures to have as a pet. Their interesting characteristics make them an adorable pet to have. Hermit crabs don’t require much maintenance which pet owners love; they are not finicky regarding their feed. The most fascinating feature hermit crab has is the acquiring of shell from a death sea snail and living in them. They employ shells as a defensive armor for their soft body parts.

Hermit crabs are very interesting creature to handle. The personality varies form one hermit crab to another as some loves to be vibrant and explore while others prefers to stay in their shell more often. The preference of shells varies plenty amongst the different species of the hermit crabs. Some hermit crabs prefers to change their shell more often like fashion conscious do with changing dress, while others adjust with their old shell and only changes when it is uncomfortable for them to live in. Generally, hermit crab changes its shell when it becomes too small for their living.

Hermit crabs go through the process of molting which is shredding of their exoskeleton. Molting is the process in which they reproduce their body parts and cure those parts which are damaged or broken as well. During the process of molting, hermit crabs don’t changes their shell even after the process has ended too. When taking hermit crab as a pet, it is necessary for the owner to ensure that they have provided a big quantity of hermit crab shells in various sizes as well in the aquarium so that hermit crabs can select to their liking. Hermit crab shells are often the reason behind the conflict between two hermit crabs as both want to live in one shell. The owner of the pet should make sure that there are plenty of hermit crab shells available in the aquarium so that no clash happens.

Hermit crab shells are easily accessible in the market. Pet stores have abundant variety of shells to choose from. The only problem arises is selecting the correct ones. Hermit crabs owners should realize that they can’t force their pet to live in their chosen shell. They should provide several hermit crab shells varying in all sizes so that hermit crab can choose their preferred shell. They should have the freedom of discarding their old shell and get a new one whenever they want.

With the time of growth, hermit crab changes their shells. The size of opening shell is extremely important for the hermit crabs as they should get fit in appropriately. The simple way in which owner can make things suitable is to provide different sized shells in the surrounding so that hermit crabs can make their own choice. Snail shells are the most preferred hermit crab shells. They come in different sizes as well as in different shapes too like oval, mere slit, D-shaped or round shaped. Making own preference is the best possible option you can give to your hermit crab.

Also, make sure you supply same type of shell to your hermit crab which is currently being used by them. May be, hermit crab shells will stick to their old preferred pattern in the future. You can also choose shell based on aesthetic preferences as you may want your hermit crab aquarium colorful and pretty. When purchasing new hermit crab shells, never compromise on their quality as it can backfire on you later on. Don’t select those shells which have holes or cracks on them as it will make your hermit crab lose moisture.

Hermit crab shells are available on pet stores as well as on internet. When you purchase new shells, make sure you boil them around five minutes before placing them into the aquarium. Try not to get painted hermit crab shells as they can be harmful for your pet. Sea snail shell is the most liked shell amongst hermit crabs.


How to Clean a Hermit Crabs Aquarium

Hermit crabs are termed as a low-maintenance companion to have. However, the owners of hermit crabs often commit mistake indulging low fuss with no fuss. Make sure you take care of your hermit crab’s overall health by providing good feed and clean habitat for proper growth.

Hermit crabs are a wonderful pet to have because of their friendliness in nature, intelligence, clean and odor free. Hermit crabs lives on land as well and utilize an empty shell of sea snail to make it their portable home for living. Keeping hermit crabs in an aquarium is appropriate. Hermit crabs can be housed in an aquarium holding capacity of 10 gallon and having sand of around 3-4 inches underneath. Hermit crabs natural habitat is wild but they can also live in an aquarium having appropriate substrates to match their natural habitat.

Cleanliness is the most important factor which should not be overlooked by the pet owner. When keeping hermit crab in an aquarium, you would require cleaning it once in a week so that your pet doesn’t get any disease. Regular cleaning will help you in keeping your hermit crab at top most health. By cleaning the aquarium on regular basis, you will promote pleasant and safe environment for the hermit crab to live in. It is necessary for the owner to know how to clean a hermit crabs aquarium so that they can fulfill the task efficiently.

By knowing the procedure of how to clean a hermit crabs aquarium will help you eradicates all the possibilities of germs attacking your pet and you will be able to spot any waste and debris in the aquarium. You must know when to change the de-chlorinated water provided to your hermit crab in dish and salt water dish as well. Wash their food as well. It is also essential to change the old substrate of aquarium once in a month. By doing this, you would reduce the chances of observing flies, insects and gnats trapped in the enclosure. When performing cleaning, take out aquarium accessories first and put the hermit crab at a safe place.

