Hermit Crab Escape Artist

[big mick]

I wonder if you can get them in the UK (I notice you are all in the states).....Can you buy them a new shell? That would be cool if you could get them to move into a decoartive shell.

 

[wuvmybetta]

They'll probably grow more popular in the trade where you are. They're still a fairly new "craze" around here, too. We bought our first one when we went down to the coast. The gift shops down there have crabs everywhere Which isn't exactly a bad thing, but ya know, people buy them up because they're cheap and easy,so....

I read once that they did an experiment and put one empty shell with hundreds of crabs, this created a chain reaction of shell changes. One takes off his and puts on the new one, another puts on his old one and so on. Mine have all switched shells. We used to call them by their color,like the "blue one" "The white one" and so on, but now we have to identify them by their appearances since they all switch so much
Some may not change for a long time. It just depends on the crab. They grow quite large and I've read they live up to and beyond ten years!
Either way, new shells are always appreciated

 

[fishykisses]

They're so cute!
What's the tank requirements?

 

[soritan]

10 gallon tanks with at least 3 seems to be the general advice given. i read up on them quite a bit while flirting with the thought of getting one for my 5g tank. It's a shame I can't have one, I'm really quite taken with the little things.

*edit: Synirr, your blue guy is so great. I keep showing him to friends online and exclaiming, "Aren't hermit crabs awesome?" Everyone agrees they'd make appropriate pets for yours truely.

 

[littleimp]

I didn't know they can be kept out of water either?

In a mrine tank the hermits will kill each other (and snails) to get the best shells.

 

[Synirr]

I didn't know they can be kept out of water either?

In a mrine tank the hermits will kill each other (and snails) to get the best shells.

There are specific species of hermits that can live out of water, yep yep. Just like marine hermits, they will sometimes fight over shells, but they are also very social creatures so keeping them in groups is best