# Anyone have hermit crabs?



## PetMania (Mar 28, 2013)

I have considered getting hermi crabs to add to my pet mania. For those of you who have them, could you please let me know what they are like?

Thanks!


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## BettaBoy51 (Nov 13, 2013)

i did but i was cleaning the tank outside and went to get my doggies out of the garden and poof a bird took them both just like that *POOF* gone and when you clean them dont leave them like i did ever for a second


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## PetMania (Mar 28, 2013)

I'm so sorry to hear about that. Are they good pets, or are they mosly for watching?


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## Chachi (Sep 22, 2013)

We had them and they were pretty boring. They would bury themselves in the substrate and never come out. It was hard to tell if they were alive or dead! They will do that when they are molting but this was all the time! Some people really like them but we prefer pets that are a bit more interactive.


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## BettaBoy51 (Nov 13, 2013)

there good pets and cool to watch i actually caught mine in the Florida Keys i like them alot if you buy them i have some hermit crab food if you want to but it i have a lot of crab food i want to get some more soon i lovve them i also like red clawed crabs alot to i get a 1/2 gallon tank from walmart for 4$ and i get the smallest one and keep in in there untill it gets big and then i put it in the tank and for sand get sand from a beach ( if you live in CA there should be one near you) and get some water there to for my hermits and red clawed carb i clean them once a week and i put them in a cup and rinse it in fresh conditoned water and the put a rock in the middle and a bunch on sand on one side (till its the same height as the rock) then put freshwater for them on the rock in a gatorade cap and if its a red clawed crab then put fresh water on the other side and if its hermit put salt water and feed them on the rock if you need any help or want the food PM me and i will help you out!


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## BettaPeace23 (Dec 24, 2013)

PetMania said:


> I have considered getting hermi crabs to add to my pet mania. For those of you who have them, could you please let me know what they are like?
> 
> Thanks!



I love my hermit crabs, but yes they can be boring. When they molt they bury themselves for weeks or months at a time depending on their size. You need at least a 10 gallon tank, but if they are on the big side and 20 gallon long is a good choice. (I would go with the smaller crabs at first) 

They need the humidity in their tank to be between 70-80% and the temperature needs to be between 70-80 degrees. I love using eco earth bedding, I buy the blocks. It holds moisture really well. You need to have two water dishes, one for fresh water and one for salt water. You don't need sponges for the water like the pet stores say you do. Make sure it's shallow and that they can climb in and out easily. 

You can make your own hermit crab food too, it's the healthier choice. I do like the Variety Bites food though, they sell it at petco. They need fresh food as well and they can eat a ton of different things. 

They are fun to have and for experienced pet people they can be low maintenance. It can be pretty pricey in the beginning to get all of the supplies. I really enjoy watching mine go about their business daily. I can hold them and stuff, but they are more for looking at. I have two at the moment.

Sorry for the longish post by the way....:shock:


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## AAquarist (Dec 3, 2013)

I have two hermit crabs, Spock and T'Stala. I bought them over the summer from some horrible shop on the boardwalk. The problem with many Hermit Crab owners is that like with Bettas, pet shops and boardwalk shops sell bad cages and do not give proper information on care.

For one, my hermit crabs came in a mesh cage, a lot of people think they like this. They enjoy climbing, sure, but the cages holds no humidity and these are tropical animals that need good humidity as well as a heater. I wouldn't use a heat lamp personally because I think that would dry them out, but I do have a heat mat and attached heater on their tank. Mine are in a 5 gallon tank, as I don't have enough room for a ten gallon for them as well as my bettas, BUT they get outside time often. 

They require lots of substrate like coconut fiber or sand, NOT gravel. They love to dig and burrow especially during MOLTING. They need bowls or sponges. They do not particularly need the sponges, but mine seem to prefer that. I also keep a bowl of saltwater in their for them, it is often recommended but mine never use it haha! I also give them LOTS of things to climb on and a little hermit crab hide. 

