# Considering Hermit Crabs



## PhilK (Dec 22, 2009)

So I have a pretty big tank for sale that has both land and water, but I'm not getting much interest. Saw hermit crabs in the store today, and while I have never been really interested in them as pets I am considering them for that tank.

Can anybody shed some light on what they're like as pets, and their care? I am of course doing other research but thought I would ask here as it's a good source of first hand advice.

Cheers
Phil


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## chickensnake (Dec 22, 2009)

LOL their pretty boring pets. Easiest thing to care for IMO, you would have to put ramp or some rocks so that they would be able to get out of the water (as your tank has a pretty deep drop off, i dont reckon they would be able to get out of the water). The hardest thing about them is getting a rigth size variety of shells for them to upgrade into when they grow


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## PhilK (Dec 22, 2009)

I've heard they also need salt water? How much?


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## chickensnake (Dec 22, 2009)

PhilK said:


> I've heard they also need salt water? How much?


 
Well i use to just put a few cm in a bowl for them and it needs to be like sea water so just get rock salt dissolve in a small amont of warm water then put in your crabs swimming water and taste to make sure its salte enough


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## miss_aimee (Dec 22, 2009)

Hmmm,well,your supposed to give them a salt-water bath once a week. Well,that's what they told us when we bought our pet ones,mannnyyy years ago. Ours have all died now. We would make up a salt water bath,and hold them by the shells and just run them through the water. But they're really boring pets, to be honest, and if one with big claws pinches you, it really hurts!


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## PhilK (Dec 22, 2009)

OK great, might duck down to the pet shop tomorrow to suss it out!


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## book (Dec 22, 2009)

A thread on Hermit Crab care ran a while back http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/other-animals-5363/hermit-crab-care-99602 which might be helpful to you. 
Personally I think the tank you have for sale is perfect for Water Skinks. They are my passion but not a lot of people keep them. I just don't have any more room at the moment for another tank of that size


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## Tsubakai (Dec 23, 2009)

They are communal animals so they do better in groups. The biggest mistake people make is not providing them deep enough substrate to burrow into so they don't dry out and die during ecdysis.


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## PhilK (Dec 23, 2009)

Oooh water skinks.. Might have a look at them and decide.

Are they expensive? How easy to come by?


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## Rainbow-Serpent (Dec 23, 2009)

They're really easy pets. 

All you need is to put freshwater in the water bit, and on the sand bit I usually put 3/4 dry sand and 1/4 slightly wet sand. 

The need a salt water bath once a week or so, but don't require any saltwater in the tank. All you really need is maybe a hide or two, lots of spare shells, freshwater, sand and of course the crabs. 

They eat fruit, mine liked apple, watermelon, strawberry, grapes, sultanas and banana. 

Really easy pets to care for, and once they're tame they are fun to hold.


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## PhilK (Dec 23, 2009)

Went out and got two hermit crabs today... paid a bit much in the store so I will be getting more off the Green Scorpion.

I have sorted out a salt bath for them, and I am currently making the water half of the tank less deadly should they fall in.

Haven't fed yet... how often should they be fed? Ideas on what to feed them? I didn't buy the pelleted hermit food as I don't like pelleted things from pet shops..


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## WombleHerp (Dec 23, 2009)

oh wow.. Phil you are dropping your standards in the pet world xD haha Just kidding 

In my opinion they are boring as hell. And majority of them die due to wrong substrate and or too hot/dry out etc.. 
Don't forget to provide UV!

Water skinks would have been a cooler idea  Now you've got me thinking about them.... hehe
Have fun with your boring crabs xD hahaha Phils got crabs.. I'll never let that one die 

Nat


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## imalizard (Dec 31, 2009)

Phil they are the best things! Many say that they are boring to keep but that's because they never have the right set up to keep them happy.:x

If you want your hermit crabs to live longer then 5 years follow my advice.

I think I have seen your tank before and its a good one for hermits. You need the substrate to be 3 times as deep as your biggest crab. The substrate can be either sand or peat bricks (soaked) or you can do a 50/50 mix. Make sure its moist all the way through and stays moist. If its not moist it cannot hold up the tunnels hermit crabs make underground.

