Hermit Crabs!

[clutterydrawer]

(I can't work out what section to put this in - sorry)

I saw some of these in the pet shop today and I would love to keep them. The card on their tank said they just need a humid vivarium with a deep layer of sand, and provision of bigger shells to move into. I was wondering if anyone has them and could offer advice, specifically

- how many to keep in how big a space?
- does it need to be heated and if so how?
- what do they eat?
- where do i get new shells from?
- could i have a layer of compost under my layer of sand and use this substrate to grow humidity-loving houseplants such as ferns, to make a beautiful landscape?

thankyou!

 

[Dragadile]

I dont know any thing about hermit crabs but do know this great website http/www.fishandfins.co.uk/hermit-crab.htm if i were you i would type "hermit crabs" into google you will find loads of websites which will be useful or click here

 

[DevUK]

I've been looking at these little fellas too. My LFS started doing reptiles and stuff recently, and I noticed some hermits last time I was in! One thing I do know is that hermits have to be kept in groups. They will actually get depressed if they are on their own

This site is a good read:

http/www.hermit-crabs.com/

 

[cuticom]

I've got hermits.

They do need a humid environment, you can build your own humidifier out of a a bottle, an airpump and an airstone, or there are a few other methods of maintaining humidity, it needs to be kept at around 70-80%, you'll need a hygrometer to monitor it.

They need warmth as well 24-26 degrees Celsius is good, I keep mine warm, using a reptile infrared heat globe and a thermostat

No compost, no fertilizer it's poisonous to the crabs. The best bedding I've found is coconut fiber bedding, its sold as Eco Earth or Forest Bedding is the US and UK, if your Aussie I can point you towards some here as well. They need to be able to bury totally in the bedding so they can molt, when they molt they can be down for months, leaving you with an empty tank, do not dig them up. You can use sand for bedding as well, whatever you use it MUST be kept damp, sand castle consistency so they can dig.

Shells can be bought anywhere, generally i collect my own and sterilize them, but you can buy them from ebay and most pet stores as well, though the pet stores are over priced.

They need places to hide, a food bowl, two bowls deep enough for them to submerge in, one for salt water one for freshwater. You can go as small as a 10g to keep them in, and up to 5 micro, teeny or small hermit crabs is a good start, though when they grow (it takes a while, like years) you'll need to upgrade.

I have 5 hermit crabs in a 40g terrarium with sliding doors, it has a homemade humidifier, heat globe, thermostat and god knows how many shells/toys etc.

Heres a pic

Setting up is expensive, you need gauges (thermometer/hygrometer) shells (4-5 for each crab, some the same size as there shell, some smaller, some bigger) Bedding 9sand of coconut fiber) heating (lights, under tank heat pad, or heat globes) tank (10g+) toys (cheapest part, research whats safe and whats not) the crabs them selves (research how to check for healthy crabs). By the time I had paid for everything for my first crabitat which was a 20g Tall, I had spent hundreds of dollars, it isn't cheap by any means.

Once set up is done it's all nice and cheap from there, all they'll need is food and shells when they outgrow the ones on offer, they eat practically everything, and don't eat much to start with, so at least that part is cheap.

 

[Meds081603]

You have been given good advice. The main things I would stress are having both salt/freshwater available at all times. Plenty of extra shells. Good substrate for molting and do not disturb them while molting.