Another really important thing, they also require plenty of extra shells. Mine have six in their cage to choose from if they wish. As they grow and just shed, they'll get a new shell. Many pet stores sell them in and sell painted shells, which is not healthy for them. They can eat the chipped paint and die. Mine came in painted shells, but little Spock changed to a new shell I put in the very next day! He's now in a natural shell and they only have natural shells available to them T'Stala despite that has never changed her shell lol.

I feed mine hermit crab food they came with and sometimes buy them the commercial hermit crab food, but I have had much success with feeding them lettuce and deli turkey. I've also fed them carrots, bits of bread, broccoli, even apple bites and oranges before. In the wild, they're scavengers. Mine seem to prefer fresh food. I'd advise that you change it once a day because it will prevent mites, which can be a bit annoying in a Hermit Crab tank. I think overall they're a really fun pet, but sometimes people don't take care of them properly. They have a very long lifespan in the wild (40+ years or something), so they can live much longer than a few months if taken care of well.  My oldest has been 9 years!


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## TySAAAN (Dec 21, 2012)

They're boring.

They are nocturnal, so if you stay up a lot I guess you can see their activity more.

They like to climb, and you can have painted shells, which is also pretty cool I guess.


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## Tanya1983 (Dec 3, 2013)

TySAAAN said:


> They're boring.
> 
> They are nocturnal, so if you stay up a lot I guess you can see their activity more.


Not always the case.

I use to keep hermit crabs.....quite a lot of them in all different sizes. They need a bit more than a glass tank with sand. It's good to have them in something like a ten gallon aquarium with an under tank heater on one half of the tank so they can choose whether they want to be warm or not. I found the best bedding for them was a mixture of re-hydrated coconut husk mixed two thirds with calcium sand. It keep the moisture levels up and allows the crab to burrow. 
They also like to climb so I had given them a lot of terrarium plants and vines to wander and roam on. Their diets can vary since they are technically scavengers. I would recommend a hermit crab food to be sure they get the nutrition that they need, but you can also give them fresh fruit and veggies and even pieces of meat. Every time I put a piece of chicken in their terrarium it vanished within minutes.

The more you handle them, the more tame they become and the less likely they are to pinch. I had a very large crab named Arnold Schwarzenegger that was as large as my palm. He had an awesome personality and would climb all over me. Never pinched me once and believe me, as large as his claws were, if he had pinched, dear god it would have hurt.

Anyhoo. They really aren't hard to keep if you have the proper setup. Another must is to make sure there are lots of different sized shells for them to choose from. Some switch shells every day, some rarely ever switch. But it's really neat when you get to see them switch shells. They look like little aliens without their shells. 

This was my crab Chuck Norris. He was an awesome and social little guy.


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## Cassafrass1999 (Jun 19, 2013)

I do! I have five spoiled little guys (and gals) right now! I would check out www.hermitcrabassociation.com first before even thinking about getting any as pets, as they are often very mistreated and not taken care of well. For example, many first time crab owners (including me :x) used to keep them in a cage with no heat source or anything. That resulted in many dead crabs on my behalf... sadly. But I have now switched over to a ten gallon (I know, I need a larger tank but my parents won't let me! They said I might be able to have our old 29 gallon [tall] eventually thought)... but now that they have a properly set up tank they are all thriving and doing well! So yes, please, please, PLEASE do your research first before making any decision! The HCA is a wonderful site that I would join, and look at their hermit crab care pages. 

I hope I helped!  I would make a detailed list of how to take care of hermies, but with HCA right there, I am gonna be lazy and say to just take a look at that haha. They can explain it better anyways, probably. XD

OH, and sorry Tanya, as I don't want to sound like a know-it-all, but hermit crab food is actually VERY bad for them... most of them are anyways. Instead you should feed them protein packed things such as freeze dried mealworms, and plenty of fruits and veggies! Again, check out the HCA to know which foods to give them that are alright for 'em. I would also stay away from deli meats, as the preservatives lurking in them could be harmful to your hermies. Having hermit crabs is a LOT more involved then it sounds like it would be, but it is oh-so worth it.  Beautiful crab though, Tanya!


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