Which Crab Do I Choose

[Brad 1]

I am a 14 year old boy who wants a crab. Please could you recommend the lowest maintenance crab. Do you need a heat mat or light for every crab for sale. Any other advice on how to care for them would be greatly recieved. thanks brad

 

[Davo86]

Hi Brad

I think your best bet would be to go for a Rainbow crab, these are totally freshwater and are pretty undemanding

Rainbow crabs need to keep their lungs wet but breathe air so need access to both land and water, this is easily achieved by filling the tank around 1/3rd and then building one or more land areas.

Thesy also require good filtration and an underwater heater.

 

[Brad 1]

Thanks for your help, but the crab i really want is a hermit crab, as this is the one supplied in my local area. How big a tank do i need for 2 crabs. |Also how hard are they to maintain obviously with exams and homework they would have to be easy daily maintenance.

 

[Zawiha]

this all depends on whether this is a marine or land hermit

 

[Brad 1]

thanks for a swift reply. Is there a masive difference between them. My local petshop has land hermits. How big a cage do they need to be in.

 

[Zawiha]

Land hermits require an almost full land enclosure.
Whilst freshwater craps require a 60/40 split water/land.
I'd say the care is drastically different.

as for land hermits and marine hermits.
Marine Hermits require a marine salt water tank.
mine have no land.

 

[bymauldin]

Hi Brad

I think your best bet would be to go for a Rainbow crab, these are totally freshwater and are pretty undemanding

Rainbow crabs need to keep their lungs wet but breathe air so need access to both land and water, this is easily achieved by filling the tank around 1/3rd and then building one or more land areas.

Thesy also require good filtration and an underwater heater.

How big of a tank is required for Rainbow Crabs?

 

[Davo86]

I would go for something like a 3x1x1, (def no smaller than 2.5feet)

 

[bymauldin]

Land hermit crabs are generally very easy to maintain. You wouldn't need a very large area for 2 hermit crabs as most that I've had aren't really all that active-I think the rule of thumb is one gallon for every two crabs...Of course the more room you can provide...the better.
Hermits do require a shallow fresh water dish for drinking and also a shallow salt water dish. They like a temp of 72F-80F and they like a fairly high humidity of 70-80%. So you'll probably need to buy a temp gauge and a humidity gauge. You can use gravel or sand a substrate, but I prefer sand as it's more natural. Hermits do like to climb so make sure you provide lots of wooden structures for them to climb on. Some pet stores even sale a 'chicken wire' type thing for them to climb on...Hermits love those. Hermits will eat regular hermit crab food but also enjoy coconut flakes, tiny pieces of apple, saltine crackers, small amounts of peanut butter, some like lettuce...but some pet stores will also sale hermit crab fruit salad and hermit crab cookies. If you do feed your hermit fresh foods make sure you remove it by the following day as to not foul the tank. Also, make sure if you buy hermit crabs to buy several empty shells to go in the cage as well as hermits need to change shells as they grow so give them lots of options.

Hope some of this helps.
...and Good Luck


As far as I go, I sure do like the looks of that Rainbow Crab ...any other information you could provide for me on it?

 

[Kevin_D]

I keep Rainbow Crabs, theres some info on them on my site,

http/www.exoticpetsuk.com/cardisomaarmatum.htm

 

[Brad 1]

I bought a 6.1 gallon tank length 18" width 10". How much substrate do i need? I was given a bag of t-rex calci-sand which weighs 2lb. Can i mix different substrate and how much more do i need. Do hermit crabs burrow?
Thanks Brad

 

[bymauldin]

I can't exactly say how much you'll need-but Hermits need substrate at least 3 inches deep. Hermits will definitely dig and burrow in the sand but not like other crabs do. Hermits usually like to go into a corner and dig a hole and that is where they will rest. You can mix substrate if you'd like. I find that sand is generally easier to clean because you can just scoop up any debris you see on the surface. If you wanted you could do gravel around their food and water dish and sand everywhere else. That will help keep the crab from getting sandy once it has gotten out of the water dish and is still wet. Plus, then the crab can decide which it likes better.

How many hermits do you have-or how many are you planning on getting? I'd say 4 or 5 would probably be all I would do.

 

[Brad 1]

My tank is now set up ready for my crabs. Thanks for your help everyone. One final question, we have relatives in Scotland so would i be ok to keep the crabs in a little critter tank as a temporary home for say a week.
thanks again Brad.

 

[Brad 1]

I have bought my crabs today does anyone know an answer to my previous question. Also where do you buy large hermit crab shells from as mine are massive!