Don’t use soap or chemical detergents for washing the aquarium. Hermit crabs are delicate creatures and using soap and chemicals for cleaning can harm them. It is recommended to use water and vinegar for washing the aquarium. If there are empty shells and toys in the aquarium, boil them for about five minutes so that you get rid of contagion on them. Do rinse the aquarium thoroughly. If it is possible for you, try to change the old substrates with new ones. If you cannot afford new substrates, then thoroughly rinse them.

When you are done with cleaning the aquarium, be patient and don’t place the hermit crab instantly into the aquarium. Make sure the humidity and the temperature of the aquarium is stable for the hermit crab primarily. When it is stable, then put your precious small hermit crab pet inside. The normal temperature level should be around 70F to 80F.

Hermit crabs do require a lot of time and effort from the owner for caring. How to clean a hermit crabs aquarium is not a hard task to follow but surely, owner would need to follow some steps to ensure safety and healthiness for their little beloved pet. Hermit crab is an exotic pet to have. Cleanliness is the most important criteria to look for before taking them as a pet. They are extremely friendly creature to be with. By obtaining all the necessary information regarding how to clean a hermit crabs aquarium will enable the owner to provide a clean environment to their hermit crab in which they can grow and nurture accordingly.

Keep in mind that in spite of their size and the fact that the huge difference between them and other pets is that they may not be as jolly as dogs or cats can be. Land hermit crabs require special attention, appropriate care and protection. It is you who can give your pet a healthy and happy life by not ignoring them. Through following above mentioned steps, it will be easy for you to understand how to clean a hermit crabs aquarium efficiently.


Pet Land Hermit Crabs

Land Hermit Crabs are good to be kept as pet, but they require special care. The strict controls of the temperature and humidity are a must. So it becomes a necessity to have information about hermit crabs in general, land hermit crabs and some key information of the species before you get yourself one as a pet.

The Caribbean hermit crabs are generally the pet land hermit crabs. These are more commonly known as Purple Pinchers and can live for around 30 years or a few more years. They like a condition where the relative humidity is between 70 to 80 percent and the temperature is around 24 degree on the Celsius scale. Apart from these, for the maintenance of a good health they need good lighting, clean air, good diet, chorine free water and sea water.

About the Hermit Crab Shells

The bodies of the hermit crabs are fragile and for this reason they use marine snail shells as their homes. The shell is as important as food for a hermit crab. The size of the shell needed varies with time as they grow.

When it comes to providing the crabs shells, they must have options so that they can get the one they find most suitable. The size of the shells should be of the current size, a little bit large and a little bit small. The hermit crabs are more likely to choose the shells which are smooth from inside. In case the choices provided are not good in number and does not suit the need, there can be a fight for acquiring a shell already being worn. This fight can be death leading as the crab wearing a shell would prefer to die fighting than to abandon it. So a wide range of shells is to be provided. Moreover, only the shell knows which size would be fit for it as the abdomen is shaped by the previous shell.

For long period of survival, they also require three other important things which are social interaction, an environment for molting and high relative humidity. A short description of these would be beneficial here.

Social needs

Hermit crabs are social animals. They live in groups where the number can be even more than 100. In the wild, they would hardly be found as alone. They use chirping sound called stridulation for communicating with one another at times. They can be easily stressed if kept alone and the resulting effect is serious on their health.

High relative humidity

The hermit crabs breathe using gills and not lungs. If the relative humidity is low, they find it very difficult to breathe and serious damage can occur to their gills. Duration of one hour with humidity is generally present in the household i.e. around 50 percent is not bad, but it can be bad if this is continued for longer durations. To avoid this one, you can try frequent misting with a spray.

Molting

Molting is one process that directly affects the growth of a hermit crab. For a hermit crab this process is in fact a test of its health, and one can find if it is being given a good environment for its survival or not. This also includes the food it eats. Molting is arduous, dangerous and lethal for a crab.

If you are considering to pet land hermit crab, then you have to provide a condition where it can molt properly. The substrate of the tank has to be a material which can be moistened and packed. This is essential as a hermit crab molts in a dark cave. You also need to be careful about the thickness of the substrate. It should be at least two times as deep as the largest crab you have.

Now there are some important things to know. A hermit crab which is to begin the process of molting may appear lifeless and may also go limp. It is advised not to consider them dead until they start smelling fishy. Another thing is not to dig up a hermit crab which has got it buried under the substrate. This can be fatal and lead to disruption of the molting process.


What do Hermit Crabs eat?

