Hermit crabs are naturally playful animals. However, you can't play with these animals like you would with a kitten. Make sure you provide all the things that can trigger and encourage hermit crabs to explore and play on their own. You can do this by providing a variety of toys and making sure your hermit crab is safe when exploring areas outside of its cage.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Creating a Friendly Environment for Play
Step 1. Prepare a tank of about 110 liters for two medium-sized hermit crabs
If your hermit crab is medium in size, provide a 110 liter tank or aquarium. However, if the hermit crab is very small, you can provide a tank starting at 38 liters and replace it with a larger one as the hermit crab grows. This tank size aims to ensure the hermit crabs have ample space to play.
A tough plastic or glass tank is important to maintain humidity as well as maintain a humid environment inside. Never try to keep hermit crabs in a cage made of wire
Step 2. Fill the bottom of the cage with 15 cm of sand
Hermit crabs like to dig and make holes in the sand. Provide a thick layer of sand. This layer of sand will help ensure that the hermit crab has plenty of room to dig and play in the sand.
- You can replace the sand with coconut coir or use a mixture of coconut coir and sand in a 50:50 ratio.
- Make sure the sand you use is dry and clean. You can buy sand at a pet store, use sand from a construction material store, or pick it up from the beach.
Step 3. Place two shallow containers of chlorine-free water in the cage
Hermit crabs should soak in the water every now and then. So, take two containers large enough for hermit crabs to fit in. Fill with enough water to the depth of the hermit crab shell. If the rim of the container is high enough, bury it in the sand and place a stone in it to make it easier for the hermit crab to get in and out of the container. Provide one container filled with fresh water and another container filled with salt water.
- Chlorine-free water is very important because chlorinated water is harmful to hermit crabs. You can remove the chlorine solution using a chlorine cleaning kit available at pet stores.
- Purchase saltwater from an aquarium store. Do not mix water with table salt as it is toxic to hermit crabs.
Step 4. Spread the hermit crab food in its cage as a stimulus
Instead of putting food in the same place every day, you can try spreading it around in the cage for hermit crabs to find it. Distributed food like this can be a fun game for hermit crabs! Spread the food in the cage randomly. You can also insert twigs or rocks so the hermit crabs climb up first to get to the food.
Hermit crabs can eat a variety of vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds. You can spread this food in the cage
Step 5. Clean the cage every day
Remove dirt and uneaten food daily to ensure the hermit crab's environment is clean. This way, it will be easier for hermit crabs to explore and play in the cage without being hindered by dirt or rotting food.
Method 2 of 3: Adding Toys in Hermit crab Cage
Step 1. Place a hiding place in the cage to provide a safe space
Hermit crabs sometimes like to hide in dark and closed places. A place like this makes them feel safe and can rest. To make sure your hermit crab can get into a place like this when it needs a break after playing, put some hiding spaces in the cage. This hiding place for example:
- Small box with holes on one or two sides.
- Tilted empty flower pot.
- Perforated wood or stone that can be purchased at a pet store.
- A ceramic castle or other artificial hiding place that can be purchased at a pet store.
Step 2. Lean a piece of driftwood against the side of the cage for climbing
Hermit crabs like to climb. So make sure to include one or more driftwood sticks. You can look for driftwood by the beach or buy a stick from a pet store.
- Driftwood is a good choice because hermit crabs usually live near the beach.
- Pet stores also stock fake driftwood for use in hermit crab cages.
Step 3. Put more than one hermit crab in the cage so it doesn't get lonely
Hermit crabs are social animals, although their English name, hermit crab, suggests otherwise. If possible keep a pair or several hermit crabs. If you only have one hermit crab, consider buying/finding another one to accompany it.
After getting a new hermit crab, cage it separately for a week first to ensure that it is healthy
Step 4. Provide several different sized empty shells for hermit crabs to grow
If the body size is too large for the shell, the hermit crab needs a new shell. Make sure you provide a few other shell options when the hermit crab is too big for the shell it's inhabiting.
It's also important to have plenty of shell options to keep your hermit crabs from fighting over each other
Method 3 of 3: Holding Hermit crabs
Step 1. Lift by holding the shell
In order for your hermit crab to play outside of its cage, you must lift it and move it to a safe place. Hold the shell tightly as you lift the hermit crab. Do not hold him because the hermit crab will likely pinch you. Hermit crabs will even hurt when you do this.
Remember that it's better not to hold it too often. Hermit crabs do not like to be held too often
Step 2. Carefully place the hermit crab on the ground
Never place hermit crabs on a table or chair when you are removing them from the cage. The hermit crab's sense of vision is not as good as that of a human's, so hermit crabs may not be able to determine which side of the table or other surface. This can make the hermit crab fall and hurt.
Step 3. Keep an eye on hermit crabs as they roam outside the cage
To keep your hermit crabs safe, make sure you always keep an eye on them while they are outside the cage. Prevent hermit crabs from crawling into tight spaces, descending stairs, or in other dangerous situations.
- Close the bedroom door so the hermit crabs don't come out if you are in the room.
- Do not leave it outside for more than an hour because hermit crabs have to eat, drink, sleep, and defecate.
Step 4. Do not remove the hermit crab from its shell or pull its body
Never pull a hermit crab out of its shell or anything it is holding onto. This can make one or more parts of his body detached. Even if the legs can grow again, the hermit crab will probably be too weak to survive.
Tips
Providing several water containers in the cage can also keep the humidity at the right level. The ideal humidity for hermit crabs should not be less than 70% at all times
Warning
- Keep your fingers away from the hermit crab's claws. Even if they seem familiar to you, your hermit crab may still pinch if it's frightened.
- Never paint the shell. The color may look beautiful, but the chemicals in the paint can kill your hermit crab.
