# hermit crab care



## wiz-fiz (Jan 1, 2009)

OK, what are the things that you need to supply if you keeping them?
can you just tell me everything you know and what I need to supply for them so that they don't die?

Cheers,
Will


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## Wild_Storm (Jan 1, 2009)

I know NOTHING about Hermit Crabs... But I think you would need water in a dish (depth- fairly shallow???), substrate (small rocks like in a fish aquarium, an aquarium. Food is unknown, but suspect it could be fish, some vegetables, dried foods and maybe even a pellet form. All this I have seen in my local pet store every time I had walked past to get to the rats so I could feed my snake!!!

Oh and for some reason they have a lid on at the pet store... I don't know why!!


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## Dipcdame (Jan 1, 2009)

a tank, to start with............. we used shellgrit for the floor, dish of sea/salt water, somethig to climb up and something to hide under. For food, they are scavengers, and so will eat a few small scraps, but to maintain a decent diet for them wiht all the minerals and stuff that they need, you can buy special food for them.

Good luck, they're fascinating little creatures, and so funny at times.

OH, and you'll need an empty shell, one just a tad larger than the one it's in now, so it can grow into it. I once saw one suss an empty shell out for a while, and was lucky enough to be watching to see it wuickly grab the edges of the new shell, haul itself out of the old one and plonk it's back end in the new one. GROSS! it looked like an alien!!!!


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## wiz-fiz (Jan 1, 2009)

OK, I think I might just ask my local pet store cuase they have them.
thanks anyway.


Will


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## amy5189 (Jan 1, 2009)

Hey,

I shall describe my hermie crab set up for you. I have them in a glass fishtank with shell grit as the substrate. but you can get hermit crab sand that comes in pretty colours. then i hae a shallow corner dish for water, with pebbles in the bottom so the crabs can get out. then i have a shallow round dish for food. then i have a little hermie hut that you can get from pet shops. then i have a wooden ladder from a birdcage for them to climb on, which i threaded plastic aquarium plants through the rungs, so they can cling on. then ih ave a few spare shells scattered around.

I feed them fruit, nuts, crushed up wheatbix, dessicated coconut, popcorn, hermit crab pellets.

Um, thats about it. I will take a pic and post if you like. my description is pretty terrible.

Amy


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## amy5189 (Jan 1, 2009)

oh, and you could also get hermit crab salt, and give them a salt bath once a week. cuz they like that.


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## wiz-fiz (Jan 1, 2009)

I pic would be great, and with the hermit salt stuff can you just like, mix it with water and put it in a shallow dish? and what is "shallow" for a hermit crab? less than an inch?
thanks


Will


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## amy5189 (Jan 1, 2009)

There are the pics. My dishes are about an inch, maybe just under. but ive bunched the substrate up around the dishes so its kind of like a ramp. and like i said i put aquarium pebbles in the bottom of the water one, so the water is too deep and they don't get stuck in.

Yeah you mix the hermie salt with water, it tells you how much on the container. then i put that in a little tupperware container and take my hermies once a week and watch them run around.


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## wiz-fiz (Jan 1, 2009)

how big is your tank?


Will


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## amy5189 (Jan 1, 2009)

willia6 said:


> how big is your tank?
> 
> 
> Will


 
About 45cm long and 20cm wide. then 30cm high. and i have 2 little hermies in there.


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## wiz-fiz (Jan 1, 2009)

do myou mind if I copy your setup completly?


Will


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## amy5189 (Jan 1, 2009)

willia6 said:


> do myou mind if I copy your setup completly?
> 
> 
> Will


 
no not at all. i've found its worked quite good. ive had my hermies for exactly one year now. and they are still alive and kicking. 
maybe i should design hermie crab enclosures for a living.....


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## wiz-fiz (Jan 1, 2009)

I don't recon you should do it as a living, but as an on the side thing to make a little extra cash, like kids washing cars.
ohh, and thanks for letting me copy .

cheers,
will


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## Kirby (Jan 1, 2009)

keep them warm, they will love you for a 40watt lamp. 

a shallow salt water dish, and a shallow fresh. every week dunk them in salt water (hermit crab salt only)

feed them a varied diet. 

sands, sawdust shavings, etc. to burrow in. mist them when they are shedding (mostly burrowing for long perdiods of time) dotn disturb them.. they are real good handlers for stress reasons. 

they LOVE climbing, some will climb over 2 feet in the air soaking up warm rays... they come from the tropics remember.


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## amy5189 (Jan 1, 2009)

yeah i forgot about the warmth, depending on where you live. i live in brissie and right now its like 40000000 degrees so all of my animals are without heat sources at the moment. someone should invent an ice lamp..


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## wiz-fiz (Jan 1, 2009)

what temp(C) do they like?


