New Hermie Owner, Couple Questions!

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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New Hermie Owner, Couple Questions!

Post by SarahLovesHermies » Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:59 pm

Hello All!

My name is Sarah, and I am a new Hermit Crab owner. Yesterday, I purchased my first two hermit crabs (at least, first two since I was very young) and just want to make sure that my new babies are okay. I should also note that I used your care forums for help on setting up their Crabitat, and I'm thankful for all of the information you're giving freely! It's good to see people sticking up for these little guys.

My Crabitat is as follows, just to give a little context. I have a 10 Gallon Zilla Critter Cage with a screen top. I mixed Eco Earth Substrate with Playsand for the bottom, 1 Part Substrate to 5 Parts Playsand, and I'd say it goes about halfway up the tank (roughly 2-3 times as tall as my new hermits). I had mixed the Eco Earth Substrate with Dechlorinated water. (If you need the type of Dechlorinator I used, it is Prime, which lists that it removes Chlorine & Chloramine, and detoxifies Ammonia, Nitrite & Nitrate). I have two .5"-1" deep water bowls (both dechlorinated and one salted with Instant Ocean) with Thrive Natural Coconut Fiber Climbing Background to help the crabs get in and out. I cut these into small strips so it would fit. I also have a small food bowl that has Fluker's Medley Treat for Aquatic Turtles in it for them to eat. I have two UTH, one small one that I had originally purchased that wasn't putting off enough heat, and another that I bought that covers the entire back side of the tank. My digital hygrometer is under by 3 degrees (I used the salt test) and has been reading that it's around 83% humidity (so it would be roughly 86%) and the temperature of their crabitat has been staying around 77.6 degrees, plus or minus a few degrees at different times of the day. (My family is in Texas, so we keep our home pretty cold with the AC.) I have a half log for them to hide in, as well as a fish aquarium castle that has plants on it for them to hide and climb. I also have a chunk of Cholla Wood that is propped against the half log, and another piece of fish aquarium wood for them to crawl/climb on as well. I also have 3 shells in the Crabitat that are bigger than the ones they have now, and of different variety. I believe that covers all of it. :lol:

Yesterday evening and last night, both crabs went and hid for a while when I first brought them home. It took them a little while to muster up the courage to do that, but not too long. Eventually, one decided to check everything out and I saw him crawling around on his new castle, but the other one I haven't seen much. At the pet store, one of the Hermies was more active and the other was not, so originally I was assuming that this was just their personality showing through. Today, however, I have seen neither of them crawling around, but I can tell they're both hiding under the Cholla Wood log. I saw a little of one of their legs, but the last I saw they both seem to just be staying in place in their shells.

I know that the crabs are at risk of Post Purchase Syndrome, so I'm a little concerned that they're not moving much due to this. I can tell neither of them have eaten because their food hasn't moved, and I'm assuming neither are drinking either as their water bowls only seemed dirty with bits of the Coconut Fiber. Is this normal, and is there anything I should do?

Thanks in advance for any replies!

P.S.: I've decided to name them Jojo and Dio, if anybody wants to know! :D

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Re: New Hermie Owner, Couple Questions!

Post by JoeHermits » Mon Apr 06, 2020 10:07 pm

It’ll take time before they get used to their setup, but yes, PPS is a potential threat. That threat is usually gone once they successfully molt.

Continue to provide care, including protein and calcium so they have enough nutrients to molt once they do so.


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Re: New Hermie Owner, Couple Questions!

Post by SarahLovesHermies » Mon Apr 06, 2020 10:31 pm

Okay! Another question I forgot to put in the post is, how long does dechlorinated water last in a gallon jug? I have two gallons, one salted and dechlorinated and the other just dechlorinated. When should I make a fresh batch of both?

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Re: New Hermie Owner, Couple Questions!

Post by Hermiesguardian » Tue Apr 07, 2020 12:14 am

Welcome! Sounds like you're off to a great start. If you haven't already, you need to seal the screen lid. You can tape down saran wrap or get a piece of plexi glass at a hobby shop. It's recommended to offer 3-5 shells per crab. Most people order on line, since it's almost impossible to get at any pet stores. If you download the app Tapatalk, you can post pics here.
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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Re: New Hermie Owner, Couple Questions!

Post by JoeHermits » Tue Apr 07, 2020 1:39 am

SarahLovesHermies wrote:Okay! Another question I forgot to put in the post is, how long does dechlorinated water last in a gallon jug? I have two gallons, one salted and dechlorinated and the other just dechlorinated. When should I make a fresh batch of both?
Some members have reported diatoms growing in their water, but otherwise you can just mix it up as needed.


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Re: New Hermie Owner, Couple Questions!

Post by Crabby7Crabber » Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:15 am

I don't think I can help with the water, but welcome to HCA! I would suggest letting your crabs be for a while at letting them adjust to their new home. When I got three new months three or four months ago, I just let them be and eventually they became comfortable enough to run around and come out. They could be preparing for a molt, too, if you see them eat and drink, then they dissapear (don't fret if you don't see them for a few weeks, possibly months)! In addition, make sure to have calcium ready daily. If you go to the bird section of a pet store, you should be able to find cuttlebone, which most crabs loves. Please also make sure to feed them fruits, veggies, and other organic/fresh food! A lot of us on here order from certain Etsy stores and small companies websites. If you need suggestions, just ask! An awesome website to look for stuff on and is really cheap for the products' quality is called The Hermit Crab Patch. Please check out the safe food list and commercial food links I put below, if you plan to create your own diet for them and/or buy some commercial foods from bigger companies. I also posted a link of the Hermit Crab Patch for you to check out! if you plan If you have other questions feel free to ask, and I and I'm sure the others in this wonderful community will try to help you the best we can! :)
Safe Food List: https://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/p ... 25&t=92557
Commerical Foods: https://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/p ... 25&t=92555
The Hermit Crab Patch: https://www.hermitcrabpatch.com/
Three PPs (Hoodini, Aaron Burr, and Jubali)
Love my deceased baby crabs George Washington, Zero, Domino, Billy, Eduardo, and Shelly too 🥺

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Re: New Hermie Owner, Couple Questions!

