Question about crabitat

Please post here if you are a new crab owner and someone will be along shortly to welcome you to the HCA! This is also the place to welcome new crabbies to your clan!
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HermitNewbie
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2019 7:30 pm
Location: TX

Question about crabitat

Post by HermitNewbie » Wed Sep 04, 2019 7:46 pm

Hello all! I'm a new crab owner. I teach in an elementary school. We just moved to a brand new campus with lovely science labs. I think it's important to have live animals for the kids to observe and (hopefully) interact with. A teacher was rehoming her hermit crab, so I offered to take it for the science lab. She said it came with a cage, substrate, and food. She said it is a forest hermit crab and therefore is fine to have 'leaf litter' substrate. It is in a wire cage with a solid bottom. There's no heating lamp, no humidity reader, no sand, and a very shallow shell with a sponge and water. She said she had coconut fiber substrate in it until Monday (we have a teacher and at least one student on campus who are very allergic to coconut, so she decided to err on the side of safety and replace the coconut fiber with leaf litter). She said she spritzed the substrate daily. She's had him for several months, but he's never changed shells. There were a couple of other crabs as well, but I assume they died. I did a little research and was planning on getting a 10 gallon aquarium, adding sand deep enough for the crab to bury itself, adding some sloped items for it to climb on, and something with a little more water for it to have a little 'pool (just to stand, not to swim).

Any advice is welcome. I didn't find out until today when I was heading out the door that she spritzed him daily. So he hasn't been spritzed in two days. I'm worried he won't make it in the leaf litter, even if I spritz it, until Friday when I can get the aquarium set up.


Topic author
HermitNewbie
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2019 7:30 pm
Location: TX

Re: Question about crabitat

Post by HermitNewbie » Wed Sep 04, 2019 8:09 pm

Also, I have a picture of the crabitat, but don't know how to post it.

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Hermiesguardian
Posts: 3029
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2017 10:41 pm

Re: Question about crabitat

Post by Hermiesguardian » Wed Sep 04, 2019 8:31 pm

Welcome! Please read the care sheets. They need a minimum of 6 inches substrate. It can be all playsand if you can't have coconut fiber. It has to be mixed with dechlorinated water to sandcastle consistancy. Most used dechlorinater is Prime. They need a dechl freshwater pool and saltwater pool. Add Instant Ocean for salt. They need to be deep enough to fully submerge. He needs protein and calcium daily. Most important is heat of 75-80 degrees and humidity of minimum 80%. Overspraying can lead to flooding. And please don't spray him directly. Crabs are a hands off pet. And mostly nocturnal. When they dig down to molt they can be buried for months at a time. Never to be dug up unless there's a flood or bacterial bloom. Those are the bare basics. Read through the safe/unsafe food list.
raising son's dog, Dante. Husky/hound.
Raising daughter's hermit crabs, Shelder, Paras and Derek. Added 2 more of my own (of course) Pete and Stryper. Former mommy to 2 guinea pigs and beloved cat, Nissi

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Hermiesguardian
Posts: 3029
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2017 10:41 pm

Re: Question about crabitat

Post by Hermiesguardian » Wed Sep 04, 2019 8:34 pm

HermitNewbie wrote:
Wed Sep 04, 2019 8:09 pm
Also, I have a picture of the crabitat, but don't know how to post it.
You can post pics on the app tapatalk.
raising son's dog, Dante. Husky/hound.
Raising daughter's hermit crabs, Shelder, Paras and Derek. Added 2 more of my own (of course) Pete and Stryper. Former mommy to 2 guinea pigs and beloved cat, Nissi

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GotButterflies
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Re: Question about crabitat

Post by GotButterflies » Wed Sep 04, 2019 11:11 pm

Welcome to the HCA, and the addicting world of crabbing!!!

I'm so glad that you found us!!! I'm sure that you are very overwhelmed right now- but everything happens for a reason! You were meant to save this little creature!! They are such wonderful little beings!! We are here to help you! Definitely read the care guides. Here are some quick links for food:

Safe food list: viewtopic.php?f=25&t=92557
Unsafe food list: viewtopic.php?f=25&t=92556
Food pyramid: viewtopic.php?f=25&t=92554
Truly blessed to have incredible creatures, wonderful friends and my amazing family in my life!! I'm very thankful & grateful for all of them! www.thehealthyhermit.com

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