Will


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## amy5189 (Jan 1, 2009)

willia6 said:


> what temp(C) do they like?
> 
> 
> Will


 
Well, I've never used any heat with mine cuz its always hot up here. but around 25 degrees upwards. if its really cold all the time they will die, but they are generally pretty hardy. so anywhere between 25 - 30 i would say.


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## Wrasse (Jan 1, 2009)

What pet shops don't tell you and most keepers don't know ( however Kirby clearly understands ) is that Hermit Crabs need to find a safe secure dark spot to hide in come shedding time. They are very vulnerable then to stress and attack from other hermit crabs in their enclosures so a good spot to hide is important.

My daughter was keeping hers on shallow substrate, such as you see in petshops, and they were dying regularly, so after a bit of online research she totally rebuilt their cage. She put in beach sand, to a depth of six inches, moistened it down often to keep the humidity up and allow them to dig holes that didn't cave in on them and stuck the whole lot on a heat cord to keep their temps about 30 in the sand. She has had the same 3 crabs for multiple years now. 

They like a variety of food and are scavengers. They love chop bones and chicken bones with meaty scraps still on them. But clean the food out often so it doesn't rot in there.

Don't stress when they dig themselves down in the sand and stay hidden for days at a time, it is quite normal for them and if you go digging them out, you may upset a shed cycle and cause them to stress to death.

Dig around online, there is some information out there about them. One lady has a pair she has kept for around 25 years !


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## Kirby (Jan 1, 2009)

Wrasse is onto it.. 

they can live up and over 50 yrs i beleive.. 

a lady came into the store the other day, hers was about 35. and larger then her fist. she had to buy a super large decorative shell from a jewlery shop (store display) as the were NO shells available anywere in Sydney that were large enough.


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## wiz-fiz (Jan 1, 2009)

where I live, gets snow about 1 time a year, and can get very cold. would I heat all he cage or just half, to create a hot/cool end?


WIll


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## wiz-fiz (Jan 1, 2009)

bump, am I impatatient or what!


Will


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## Wild_Storm (Jan 1, 2009)

As I said before I don't know anything about Crabs, but I would imagine that like snakes they can pick where they want to be if you give them a hot and cool end.


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## wiz-fiz (Jan 1, 2009)

OK, so three quarters isn't heted?


Will


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## Wild_Storm (Jan 1, 2009)

Heat will go a certain way along the tank, so it would more be 1/3 hot, 1/3 warm, 1/3 cool. But please not- I know NOTHING about crabs. It would also depend on how you heat the tank, and where the heat source is placed... In my snake enclosures I put it in one back corner.


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## wiz-fiz (Jan 1, 2009)

I will be heating with a heat pad on a thermostat set at about 27degreeesC


Will


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## Wild_Storm (Jan 1, 2009)

I don't know anything about heat pads. My friends don't use them for their snakes either... Sorry! Will the heat pad go along the whole length of the tank?


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## wiz-fiz (Jan 1, 2009)

If I get a big enough 1.


Will


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## Sarah24 (Jan 1, 2009)

My old set-up was in a tank with a mesh top (available if u want it), i used calci-grit for substrate coz its good for them, a water dish, food dish, and the pellets you can buy from your pet shop for food. Also provide a few extra shells coz they like to change sometimes. They are pretty sturdy so heating isn't absolutely essential but if you are in a cold area would be benefitial. I never used heating and they got along just fine but then again it's reasonably warm where i live.
Anyway, good luck with them!!


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## Sarah24 (Jan 1, 2009)

oh yeah...i forgot to add, like some people said, a dark hide is also something you need!


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## Kirby (Jan 1, 2009)

willia6

1.3 tank heated should be fine.. if its on a themrostat.. even a better but a very small mat on its own (of course common sense please) should be alright. 

on of the new ReptileOne heat mats 5 watt.. gets 125 F (50C) at its hottest, with indoor/outdoor carpet as a substrate. its only a very small area so my gecko's are fine. they sit on the log above it. which is at 95F (35C)

its VERY hot for such a small mat. but carpet under the pad (helps the table) and as a substrate, or between the pad and tank.. should be enough..


