The hermit crab/hermit crab (which is affectionately called hermies) is a good pet. They may not be as cute and adorable as puppies, but they are fun to play with and will teach kids how to care for other living things. Follow these steps to build a crab habitat and raise your hermie.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Building a Crab Habitat
Step 1. Make sure you have a big enough tank
A tank of ten or twenty gallons (37-75 liters) is sufficient for 4 small hermits. A 20-40 gallon (75-148 liter) tank is sufficient for 12 small hermits or 4 large hermits. The hermit crab is a social creature and must have at least one crab to accompany it. A good place to live for your crabs should have moisture, but also fresh air. Fish tanks or reptile aquariums are perfect for use. You can even clean an old leaky tank from your shed and use it! It is even better to use an acrylic terrarium, as it retains moisture and warmth more easily
Step 2. Make sure the place where your hermie lives should have a moderate level of humidity
You can buy a hygrometer (humidity meter) and a thermometer. This will help you monitor and maintain optimal temperature and humidity levels between 75-85 degrees F (23-29 degrees C), and 75-75% humidity. Hermit crabs breathe through (hardened) gills, and cannot breathe properly if the air is not moist enough. The ideal humidity level is around 75%. Humidity levels of less than 70% will cause breathing difficulties, which can usually kill the crab slowly and painfully within weeks or months.
A good way to increase the humidity of your tank is to add natural moss to it. This increases humidity, and hermit crabs can eat it. Look for moss like Fluker's Reptile Moss at your local pet store. You can also use sponges, which you can get at pet stores too. But sponges get dirty easily and must be replaced every 2-3 weeks
Step 3. Make sure your tank temperature is right
Hermit crabs are tropical animals and prefer to live in hot temperatures. 75-85 degrees F (23-29 degrees C) is the right temperature. Diseases caused by temperatures that are too hot cannot be treated, and temperatures that are too low slow down the crab's metabolic processes. A tank heater specially made for hermit crabs is usually placed at the back of the tank and helps to moisten your tank. An unfavorable environment can cause your crab to become lethargic and lazy, lose legs and can cause death
Step 4. Purchase a substrate
Substrate is a layer of material that you place at the bottom of the tank. Granulated granulated sand is the ONLY sand you can use because other types can injure crabs, and beach sand or soil can contain harmful substances. Use dechlorinated salt water to wet the sand to make it look like beach sand. You can also use coconut fiber (commonly sold as Eco-Earth or Jungle Bedding). Place coconut fiber in the saltwater you use for your crabs to prevent mildew/mildew. Substrates that your crabs can't dig into, such as aquarium gravel (can't hold holes) or calcium sand (clumps and can smell bad) don't work as substrates. Your substrate should be at least 3-5 times the height of your largest crab, and should be made of a material that your crab can easily dig into and hold holes for stress relief, hiding and molting.
Many crabs like to bury and even molt in wet moss such as Fluker's Reptile Moss (no decorative moss or Spanish!)
Step 5. Make sure the substrate is kept clean
Dirty substrates can cause mildew which can be dangerous for your hermies. Replace every 6 months. However, you should check every month to make sure it isn't overgrown with moss, or infested with ants or fleas. If you find one, replace the substrate as soon as possible. It's especially good if you clean up any dirt or crab food that was dragged from its food bowl or buried. You only need to clean the substrate when your hermit crab is not molting. Never move a molting crab.
- If you want to do more, you can sterilize the sand substrate. Sand can be sterilized by placing it in the oven. Place the sand in the roasting pan (use it for this purpose only!) and place it in the oven. Set the temperature at 250 degrees (F), (120 degrees Celsius) and let it sit for about 2 hours.
- Every 2-3 weeks, boil all dishes and bowls used in your tank in dechlorinated salted water. Doing this will ensure that mildew and bacteria will not grow and harm your crab. Allow plates and bowls to cool before placing them back in your crab's habitat.
Step 6. Buy toys
The hermit crab is very climbing! In fact, in the wild, they will climb large rocks in low tide areas in search of food. They are commonly called "tree crabs" because they will climb trees to eat insects and plants. However, don't buy painted toys, paint can be harmful to crabs if inhaled. Examples of some toys that can be purchased are as follows:
- Climbing game. It's important that you provide something that can be climbed: choya logs or stumps will work. Choya is non-toxic, and has a hole in it for gripping. You can lean it against the end of your tank, don't put it too high or your crabs will climb out. Legos and hanging nets work as well.
- Natural toys: Natural rocks and seashells you find on the beach are great items to spread around crab habitats. Seashells can even be used for food. Be sure to boil them in boiling water to make them sterile before you put them in the tank.
- Plastic toys: Plastic plants made for reptiles are great for climbing and hiding places, remember to use your tank cover to keep the crabs from climbing out. Make sure they don't eat the plastic, and take it out if they do!
