Hermit crabs?

Question

my friend gave me one of his hermit crabs and im not shur what to do with it what dose it eat and i need to no every thing else

Answer 1

Housing: There are many kinds of housing that are offered for hermit crabs, but the most suitable are glass aquariums or plastic critter keepers. The important thing to remember is that hermit crabs need about 70% humidity to breathe, so wire cages are not appropriate.

Substrate: Sand is a very suitable substrate, so that the crabs can burrow. Ideally, it should be about 2 inches deep. Mixing crushed shells or crushed coral sand with your sand ensures that the substrate will provide enough calcium and other micronutrients for your crabs.

Heat: Land hermit crabs come from warm environments and will die if kept at temperatures that are too cool. 72 to 82 degrees is considered ideal. Do not place your crab's cage in direct sunlight as this can lead to overheating. Likewise, don't place it too close to an air conditioning vent or it may experience temperatures that are much colder than the rest of the room. Low wattage light bulbs or reptile heat pads can be used to provide a heat source if your home tends to be cool.

Food/Water: Hermit crabs are scavengers in the wild. This means that they take the opportunity to eat whatever they can find. In captivity, your best bet is to provide a varied diet. A commercial crab diet makes a good primary food. At least once a week, you should offer your crab a little of each of the following food groups: raw fruits, raw leaf vegetables, cooked vegetables, and protein. Remove and discard all uneaten food daily to avoid spoilage. Water should be provided in a shallow container with a sponge. Hermit crabs need water to survive, but can drown if they are submerged in too much water. The sponge allows them to get the moisture that they need without too much depth of water. Be sure to use natural sea sponges and NEVER use the colorful, commercially made sponges because they are fixed with chemicals that can kill your crabs. Be sure to rinse your sponge and allow it to dry out thoroughly at least a couple of times a week (it helps if you have more than one to switch out) to avoid bacterial growth. Fresh water should be provided daily and you should mist your crabs at least once per day to ensure that they stay moist.

Cage Furnishings: Your crab will want something to hide in and something to climb on. Hermit crabs are excellent climbers and escape artists, so be sure not to place anything too close to the edge or high enough that your hermit crab can use it to get out. Coco huts, cholla sticks, and driftwood make great naturalistic cage furnishings.

Extra Shells: Hermit crabs use their shells for protection, to store water to keep the tail moistened, and occasionally to store extra food. They need to switch shells periodically, so provide several options per crab that are one size up from the current shell.

Molting: In order to grow, hermit crabs have to shed the old exoskeleton (the hard reddish to purple covering over their limbs). This is kind of like a snake shedding its skin. Typically, the crab will bury itself in the sand prior to molting. Don't be alarmed if you see the exoskeleton outside the opening of the crab's shell. It will eat the old skeleton to obtain calcium for growth, so do not remove it. Place your water dish as near the molting crab you can, as it will need extra moisture during this time. In about 10 days to a month, it will resume its normal activity. Hermit crabs regenerate lost limbs and eyes during molting. When a crab is molting, it should not have a fishy odor and you will likely see a very pink, soft hermit crab in the shell if you look in.

Crab behavior: Despite the name, hermit crabs are social creatures by nature, so you should house two or more together. It is good to vary the size so that there isn't competition for extra shells. By human standards, hermit crabs do not show affection, but they do learn to be relaxed in your presence with repeated handling. Hermit crabs generally will not pinch unless they are afraid of falling. Treat your crab with calmness and respect and you will find that your crab will become tame and comfortable with you.

Lifespan: Hermit crabs are reported to live up to 35 years and have been documented to live up to 25 years of captivity.

Answer 2

well i had hermit crabs it didnt work out for me but go to ur mall and go to Romancing The Stones they have hermit crabs and there is food tanks sand houses and ask an employee to help you!

Answer 3

first off congrats in getting an interesting and exotic pet.

now, you dont really want to keep a hermit crab by itself as they tend to live longer and healthier if they have tankmates, so if you could it would be a good investment to get another one. for 1 hermit crab a 5-10 gallon aquarium would work great, if you get the other one then a 10 - 15 gallon would work great.

they can eat a variety of foods, but pet stores usually have hermit crab food if you just ask. but they also eat coconuts, bannanas, apples, cucumbers, mangos, basically all the good tropical fruits and veggies.

you should have a 2 shallow water dishes and 1 food dish. fill one of the water dishes with freshwater, and the other you should put in just a little sea salt from a pet or aqaurium store. they dont NEED the saltwater, but it will make them happier.

you need lots of spare shells around the tank because crabs can molt, meaning they change out their old skin for a new one and get bigger, so they like to change shells and find a new one. You should keep moderate to moderately high humidity in the tank, and a temperature between 75 - 85 degrees.

anymore questions dont hesitate to ask