The Hermit crabs are omnivores and eat foods of plant and animal matter. But they like to eat with a lot of change in the food. It is not to be worried as there are a number of online specialty stores which provide a lot of fresh and different foods.

If you want to feed them a natural diet, you may require a lot of variety. One can get these from retail sites which sell organic foods in small amounts for your convenience. So you do not have to worry about buying different foods in great quantity.

It is not difficult to find a list stating what to feed and what not to feed. The hermit crabs eagerly consume worm castings. You should be aware of not feeding them pesticides and repellents and toxic items. Also some seasoned foods like cinnamon, garlic, lemon, table salt, rosemary etc should not be fed.

Even when you are considering the commercial food, you need to be cautious. Some of them contain exthoxyquin and copper sulphate. Both of these are harmful. These are not labeled on the commercial food container, so some knowledge is required here as to what food items can probably contain these.

You can leave the dry food for a couple of days in the tank. If the food is fresh, it should be put in at night and taken away in the morning. This reduces the chances of attraction of biting mites. Also put the food at different locations of the tank, this may include elevated portions of the tank as well.

As far as the fresh foods are concerned, they can also be fed outside the tank. For this, you need to put some sand in a plastic container of appropriate size and put the food and the crab there in the tank. This method is good particularly when you are feeding chicken bones containing some meat. The marrow and the meat both would be liked by the hermit crab.

A crab likes variety in the food stuff. Possibly, the changes you make in your diet can well be the same for the crab. This would be a treat for the crab. In the form of supplements commercial foods suit the best. But at the same time you can have cricket or meal worms from a local pet store in the form of organic supplements. Frozen items preferred are blood worms, planktons and others.

Reach the bird section at a pet store near you. You can find more options there for feeding your pet crab. The hermit crabs like the bones of cuttlefish in the same way as the birds do. Bird seed is something which can be used as another supplement for the crab.

Other items to be mentioned include dry cereals, coconut, shredded lettuce, apples, bananas, mango, cooked potatoes and grapes without skin.

Now when you are done with the decision on the food stuff to feed the hermit crab, you must know how to feed them. Food must be in small sizes that the small crab can easily get a hold on it and consume it. Less savory and more sweet, this is what they like to eat. They really love munching this kind of food and do not deny them of this delight. Considering this one can think of bringing in baby food as a good option for their food.

Anything which is fruity can be a food option for the crab. Little amounts of food should be given to them either with a spoon or with hands in suitable sizes. The above mentioned food items are what the crab loves to eat and also stays healthy with the same. Another thing which requires good amount of attention is water. The hermit crabs have the capability to sustain their lives without water for months but do not keep them longing for it. This can be bad for their health. Ensure to have two bowls of water. One should be with clean water and the other with salty water.

After you are done with this much of the arrangement, the pet hermit crab you have bought is going to have a smooth health and happy life to live.


Species of Hermit Crabs

Hermit crabs are ten legged crustaceans and belong to the Paguroidea super family. The name suggests there relation with the crabs, but it is not exactly so. These crustaceans are commonly seen in tide pools and other intertidal zones.

If we talk about the anatomy, then most of them have soft and long abdomens. These have a protection in the form of seashell. This is what they carry on their back, can contain them in it completely and hence helps them protect from the predators. These shells are generally taken from other creatures, the sea snails. This shelter is temporary as the hermit crab has to abandon it as it grows in size and has to look for another bigger shell. The crustacean has been given the name ‘hermit crab’ because of its habit of living in second hand shell.

There are over five hundred species of hermit crabs known so far. Of these most are aquatic livings in ocean salt water with varying depths. There is terrestrial category of this creature which belongs to the tropical areas of earth.

Different regions of the earth have different species of hermit crabs and different number of the categories. In the United States, only a few species are available. Japan is known to have only two local species and the other pet hermit crabs are brought from other nations. Whereas in Australia, the popular category being the C. variabili and C. perlatus.

Some Hermit Crab Species

There is always the requirement of knowledge of the pet you want to keep. There are numerous species of the hermit crabs in the wild. Apart from that, the below given list has some information about some of the common species of hermit crabs which can be found easily in the pet stores.

  • Coenobita brevimanus.
    This species of the hermit crabs originate from the east coast of Africa and also from the south western Pacific Ocean coast. It is second biggest in the Coenobitidae family after the Birgus latro family. The body has eyes like spheres with dark stalks. The exoskeleton is brown or dark purple.