- Never use pine wood, pine can be irritating to crabs and can be toxic.
Step 7. Provide a hiding place for your hermie
Hermit crabs, like most other animals, want a place where they feel safe and a place to hide when they feel threatened. You can use half a coconut shell sold at pet stores for small crabs, or use broken pots, large shells, etc. Make sure the crab doesn't get caught, and if so, can dig it out.
Step 8. Put some live plants into your tank
Live plants can be a great addition to any tank. For example, plants such as bamboo (make sure it is real bamboo and not Dracaena Sanderia, which is commonly sold as “lucky bamboo), Venus Fly Trap plant (air plant) and spider plant can be used. Keep in mind – your crabs might eat them, so the plants might not grow.
Step 9. Provide water for your hermie
All hermit crab species must have both fresh and salt water. You must provide two bowls containing both water. Hermit crabs must have a balance of water within their skeleton; the bowl should be deep enough for water to enter the skeleton (C. Perlatus, or Strawberry Hermit Crab, should be able to submerge himself), but make sure they can get out. A good way to do this is to provide an inclined area filled with water, where one side is shallow and they can climb out, and one side is deep so they can dive. Place a rock around it so they can grip it. Plastic is too slippery and they will have a hard time climbing it.
- If you keep large and small crabs together, you can place small rocks or small natural rocks in the water bowl to make them deep enough for the large crabs, but the smaller crabs will not get caught in the water and drown.
- You can buy aquarium salt for marine fish (not freshwater fish) at most pet stores and this is very useful. Do not use salt for human food as the non-stick ingredients can be dangerous. Most hermit crab salt can turn into table salt. The premix hermit crab water doesn't have the right amount of salt. Use brands like Instant Ocean, Oceanic, etc.
Step 10. Make sure to remove the chlorine content of the water
Chlorine, chloramine, and other iron in tap water can kill hermit crabs by scalding the gills (resulting in difficulty breathing). Leaving the water on for 24 hours will remove the chlorine, but not the chloramine, so use a chlorine remover if you must use tap water. Zoom air conditioner is a good brand to use.
If you don't want to get rid of the chlorine in your tap water, you can use drinking water instead. But, make sure the water is not added anything. For example, Dasani water contains magnesium sulfate “as a flavour”, and that is very bad for crabs
Part 2 of 2: Keeping Your Crab
Step 1. There are several types of hermit crabs that you can buy
There are 6 types of hermit crabs sold in America. All of them belong to the Coenobita group. The Purple Pincher is the best choice for beginners as the others are more difficult and require more intense grooming.
The type that is easy to find is the Caribbean type (Coenobita clypeatus,) which is commonly called "PP" for the purple pincher, because of its very strong pinch. Wild Purple Pinchers can be found on the Caribbean islands. Usually, if you see hermit crabs in a store, they are mostly PP. Other types are Rugosus “Rug” or “Ruggy”(rugosus), Strawberry (perlatus), Equadorian or “E” (copressus), Cavipe or “Cav” (cavipes), Komurasaki “Viola” (violascens), Indonesian or “Indo” (brevimanus)
Step 2. Handle your hermie with care
Be patient if you just brought them home – they will need time to adjust to their new home. Leave them in the cage for a few days. When they are no longer hiding in their shells when you approach them, wait one more day and try to get hold of your hermit crab. Let him trace your hand and get used to you.
Once you bring them home, they will go through a period of “De-stressing” or de-stressing and this can take as little as a few days or a maximum of 2 months. During this time, change their food and water regularly and do not disturb them. Sometimes, even with the maximum effort of professional crab keepers, hermit crabs can experience “Post Purchase Stress” (P. P. S) which is severe stress after being purchased and dies
Step 3. Crabs molt frequently and need a new skeleton
If your crabs dig into the substrate for a few weeks, don't worry. As long as he doesn't smell like rotten fish, he's fine. Do not disturb your crabs during this time. He needs time to himself and if disturbed, the stress can kill him. Over time, the crab's exoskeleton will become slightly narrow, and like a snake shedding its skin, it will shed its skeleton and grow a little. Do not pick up the skeleton that was released from the crab. He will need to eat it to harden the new skeleton.
If your crab is sick, don't panic. Place it in a separate tank with enough substrate to dig in along with water and food. If the crab looks sick, it may shed its skin. This tank must have the humidity and temperature levels mentioned earlier
Step 4. Prepare the shell for your hermie
As hermit crabs grow, they will need a larger shell. It's important to keep a few extra shells as big as your crabs in the tank at all times. Once a month, swap unused shells for other shells.
- The Purple Pincher hermit crab prefers a shell with a rounded opening. They will prefer round holes to oval holes. The Ecuadorian Hermit Crab will prefer oval holes, as they have a flatter abdomen.