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## cootiesami (Jan 10, 2009)

Hi
I saw your recent discussions relating to the care of hermit crabs. I have been a successful hermit crab owner for 8 years. I started out with terrible information given out to me by a pet store and I have found that hermit crabs are alot more work to ensure they live a long and prosporous life. I had alot of hassles in my first year but once i set things up correctly i am happy to say i have not had a fatality in 6 years. 
I make all of my own food, I am careful about what i put in their tanks and ensure they have correct humidity and temperature. I even sell my food persons interested in the best nutrition for their crabs.
They should not be considered easy to care for animals because if you were a dedicated owner you would spend in excess of 2 hours a day caring for them. I am an active member on several hermit crab related sites which have plenty of information to ensure you give them the best chance at a happy life.
The sad fact is that tens of thousands are taken from the beach every week and many die because people dont understand how to care for them. Even your local pet store is quite oblivious to their needs. 
Sites i recommend you look at are
hermitcrabparadise.com (an Australian run hermit crab care site)
crabstreetjournal.com (an international organisation dedicated to the care of hermit crabs, many of the members are experts about the care of hermit crabs.
and finally a site dedicated to the basic needs of australian hermit crabs, this site is purely informational, 
the address is hermitcrabsaustralia.bravehost.com

any help needed pm me!
CHeers
Sam


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## wiz-fiz (Jan 13, 2009)

just read that hermit crabs don't ike painted shells, they refer unpainted 1's, it hurts there eyes or something.


Will


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## Wild_Storm (Jan 13, 2009)

Find that hard to believe... I haven't seen any shells in the local petstore that AREN'T painted!!


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## tgirl73 (Jan 25, 2009)

The reason painted shells are really bad for them is because the paint chips off them and the hermies are likely to eat it which in turn poisons them.. The paint can also soften with the temp and humidity in the tank and cause the hermit to become stuck in the shell :? As cute as the painted shells look, a dead hermie attached to it is not!


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## tgirl73 (Jan 25, 2009)

And just to give you an idea on what can be done for hermies.. This is my 40 gallon crabitat,
I managed to utilise the height and put in 5 different levels. 
Ground level has a waterfall, large saltwater bubbler pool, fresh water pool, one cocoshack and plenty of space for the hermies to scurry and bury along with their spare shells.

2nd level has two cocoshacks, food dishes, plants, cholla & shells.

3rd level has a cocoshack, more shells and plants. Between the 2nd & 3rd levels I have a small drinking coconut station! Hubby made all the coconut shacks for me so I took the top of one of them and suspended it in the jungle vines to form a drinking/sponge station to help not only with the humidity but to be there for the hermies who hang out on the top when they get thirsty!

There are jungle vines that go between all three levels as well as driftwood for easy access. 
Above level 3 is a ledge the hermies can retreat to and for the thrill seekers, there is a fifth and final level that comprises of a fishing net .


I have their uth and lights connected to a microclimate thermostat, I have a hygrometer and 2 temperature guages & NO painted shells :wink:

Already looking at upgrading to a 60 gallon which is going to have a rockpool and of course more hermies!


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## LauraM (Jan 25, 2009)

i remeer me and my sister both got one for our birthdays (right next to eachother) hers kept climbing up the plastic palm tree and out the air hole.. i remebr picking snales off the wall outside seeing it it was the hermit crab ( i was like 4 i didnt know the different between a hermitcrab and a snail shell gimme a break) there super easy to look after (but really really smell when they pass away) if you go to your local petshop you can just get everythign at once bam done!!


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## tgirl73 (Jan 25, 2009)

LauraM said:


> i remeer me and my sister both got one for our birthdays (right next to eachother) hers kept climbing up the plastic palm tree and out the air hole.. i remebr picking snales off the wall outside seeing it it was the hermit crab ( i was like 4 i didnt know the different between a hermitcrab and a snail shell gimme a break) there super easy to look after (but really really smell when they pass away) if you go to your local petshop you can just get everythign at once bam done!!


 
One very big misconception is hermit crabs are 'easy' to look after. They are alot of work! If you want them to live a long and healthy life then they are a lot of work, if you think they are disposable and easily replaced every few months then yes that would be easy


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## Rainbow-Serpent (Jan 25, 2009)

tgirl73 said:


> The reason painted shells are really bad for them is because the paint chips off them and the hermies are likely to eat it which in turn poisons them.. The paint can also soften with the temp and humidity in the tank and cause the hermit to become stuck in the shell :? As cute as the painted shells look, a dead hermie attached to it is not!


 Thanks for that tip, maybe thats why some of mine have died, all of mine are painted and the spare shells are painted, exept for one, and he seems to be the most friendly, sometime soon i'll have to pick up some normal shells! Ive been keeping hermies since I was very young (around 3 or 4, im 11 now) But all of them have died!:evil:
The painted shells probably have something to do with it then, thanks for telling me that!


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## Rainbow-Serpent (Jan 25, 2009)

Well Willia, I have 3 at the moment (picking up a Strawberry soon), I keep them in a enclosure around 1ft long by 20cm wide,it has a breathable top, and it cost me about $30, I have high calcium sand, a big water bowl, a food bowl, I usually feed them either oats or the Petcity Tropical feed, which has oats, sultanas and some other things, but sometimes I give them little pieces of diced fruit, (just to give them a balanced diet) 

Mine dont really go by a heat source, I have them under a lamp at light, but outside during the day, it usually just depends on the particular temp that day.
You have to replace the sand every few weeks, and replace the wet sand around the bowl once a week, you need to have about 4 spare shells depending on how many hermies you keep.

the sand needs to be 2-3cm deep, and it needs to have a hide, I didnt buy a hide for my hermies, instead I used a shell so massive that they can hide in it if they want to.
Also, you need to buy special hermit crab salt, get a tub (not the feeding or water one though!), fill it with water and add a pinch of salt and bathe them in it once a week.