 

  • Coenobita cavipes.
    This species of the hermit crabs find their native place in Asian countries and the east part of Africa. These prefer to live in the forests and to the beach shore when they have their mating time. Compared to other hermit crabs, they molt frequently and like eating fruits. The color of their body is brown or orange.

 

  • . Coenobita compressus.
    This is another species of the hermit crab which you can easily locate at a pet store. Also referred to as The Pacific Hermit Crab or the Ecuadorian Hermit Crab, this species of the hermit crabs is the one which is smallest among all their species. Their maximum size is around 12 mm. They can walk very fast and have all the chances of escape. They are found in colors orange, yellow or dark grey.

 

  • Coenobita clypeatus.
    This category has a life of around 30 to 40 years. Popularly known as Carribean Hermit Crab, purple pincher, tree crab or the soldier crab, it lives in the Carribean Sea and is also found in Venezuela, Florida and a few other places. If you are considering hermit crab as a pet option, then it is the most common species.

 

  • Coenobita rugosus.
    These are also known as ruggie and flourished along the east African, Australian, and the south western Pacific coasts. They make sound like the chirping of the birds when they are frightened. This sound is the result of their pincer being rubbed to the shell. They have different colors pertaining to different diets they have. The common colors of this species are black, tan, brown, green pink or white.

 

  • Coenobita perlatus.
    Also known as Strawberry Hermit Crabs, these are found in Australia and can be located in the United States as well. The name is so as they have small white spots on red color, like strawberries. They are generally pale red, white or pale orange when young. When they turn adult, they develop the bright red color. They have more life when kept as pet compared to their life in the wild.

Hermit Crab Breeding

If you are thinking of breeding a hermit crab, think again. It is not that easy to breed it. You have to make sure that you have both of the male and female in the cage. These creatures are really shy.

There are other things also which add to the problems. Say the female crab lays eggs in the sand. As soon as the eggs hatch the creatures take little time to move quickly to the ocean.

Be prepared to have many eggs. Even if the crab pair is not in the wild, the number of eggs laid by the female is not reduced. This number depends on the capacity of the lady crab. You have to keep in mind that this is a part of the plankton mass in the ocean and you need to be dedicated enough and try to provide special conditions for their proper care.

A step by step procedure can help you understand the necessary arrangements to be made and the considerations to be taken into account.

First step

The first step is the establishment of a saltwater tank. The tank need not necessarily be inside; it can be outside as well. The outdoor location is preferred over the indoor one according to the experts.

Second step

This step involves creation of waves. A device which can produce waves like that of an ocean is required. Hermit crabs like the waves very much. According to the zoologists, this set up even helps in the breeding process of the hermit crabs.

For wave creation, there are a plenty of good machines available. This can be done over the internet or at a local pet store. Sea Swirl Aquarium Wavemakers is one such good brand available in the market. It is cheap as well. But there is always a possibility of a better find, so try to locate a good one, if possible.

Third step

Adding to the environment you are setting up for the hermit crabs erect moonlight bulbs around the tank. This is a great help in the breeding process and the hermit crabs especially breed during the night time. 

These bulbs are easily available at a local store or over the internet. They cost around $15 or less.

Fourth step

This step is a real tough one as you have to ensure the presence of the male and female in this. When your purpose is to breed the hermit crabs, you might need to buy them specifically for the need. A local pet store is good enough to serve the purpose. Make it clear to the store person why exactly you are buying the pair of the hermit crabs.

Fifth step

Maintain the temperature of the salt water tank at around 72 to 80 degrees. This temperature helps the hermit crabs to grow stronger and in the absence of such conditions they may become ill or weak.

Sixth Step

How do you achieve this?  Keep the water salty just like ocean, air has to be clean, temperature the right one and the appropriately full lighting. The crabs must also get a healthy diet. Give them some supplement containing calcium. If the crab is healthy, it is more likely to mate compared to the one with health not in the right condition.

Seventh Step

You will require a good quantity of brine shrimp for the larvae.

Bring the pair together. It is up to the Mother Nature now. Allow the pair to remain together for several weeks, say three weeks or so. You would love to see them during the period they mate. They seem like dancing and it is a great watch for everyone.

When the pair is attempting the mating process, they are actually going through some specific activities. Once they become normal again you can part them.

This is the time when the pair requires some extra amount of calcium in the form of supplements. Feed them properly as you would normally.

The time taken for the babies to come is a month or a few more days, if your attempt to breed them properly is successful. Ahead lies your responsibility of buying some tiny shells for the babies. When these start migrating to the land, they are in mm of sizes. The shells you have bought need to be accordingly of the same size.