- Never buy a painted shell. Even though the company states that the paint is safe, it will peel off, and if a crab eats it, it can be toxic. Most hermit crabs, if they had a choice, would prefer a "natural" shell over a painted one, even if it wasn't the right size. See Warnings for information on what shells to avoid.
Step 5. Provide a steady and varied diet
The hermit crab will eat almost anything. Be wary of commercial foods, as they contain many preservatives, such as copper sulfate, which can harm your little hermit. Do not feed anything that is spicy, hot, or contains preservatives.
- Hermit crabs love fresh silver side fish and shrimp, dried krill, bloodworms, etc., and other seafood. You can usually buy these foods at your nearest grocery store.
- If you're cooking, set aside a piece of steak or chicken, unseasoned and lightly grilled for the crab. They also eat raw meat.
- If you have 20 crabs or more, try to get fish heads from the nearest fish market. Usually they will be happy to give it to you. You can put all your crabs in a large tank or a large Rubbermaid storage container, (clear, no lid, or cover with some VERY large holes) put the fish heads in, and let them eat them for a few hours. You shouldn't do this too often, as the smell is very strong, but your crabs will love you for it!
Step 6. Know what fruits and vegetables hermie likes
Besides meat, hermit crabs also like some fruits and vegetables, and used food. Remember to change their diet every morning or evening. Hermit crabs like to bury uneaten food, this can cause mildew and be very messy.
- Hermit crab likes fresh fruits like pineapple, apple, pear, grape, cantaloupe, watermelon, mango, papaya, strawberry, banana, etc. Wash your fruit thoroughly before cutting, to remove pesticides.
- Crabs really like shaved coconut.
- Hermit crabs will also eat natural peanut butter on whole wheat bread, undercooked eggs, eggshells (boiled), popcorn (unsalted or buttered).
Step 7. Play with your crab
Some Hermit crabs love attention. When they wake up, take them from the habitat with care. What do they like to do? Climb! Let them climb on your t-shirt while you watch television or let them exercise while climbing on your arm (like a crab treadmill). Make sure they don't fall over, and don't stay out too long because they need moisture. Falling from a height of 3 feet (1 meter) can be fatal for them, and the fear of falling is the number one reason they pinch you. Place them in a position where they don't fall over and they won't pinch.
Remember they need moisture. Home humidity is generally only 40% and even less with air conditioning and heat. When the crab's gills are exposed to low humidity it will feel similar to when humans hold their breath for very long
Step 8. Be aware that hermit crabs may pinch
While they usually pinch only when scared or threatened, they can also pinch for no reason, so be prepared. Blowing or spilling tap water on the crabs to release their grip can injure them and will likely make them grip longer and tighter. Be careful when handling them. You can prevent them from pinching and make a flat surface with your hands so the hermit crabs don't have enough skin to pinch.
Tips
- If your crab is pinching you, it's not because he's mean, but because he's afraid he's falling out of your hands or he's hungry. Put it back and wait before you take it back (make sure he has plenty of food). Don't punish your crab if it pinches, as some web pages say. They just do what their instincts tell them to do, and they won't understand.
- Try not to make loud noises or noises when handling them as this can cause stress.
- Adopt or buy crabs that are excited, not lethargic. A lethargic crab may be sick. However, some crabs can be stressed or shy, not sick.
- The smell of rotting fish can indicate a dead crab. However, before looking for it, look for other sources of odor. Did you feed seafood before? Even months later, there may still be food residue in the tank. Crabs love to bury food. This is the reason why you should change the substrate once a month or so (unless you see crabs burrowing into the sand).
- hermit crab can not breed without special tools. They must be in tropical weather especially in the sea to breed. So unless you have a 100 gallon (378 liter) tank to do this, you'll never see a zoea (newly hatched chick).
- You will find out when your crab dies. Pick him up and shake his legs. If it's stiff, your crab is just lazy. Otherwise, he is dead.
Warning
- Do not use soap to clean habitats or toys! Once the crabs and sand have been removed, use a spray of white vinegar and rinse thoroughly! Toys, shells (empty!), and choya wood should be boiled in salt water (to prevent mildew) to clean them and towel dried.
- If you intend to decorate with driftwood, wooden furniture or objects, or live plants, make sure you do your research! Many types of wood and plants are toxic to hermie, such as Lucky bamboo and evergreen trees.
- Do not drop your crabs, as this could result in injury and death.
- If exterminators visit your home on a regular basis, make sure they don't spray in the crab room. Place a towel under the door to prevent smoke from entering. Put them in the cupboard for a few days if possible. They are not insects, but pesticides can harm them. Be careful
- Crab is still crab. They can give a very painful pinch. Supervise and teach young children when handling crabs.
