Tervfect Blogs

Since I picked up my 1st two crabs two years ago, it has been a learning experience and  a lot of work. If you are not willing to put the work into owning Hermit Crabs, don’t purchases them. Hermit Crabs may be a lot of work, but they are very interesting pets to own, also very fun to watch. The first thing you need to know is that your crab habitat must be set up correctly or your crabs will die.

You will need to purchases a 10 gallon aquarium. (at least 10 gallons) They will need at least 6 inches of sand, so they can molt and tunnel. Hermit Crabs love to dig. Also you will have to buy a thermometer and a hygrometer. You can purchases those in a pack at your local pet store or order on-line.

Hermit crabs breath the water out of the air, you need to keep humidity up to 80 at least. You can do this by having damp sand, NOT wet, but damp. Also keep a squirt bottle for misting inside the tank when humidity gets low.

They also need heat. So buy a stick on heater for your tank. Do not place the heater on the bottom under the sand. It has to be placed on the back side of the aquarium. Putting it on the bottom could cook you Hermit Crab during a molt.Your temperature needs to stay around 80 degrees.

Helpful hint: In winter if you think you will lose your power for a length of time, boil water and put it into 20 ounce soda bottles. Place the bottles in the tank and cover the tank with a towel or blanket. This will help keep the tank warm.

Next is their water. You will need 2 shallow bowls, very shallow, your Hermit Crabs has to be able to walk through it and be able to get in and out easily. You don’t want any bowl they could drown in or not be able to get in and out of. You will need to keep one bowl of plain water and one salt water. Salt water does not mean water with table salt in it. You must buy Aquarium Salt. NEVER use tap water always buy distilled water or boil all your water to remove impurities.

Hermit Crabs love a variety of foods. I buy all my food and supplies from the Hermit Crab patch.  http://www.hermitcrabpatch.com/ . They need a balanced diet and their food will need to be changed at least every 2 days.

You will also need to buy a variety of shells. Your Hermit Crab will grow and they must have shells to grow into. There are a number of websites that will let you know how to measure the shells and get correct sizes. Once again the Hermit Crab Patch has the best shells and the best prices. Don’t ever buy pained shells for your crabs, they may be cute but they can do more harm than good. The paint will chip and harm your crab.

Crabs love to climb and love places to hide, I have a small cave for them to get in to. and lots of wood for climbing. Dried Cholla cactus is great for climbing, I also pick up small pieces of drift wood from the lake for them. boil the drift wood from the lake before adding to your crab habitat. You don’t want to bring home bugs and bacteria.

You will also need a isolation tank in case of injury or illness with a crab. My isolation tank is very small. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it will come in handy. just the basics in your isolation tank, sand, food and water. It also comes in handy to put them in while you clean their home.

If you have any questions leave me a comment, I will do my best to answer it! Have fun setting up your new pets home!