Internet is a good option for this again like earlier. While buying them from a local store, consult the person there. Somebody who has knowledge is this field would be a good person to look for.

Help the babies safely get into their shells. This does not complete the process. Your next aim is the raising of these young hermit crabs.


The Healthy Hermit Crab Diet

When it comes to the eating habits of the hermit crab, it is an enjoyable experience for sure. If you love eating variety of foods then it is even easier for you to feed the crabs. Most people think that the hermit crabs have limited choices as far as feeding is concerned.

This is not at all difficult if you put some brain effort into it. If you straight away go inside a pet store you get to choose from a variety of food options available for the hermit crabs.

Provide Your Crab with Variety

If you consider your eating habits, then repetition of foods every single day would take away your eating mood. The same is the case with the hermit crabs. Feed the crabs with two to three food types each day.

The containers saying they are best for your hermit crab may not be the best. The best is what is liked by your crab. Sometimes the ingredients of the food can even be dangerous for your hermit crab. In this list comes ethoxyguin and copper sulphate, so avoid food with these ingredients for the hermit crab.

These are more commonly used as pesticides and one must feel uncomfortable having this information. It’s your choice for this, but staying away from such food stuff is better.

If you are really keen on feeding your crab suitably, then give it what you eat. This would be a special treat for it. The commercial food can serve the purpose of the supplements. There are other ways also you can choose for supplementing the crabs’ food. You can go for meal worms, cricket from the local pet store. This type of food change would certainly be loved by the hermit crabs. Other frozen food items for the hermit crabs can be krill, blood worms and planktons.

The bird section in the local pet store is also there to provide more feeding options for the hermit crabs. There is not much relation between the birds and the hermit crabs but crushed bones of cuttlefish are liked by the hermit crabs just like the birds.

You can possibly find packages of fruits, dried nuts etc in the bird section. Do seek the same for you little hermit crabs as they will be happy to see a food change of this form. Another option for a supplement is the bird seed.

Apart from these items, the hermit crab would like to eat:

  • Grapes without skin
  • Cereals in dried form, bread
  • Apples, banana, coconut, diced pears
  • Shredded spinach
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Cooked and cool potatoes

Put the food in sizes suitable for them to grab so that they can easily consume it. If you do not get a good grip on what you like the most to eat, you can understand how it feels.

Your hermit crab has sweet tooth too. They love to munch food which  is sweeter and less savory. Do not deny the hermit of this pleasure as it really enjoys this stuff. This fact brings in the option of the baby food which is sweet and has good nutrient content also.

You can also try these flavors:

  • Bananas and Apples
  • Apple sauce
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Pears and Apples
  • Fruit medley
  • Papaya Fruit Dessert
  • Mango Fruit Dessert
  • Sweet Corn Casserole
  • Chiquita Bananas

You can feed your hermit crab with anything that is fruity and need not limit yourself to the mentioned list.

You can feed them in little amounts in their dish with spoon or your hands. These are things the crab would love to have and also stay healthy having these. Another important part is water. The hermit crabs can live without water for months but you don’t want to keep them in captivity. Try to keep two bowls of water- one of fresh water and the other one salty like that of ocean. This is something which would keep it healthy.


Making the Hermit Crab Cage a Home

You might need to put some thoughts regarding the accommodation of a hermit crab. It does not require a detailed house like that of a dwarf hamster or guinea pig. The tank where it is kept is his residence and has to be made appealing to it in the best possible way. The crustacean being a tropical animal must be given some feel of the tropic, so that it finds itself comfortable in the tank.

Now this is a task requiring great attention and time devotion. Try to maintain a healthy environment for the hermit crab. This may seem difficult but with the methods described below it would look very simple, if followed properly.

Hermit crab loves a tropical environment. The tank where it is kept should be kept as it very nearly resembles a tropical environment.

Use a glass or plastic tank for your hermit crab. Remember that a hermit crab is a crustacean which is a Houdini of sorts. It is a master of escapes. So be sure to put a cover over its home and stop its escaping attempts.

The market is full of equipments and small plastic tanks marked as “hermit crab kits”. These can’t provide the level of comfort that your hermit crab requires.

Don’t buy a tank which can’t accommodate less than 10 gallons of water. If it is a bigger one it is better. You have to provide the hermit crab the space and some least accessories like a water and food bowl.

Covering the floor: Substrate

A substrate is like carpeting done for the hermit crab. For this purpose, an obvious choice is the sand. This is the thing a crab would live in the wild and it also gives him chances to burrow itself. This burrowing activity is one of the natural behaviors of the hermit crabs.