The temperature can be kept between 25-28'C and they humidity 75-85%. If the temperature is too cold they will go underground in a type of dormancy. Keep the humidity up other wise you will suffocate them and permanent damage will occur to your crabs.

The diet must be varied and make sure you get all the food groups. The groups are animal proteins, plant proteins, seaweeds, fruits and vegetables, calcium and fats. The group at the start is most important and the last one least.

The water section you have is a bit large, can you take the divider out at all? If not fill it up with the substrate and use largish takeaway containers for the water. One needs to be fresh and one salt. Both need to be deep enough for them to be able to submerge. I would skip the salt bath idea as this can be very stressful for them and not needed. Allow them to decide when they want to take a bath in saltwater by providing them a dish of water. This is best for them.

When you first get your crabs they will wander around a bit and then go underground to de-stress as many petshops don't provide them with the right conditions. This may take a couple of weeks. If they come up and then go under again for a period of time this is them moulting. This is very stressful for them and this is where you get the most deaths.

Remember all hermit crabs are taken from the wild as only 1 or 2 people have ever breed hermit crabs.

Hopefully you enjoy your hermits crabs

Daniel

EDIT: forgot to add, dont ever use gravel as a substrate!


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## redbellybite (Dec 31, 2009)

I kept them many many many years ago ...before GOD was even on the scene ...I loved them ....


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## Costa (Dec 31, 2009)

herpsrule said:


> oh wow.. Phil you are dropping your standards in the pet world xD haha Just kidding
> 
> In my opinion they are boring as hell. And majority of them die due to wrong substrate and or too hot/dry out etc..
> Don't forget to provide UV!
> ...


 
lol
yeah boring as hell is right.
but they are easy to look after...


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## imalizard (Dec 31, 2009)

Costa said:


> lol
> yeah boring as hell is right.
> but they are easy to look after...


 
May I ask why you consider them boring? If you think they are easy you are not provided them the right care then. A good hour or so is needed each day to look after them, preparing food, cleaning etc. Maintaining the humidity and temperature is also a challenge.


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## bfg23 (Dec 31, 2009)

An hour or so each day? Is it really worth it?
I learnt my lesson with frogs, for a twenty dollar frog they take more time and looking after than the rest of my herps combined.

I used to have hermit crabs when I was little too, but they all died off after a while.


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## imalizard (Dec 31, 2009)

Is it really worth it? YES! Why would you ask is it really worth the time to look after another animal that YOU bought? If you didn't want to take the time to give them the right care why did you buy them? It will be that creature that you wanted when the novelty was high that suffers, not you. Yes they may do less then other animals but I'm sure they do more then snakes. Did you research your frogs before you bought them? When I wanted frogs I saw on many care sheets stating that frogs don't do much unless its feeding time. I also recall being told that they need a bit of time each day to look after them.

Its the same with any animal. When you get a bird you need to feed it, give it water, clean the cage etc. If you have a cat or a dog you need to do the same and even take the dog for a walk. This also takes time. So whats the difference?


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## Costa (Dec 31, 2009)

i dont have them anynore.
i used to have them as a kid.
by boring i mean they dont move much.
theyre not very active creatures.


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## Costa (Dec 31, 2009)

i know it takes time to care for them.
thats why when i got mty first dragon i knew what i was in for in terms of feeding and the like.


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## Andie (Dec 31, 2009)

Make sure they get protein and fibre in their diet. I feed mine on sinking fish pellets and museli. They seem happy enough to me. They also get carrot two days a week because I have read the keratin is good for them.

They like to climb so give them lots of ornaments etc to climb on.


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## spookadook (Jan 1, 2010)

keep an eye on them if you have more than one in a tank. I had a couple and one was murdered. Also make sure your lids and stuff are shut really well cos they do like to escape.


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## Tsubakai (Jan 4, 2010)

spookadook said:


> keep an eye on them if you have more than one in a tank. I had a couple and one was murdered. Also make sure your lids and stuff are shut really well cos they do like to escape.



They are communal animals so do better in bigger groups. Yours was probably killed due to shedding issues or in a fight over shells.


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## daine042 (Mar 2, 2010)

ive got 19 of the crabs and in large groups theyre pretty active the smaller ones love to climb and im always losing them in tree branches


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