Hermit Crabs are wonderful pets that are easy to look after. The hermit crab has evolved to be able to live on land with the use of empty shells as a home and protection. With the right care, your hermit crab can live up to approximately 15 years. Hermit crabs love company, so have multiple crabs living together. They’ll become more active with the company. Hermit crabs are nocturnal and will sleep throughout most of the day. Show Housing It is vital to not fill the aquarium up with water, as the hermit crabs are land crabs. Place either shell grit or aquarium sand over the floor of the aquarium. Try to keep the sand dry at all times. Hermit crabs love to climb, so include driftwood pieces or mangrove roots within the aquarium to provide some entertainment. Hermit crabs require humidity of around 50-70%. They need this to keep their gills moist and to breathe properly. If the air is too dry, your hermit crab might become inactive and suffocate. To keep a high level of humidity, make sure there’s plenty of water within the water bowls, and the temperature is kept warm and doesn’t become cold. Two types of water needs to be provided at all times for your hermit crabs. Have fresh water in one bowl for drinking, and in another bowl have sea water for bathing. Sea water can be made up with Hermit Crab Salt and water (follow the measurements on the packet for the correct ratio). Use heavy, solid bowls for the water as hermit crabs love to climb and can tip over the water if a lightweight container is used. Change water on a daily basis to keep it clean.
Moulting Shells Fighting
Signs of stress include inactiveness, sluggish, and leaving their shells. It is not normal for a hermit crab to walk around or sit in a corner without their shell as they’re exposed and unprotected from other crabs attacking. Stress can be caused from overcrowding and bullying, living alone, being dropped on their shells, or extreme temperatures (either too hot, or too cold). Hermit crabs can be easily poisoned from cleaning sprays and detergents used around the house, and only a small amount can be fatal. Make sure no chemicals are used when cleaning the aquarium, and none are used near your hermit crabs including hairspray and air fresheners. Be careful if you take your hermit crabs out and place them on carpet, as carpets care normally cleaned with chemicals. Signs that might indicated your hermit crab is poisoned are dropping their shells off and sitting in water, weakness (they need strong muscles to hold their shell up), and pulling off limbs. As hermit crabs cannot wash toxins off themselves, they will start to pull off affected areas like their legs. Download our care sheets:
Where do you get hermit crabs?Hermit crab species come in a range of sizes, from a fraction of an inch (a few millimeters) to nearly the size of a coconut. Many different species of land hermit crabs live in tropical areas of the Indo-Pacific region, the western Atlantic and the western Caribbean.
Where do hermit crabs in pet stores come from?Most of the hermit crabs sold as pets in the US are purple pincher crabs or Ecuadorian hermit crabs. Purple pinchers are native to the Caribbean, South America, and the Florida Keys, while the Ecuadorian crab comes from the coasts of Ecuador and Chile.
How much do pet hermit crabs cost?In most cases, buying a crab from a breeder or your local pet store is your best bet. It's relatively cheap and incredibly easy (you can expect the hermit crab price to be around $3 to $25), so there's little reason to go through the hassle of trying to track down a free pet.
Should I get 2 or 3 hermit crabs?Hermit crabs thrive in a tropical environment. Despite their name, hermit crabs are social creatures and can live together in pairs or groups. Choose a terrarium with at least 5 gallons of space for every 2 crabs.
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