The sand you are choosing has to be analyzed properly by all means and if it is bought from a hardware store or a home improvement store, sterilize it by rinsing, drying and baking. It can be re-washed whenever you feel like doing so and in fact this task must be repeated at appropriate interval.

The other options for the substrate include bedding made of coconut fiber. This fiber feels much like soil. You can also consider crushed coral. Gravel and wood shavings should be avoided.

What should be the temperature for the crab tank?

The ideal temperature range to keep the crab happy is 72 to 80 degrees of temperature on the Fahrenheit scale. If the temperature goes below this, the crab can be stressed and can become weak also. This brings in more chances for it becoming sick.

It is fine if you yourself live in a tropical climate. If it is not so, you would probably require a heater to keep the families warm thus bringing them close to the tropic environment. Other possible combination includes heaters and lights together for providing the complete ambience.

Humidity

Just an appropriate temperature zone is not sufficient for the happy living of the hermit crab family. The humidity is also a consideration. The crabs are land animals but they breathe with the help of their gills. The humidity content of the air gives appropriate exchange of the oxygen for the crab. The humidity is also required for the new born hermit crabs. This humidity moistens their gills, thus helping in breathing. Dry air thereby causes suffocation for the crab.

This humidity should be between 70 and 80 percent. For maintaining the levels of humidity in the tank just give the crab its water dish. You can also keep in the dish a natural sea sponge. This helps in holding the water and provides greater surface area for evaporation to occur and hence adds to the humidity levels.

After doing this much of arrangement, you can be assured to keep Harriet the Hermit Crab happy and healthy and can enjoy the time with this creature.


The Basics of Caring For Your Crustacean

No matter the reason you brought a crustacean to your home but you have to be very friendly with this creature. And at most of the times, people are not sure as to what to do with this crustacean due to not knowing any Hermit Crab information .

The below mentioned things are a good guide for everyone who is into this business of keeping the hermit crabs. Even if you are a veteran, this refresher course can help you a lot in taking proper care of them.

Temperature

Your Harriet the hermit crab can stay fit and healthy only in a specific temperature zone which is 72 to 80 degrees in the Fahrenheit scale. The crab should not be exposed to temperatures lower than this. Temperatures below the above pointed one can even cause its death.

This does not mean that you can keep the creature exposed to heat for any duration of time. If it gets overheated, you can smell musty odor. There is also a discharge of brown fluid.

Humidity

The appropriate humidity is necessary for a hermit crab as they thrive in such good conditions. A humidity level of about 70 to 80 percent is the best suited to it. You should be aware enough to provide it a moist tropical feel.

For most of the people, this category of creatures is new and they do not understand the necessity of a substrate, with many not even knowing what a substrate actually mean in this context. This is something you put at the bottom of the tank. The crab you are keeping likes to burrow so be precise when deciding on this material.

There are many things one can opt for this from the local pet store. Among these, sand is widely used one.

The height of the substrate has to be good enough to be burrowed. The thickness should be so that the substrate is properly heated, which cannot be possible if it is too thick.

Other things to consider

Following the aforesaid points, you have got your pet in a suitable environment very similar to the tropic one. Now comes the time when you should give some thought to its food. In its most suitable wild conditions, it would feed on fallen fruits, decaying woods, plants and grasses.

Today not enough has been done on the name of research for their food habits, especially in conditions where they are held captive. But there are some obvious things like nutrients in the form of calcium. Others are carotene and some antioxidants.

In the absence of carotene, a crab fades in color after passing through the molting process. So to keep the color intact, you require feeding them with vegetables like corns and carrots.

So we can sum up this discussion as the best food for you is also the best for the hermit crab. But this must not include cheese, potato chips, boxed Marconi etc. Apart from these, you can feed the crab with meat and fish also to help maintain a great health for it.

These creatures also like to eat tree bark and oak leaves. These have to be rinsed properly and dried before being given as food. The crabs like to crunch this kind of food.

There are commercial foods available for the crab in the market. But you need not rely on them as the most natural food for them comes in the form of vegetables, fish, fruits and meat. Also when you give the crustacean this food, you are at least aware of the freshness which is not the case with the commercially available food.

 So in a short time you are now able to provide your hermit crab a good place to live and healthy diet to eat. This is not all that you have to know, you would get to know their likes and dislikes slowly as you turn veteran. But these are the basics to be followed without which your crustacean has no chance to survive.