Every single Wings or The Islander or Beach Mart or virtually any beach shop you have ever went into while vacationing on the coast; you have seen a wire cage of hermit crabs.
Hermit crabs are cute little curly crab-like creatures that live in shells. One large purple claw for eating and climbing, one tiny claw for assistance. I absolutely love hermit crabs. They are fairly easy to care for and they are cool to watch. Plus, making a tank for them is really fun because you can get super creative with the decor. Here are some things you need to know about owning hermit crabs:
1) They do not go into fully water-filled aquariums. Yes, hermit crabs are little ocean-dwellers, but domesticated (pet) hermit crabs don't live solely on the ocean floor. For your setup, you need to have sand or safe mulch/gravel as your base, not water. Yes, some people do put small pools of water in their tanks, but I choose not to do that because of the extra maintenance it requires to get the water perfect, as to not harm the crabs. Hermit crabs love to climb. Make sure to add climbable decor in your setup. I use natural wood and oak bark. Stores sell wire similar to the enclosures at the beach shops that the hermits love clinging on to.
2) Hermit crabs will eat almost anything. There is special food you can buy at pet stores, but hermit crabs also enjoy:
- marigold flowers
- oak bark
- apples
- strawberries
- kiwis
- most fruit
I also found that hermit crabs enjoy nibbling on the minerals found in natural dry beach sand. I try to get dry sand from the dune areas where people do not walk. Tiny micro-organisms live in natural sand and hermit crabs like the salty taste.
3) Hermit crabs enjoy humidity. Pet stores sell all necessary heating equipment to make ideal temperatures for hermit crabs. An ideal humidity level is between 75% and 85%. To keep track of this, you can buy a simple hygrometer. You may also buy coconut core, or another safe type of mulch-like material sold at pet stores, and mist it with cool water occasionally in an aquarium to keep the air somewhat moist.
4) Hermit crabs like water sponges. It helps them to be able to get in and out of the water dish, especially for the smaller ones. Plus, it helps with the humidity levels of the tank. Make sure to clean your sponge by boiling it in water for a few seconds to kill any bacteria.
5) Have extra shells in the tank that are slightly bigger than the hermit crab already is. Hermit crabs, like spiders and snakes, go through molting. They shed their exoskeleton, which was getting to be too small, thus, making them outgrow their current shell. The molting stages are pretty obvious. They will bury themselves under the sand or go into an enclosed decor piece and stay there for several days. Do not disturb them during this time. They will come out on their own. Do not dig them up, move them, or spray them with water. This is a natural process- just let nature run its course. Important: use natural shells only! Do NOT use painted shells. There is usually never any specification on what type of paint was used to paint the shells, which can cause harmful and even deadly chemicals to soak into the shell and eventually your hermit crab.
No, hermit crabs do not always survive the molting. When a hermit crab passes away, you will smell an obvious "fishy" weird smell. Usually when a hermit crab dies during molting, it is because of stress or simple molting malfunction.
6) Hermit crabs do poop. There is a tiny hole in the bottom of their shell where waste exits. Pet stores sell mini pooper-scoopers for hermit crab enclosures. This helps keep their enclosure clean.
7) Hermit crabs are social creatures. When getting hermit crabs, pick out minimum of 3 that are around the same size. Sometimes, bigger crabs bully smaller crabs, so making sure they are around the same size will ensure everyone gets along. Make sure to include multiple "hiding spots," or decor where they can climb under or on.
8) Yes, several organizations, including PETA, are totally against hermit crabs being pets. The reason for this being the breeding and treatment of the crabs from facility to pet stores and beach shops. They are shipped in dozens upon dozens and they don't always have the proper care and temperature that they need. In most beach shops, they are just piled into a wired cage, whereas at pet stores like PetSmart and Petco, they have them in proper aquarium setups. I like to look at it as saving the crabs and giving them a proper home. But, being that I am not the only one who thinks that, the industry continues the breeding and shipments of hermit crabs. It's a constant back-and-forth. It's a win-win, a win-lose, a lose-win; any way you look at it, there will always be a, "but wait a minute..." or, "that's not right..." It is up to you whether or not you want to support the purchase of hermit crabs. I personally love them and think they are great, fun, easy to care for, and entertaining.
Well, these are some of the main points that come to mind when it comes to hermit crabs. Of course, if you want to have them as pets, make sure to do thorough research to make sure you know you have the time and space to give them a proper home. Hermit crabs can be fun and educational to youngsters who want to learn about more than just dogs, cats, and fish. Oh, and another quick thing, if you care for your hermit crab perfectly, they can get big . . .
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