Post by SarahLovesHermies » Tue Apr 07, 2020 3:25 pm

Thank you all so much for responding so quickly, and welcoming me to the group! I’ve attached a photo of my Crabitat here since I’ve now downloaded Tapatalk:

Image

I have a small bit of cling wrap resting on the top of my Crabitat, to help hold in the humidity, and today I went ahead and added oats into their food bowl to give them some calcium! (At least, I read that oats were good for calcium, so please correct me if I’m wrong! I plan on getting cuttlefish the next time I get to run to the pet store and using that to hold them over!) I will likely also feed them fresh fruit and veggies every once in a while too!

So far that’s all I have to ask I believe, if you see anything amiss with my Crabitat please let me know! I know their water looks a little yellow in the picture but that’s just because of the bowl’s coloring, it’s clear! (:


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Re: New Hermie Owner, Couple Questions!

Post by SarahLovesHermies » Tue Apr 07, 2020 3:27 pm

Oh, and I’ve also ordered some more shells today off of Etsy for my babies, just waiting for them to come in the mail!


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Re: New Hermie Owner, Couple Questions!

Post by CrabbyLover77 » Tue Apr 07, 2020 3:56 pm

SarahLovesHermies wrote:Oh, and I’ve also ordered some more shells today off of Etsy for my babies, just waiting for them to come in the mail!


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Yay for shells! Image
Another good source of calcium is Repti Calcium (it's a powder):
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Reptile- ... B000UJSUO4
I keep cuttlebone in the tank, but the crabbies love the powder. I keep some in a dish for them, and it always disappears. Image

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My Pets: 2 Pomeranians, 1 Russian tortoise, fishes/snails(40 gal freshwater aquarium), and 13 hermit crabs.
"Hunting is not a sport. In a sport, both sides should know they're in the game." -Paul Rodriguez-
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BigBeausBouti ... form-mcnav

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Re: New Hermie Owner, Couple Questions!

Post by SarahLovesHermies » Tue Apr 07, 2020 8:19 pm

CrabbyLover77 wrote:Yay for shells! Image
Another good source of calcium is Repti Calcium (it's a powder):
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Reptile- ... B000UJSUO4
I keep cuttlebone in the tank, but the crabbies love the powder. I keep some in a dish for them, and it always disappears. Image

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Awesome! I may try that as well then! Thank you so much! (:


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Re: New Hermie Owner, Couple Questions!

Post by Crabby7Crabber » Tue Apr 07, 2020 8:33 pm

SarahLovesHermies wrote:
Tue Apr 07, 2020 3:25 pm
Thank you all so much for responding so quickly, and welcoming me to the group! I’ve attached a photo of my Crabitat here since I’ve now downloaded Tapatalk:

Image

I have a small bit of cling wrap resting on the top of my Crabitat, to help hold in the humidity, and today I went ahead and added oats into their food bowl to give them some calcium! (At least, I read that oats were good for calcium, so please correct me if I’m wrong! I plan on getting cuttlefish the next time I get to run to the pet store and using that to hold them over!) I will likely also feed them fresh fruit and veggies every once in a while too!

So far that’s all I have to ask I believe, if you see anything amiss with my Crabitat please let me know! I know their water looks a little yellow in the picture but that’s just because of the bowl’s coloring, it’s clear! (:



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Your setup looks awesome! There's nothing that I can think of that might need to be improved. Kudos on getting the tank basically perfect the first time you own them! I think I can say that some of us here, myself included, got hermit crabs and didn't understand how to properly care for them at first (buying them from a boardwalk, getting them from an inexperienced friend, etc). But learning about them and having them, at least for me, has taught me a lot and has helped my love for animals and their rights strengthen. They can be a real pain, but I'm sure you'll learn to love them. For me, I think them being a pain in the butt makes me love them even more :lol: ! Also, as I've said, feel free to ask questions(I and I'm positive others will try to help you to the best of our ability). Kudos on your crabbing so far! :D
Three PPs (Hoodini, Aaron Burr, and Jubali)
Love my deceased baby crabs George Washington, Zero, Domino, Billy, Eduardo, and Shelly too 🥺

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Re: New Hermie Owner, Couple Questions!

Post by CrabbyLover77 » Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:16 pm

SarahLovesHermies wrote: Awesome! I may try that as well then! Thank you so much! (:


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You're welcome!! Image

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My Pets: 2 Pomeranians, 1 Russian tortoise, fishes/snails(40 gal freshwater aquarium), and 13 hermit crabs.
"Hunting is not a sport. In a sport, both sides should know they're in the game." -Paul Rodriguez-
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BigBeausBouti ... form-mcnav

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Re: New Hermie Owner, Couple Questions!

Post by Links » Wed Apr 08, 2020 8:57 am

viewtopic.php?f=25&t=92554

Scroll down to calcium and you’ll see a list. I’m sure there’s more but I love this guide.

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Re: New Hermie Owner, Couple Questions!

Post by SarahLovesHermies » Wed Apr 08, 2020 4:51 pm

Links wrote:viewtopic.php?f=25&t=92554

Scroll down to calcium and you’ll see a list. I’m sure there’s more but I love this guide.
Oh that guide made me feel a lot better actually! They have crickets and mealworms in their food, so they’re definitely getting calcium! Image Thanks for sharing!!!


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