I try to handle mine alot, but not during molting, I have 1 hermit crab in particular that is a fantastic handler, he doesnt clip at all, the other 2 are a little moody, but are starting to come around.

Im off to the petstore, right now actually, bye!


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## tgirl73 (Jan 25, 2009)

No worries Rainbow serpent, a lot of people have no idea about the painted shells, especially the pet shops, at the end of the day they dont care about the hermies health, all they want is the money!
There are a couple of other things I noticed with your hermies. Are you using an everyday desk lamp for their light? If so, this is harming them. Hermies require proper reptile globes, the normal house light globes are really bad for them, they are too drying, they zap any humidity out of the tank and they are very drying on the hermies themselves. 

Here a few more tips proper & correct care:

1.Our hermies here in Oz require a temp of 26-28c and the humidity needs to be 70-80% They require humidity in order to breathe through their gills, if there is no humidity in the tank then they suffocate. 

2.They require a nice soft substrate like sand, it needs to be at least twice as deep as the size of the hermie. DO NOT USE SHELL GRIT, WOOD SHAVINGS OR SAWDUST OR THAT AWFUL COLOURED SAND. you need nice natural sand. The shell grit they can not bury in and it actually scratches them, its like us trying to sleep on steel wool!
I have the sand 6 inches deep in my tank.

3.They need many shells to choose from.. at least 4-5 for each hermit. They shop for their shells like we do for clothes, they are very picky with their shells, so the more you have for them to choose from, the happier and healthier they will be.

4.DO NOT feed any of the commercial stuff they sell in pet shops. There are ingredients in these foods that harm the hermies, feed them fresh fruits, vegetables, tinned fish like tuna and sardines, chicken, bits of cooked meat, popcorn as a treat, peanut butter as a treat and honey! There are heaps and heaps of foods you can feed them.

5. They MUST have a salt water dish AND a fresh water dish available to them 24/7. DO NOT bath the hermies, put a salt water dish in there cage that is deep enough for them to submerge in if they want to. You can put some pebbles or sea sponges in the dish so the small hermies can crawl out if they fall in or if its too deep for them. Taking them out and bathing them yourself causes them alot of STRESS, if you supply them with a dish they will have a bath when they want to.

6. You must use a water conditioner in all the water you put in there cage. Any aquarium water conditioner that removes chlorine and chloramine from the water is fine. 

7. DO NOT ever dig up a crab, every so often the crab buries down underneath the sand and sheds his exoskeleton. This takes anywhere from a week upto 3 months depending on the size of the hermie! If you dig them up or disturb them they will die. This is very very important! 

8. Do not use Painted shells! 

There is so much more information on hermit crabs, the crab street journal forum and the hermit crab association forum are excellent and will give you the best advice you can find


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## wiz-fiz (Apr 23, 2009)

hey guys, would a 30cm(roughly) cube be big enough (if i gave it another level) to happily house hermit crabs?

chees,
will


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## imalizard (Apr 23, 2009)

That will no be big enough. What's the length and width of the tank?

A good tank to start with would be a 2ft or 3 ft. Just like fish, the bigger the tank, the easier it is!

That will provide enough room pools and bits and pieces while still allowing the crab to move about.

Is there a reason why you can't get a bigger tank? If it's money maybe getting hermit crabs isn't for you? To get the most out of your crabs and well setup tank will be good.

If you do get some, 90% of the time they will walk around for a day or 2 and then go underground...so you just have to wait.

Have a look around at garage sales and and on ebay for cheap prices. My hermit crab tank was setup for under $50 because I looked around for bargains.


Daniel


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## imalizard (Apr 23, 2009)

A very good site about the diet of hermit crabs. Hermit crabs need protein most!

Daniel


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## wiz-fiz (Apr 24, 2009)

ok so look around for bargains, and a 2/3 foot tank is good? ok got it,

cheers,
Will


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## wiz-fiz (Apr 24, 2009)

hey do you recon that these tanks stand the way in the photo, or the way a normal tank does?

http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages...ages=248016223,248017037&formats=0,0&format=0

cheers,
Will


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## wiz-fiz (Apr 24, 2009)

bumpidy

cheers,
Will


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## imalizard (Apr 24, 2009)

If you put the tank on the side it would be good. A second layer will be good to.


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