Soon to own Hermit Crabs?

Question

I am getting some hermit crabs soon and I was wondering if there are any things I should know.

Answer 1

Always wash your hands. They can carry diseases. Other than that, they are a very easy to care for pet. Make sure they have some source of water! I hope you enjoy them!

Answer 2

when i was little i used to have a lot of hermit crabs. something that they love not only because they can climb easily on it but also because if u soak it with water it is a good source for them to drink from is sea sponges. mine liked peanut butter....also they have special food for them u can buy. always keep a shell a little bit bigger than them in the aquarium with them because when they get too big for thiers they leave the shell in search for a new one. and if they r out of the shell too long they will die. it is a good idea to keep a variety of shells for them in reach. also when holding them keep ur palm flat so when they walk they dont pinch ur hand. :) hope it helps. and congrats on ur new pets.

ash

Answer 3

Most people who have them use sand or gravel. I have peat moss in my terrarium. It was gifted to me about six weeks ago. They are curious little creatures. They burrow down through the peat and stay from an hour to a day or better. They love to climb.

Make sure that you have both sea water and fresh water. Purchase a box of sea salt to make the sea water. Then put a piece of rough sea sponge in the container with the salt. I have one that changes shells several times a day. After he gets done changing for the day he tries to bury the extras (eight shells). The other one has never changed shells. There are plenty for him but he is content. The big one buried the food shell. It isn't hard to find in the peat. In a day or so there is a big patch of white/gray fuzz. Also they need to have high humidity. The sea sponge helps in that matter also. Mine are doing so well I hate to change them. They are in a ten gallon tank. I would like a 29 tall to build a habitat for them. I am thinking of adding some more residents. It is hard to find them as big as mine is. There is a great manual that they sell at the pet shops . The Hermit

Crab Handbook is a good one. I got mine from Ebay for $4. I started keeping my grandsons Hermit Crab when they moved to England. It died after a short bit. He came in a little plastic cage with a lid. He had a house and a little water dish with a palm tree. He shed and I unknowingly took the shell out. I should have left it in there. They eat it for extra calcium then you throw the remains away. He had gravel in his cage. I never saw him much until he left his shell. He done that once a few weeks earlier. That is when I bough the book.

Answer 4

They don't breed in captivity~bummer