Feeling guilty but could use some advise about collected mhc

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Feeling guilty but could use some advise about collected mhc

Post by Guest » Thu Aug 07, 2008 11:28 pm

:( I feel really bad about this now since I have seen several people say this is not really a good idea...me and my mother made a trip out to the beach today and we found three lil hermit crabs that were int the water we had been wanting to take in some hermit crabs for a while now and grabbed up a small falt container a kitty litter pan to be exact and filled it as best we could with sand we also collected salt water to take with them which I put in a pan in their container. I feel really awful by taking them from the environment but there were tons of sea goals around and I was scared to death the lil ones would get eaten I am really hoping I can take care of the guys well enough until we get back home in a few days I am trying to keep an eye on em as best as possible. I am not entirely sure if they are marine crabs we found them in the water but they didn't want to stay in the water we placed them in they automatically wanted to start heading for land.

They are fairly small and have black and tan striped legs and tan bodies I am not sure if they are land or marine any advise would be wonderful I would like to try and take care of these guys and give them a good home. Hopefully things should be ok....just please don't jump down my throat please...i really do know a good deal about crabs just not much about these guys.


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Post by Guest » Thu Aug 07, 2008 11:49 pm

I just did some quick research and found that the lil guys seem to be a kind of Clibanarius type of hermit crabs I emptied out the water in the cup we collected from the beach and they are in that now so hopefully they should be ok..I am going to do some further research on setting up a salt water tank for them once I get home so I can give them an adiquite environment to live in hopefully they should be just fine....I am thinking they should be I am going to try my best to keep them healthy.


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Post by Guest » Fri Aug 08, 2008 3:31 am

Return them to the beach, no offense but if you want marine hermit crabs my suggestion would be too buy some after you've set up and cycled a tank. Marine tanks are a lot more complicated then a bit of saltwater and the crabs.

I don't mean to jump down your throat, but marine hermit crabs are a whole different thing and it can take a month or more to just prepare a marine tank, before you can add inhabitants, setting one up on the fly could really damage the crabs, return them to the beach, and then start researching how to set up a tank for marine hermits if your really serious about it.

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annopia
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Post by annopia » Fri Aug 08, 2008 7:36 am

the only really safe way for the hermits at this point is (like avalon_princess said) to return them to the beach you got them from. Is that possible? Setting up a marine tank on the fly is nothing like setting up a land hermit crab tank, it requires time and lots of money.

until you can take them back, be sure to put them in marine salt water-from the beach would be best, but otherwise Oceanic or Instant Ocean.

Caroline
26 LHC: 6 PPs, 5 Es, 1 Straw, 6 Ruggies, 2 Indos, 1 Blueberry, 4 Violas, 1 Aussie


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Guest

Post by Guest » Fri Aug 08, 2008 9:07 am

ok that sounds do able again I really apologize for taking the lil guys I had no idea it would be so damaging to them to that in all honesty and feel really bad about doing so. I guess just sticking with only land hermit crabs like I thought at first is going to the best course of acting me and my mom will be returning the lil guys this morning.
Please, please do not think ill of me for doing to this lil guys I did not mean to cause them any harm or trauma I just blame it really on not thinking clearly. At least I can take some of the sand home and use that for some land crabs and prepare the tank for them again I really, really do apologize and thank you for the advise.


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Guest

Post by Guest » Fri Aug 08, 2008 9:12 am

annopia wrote:the only really safe way for the hermits at this point is (like avalon_princess said) to return them to the beach you got them from. Is that possible? Setting up a marine tank on the fly is nothing like setting up a land hermit crab tank, it requires time and lots of money.

until you can take them back, be sure to put them in marine salt water-from the beach would be best, but otherwise Oceanic or Instant Ocean.

Caroline
I made sure to put them in Salt Water that we found from the Ocean last night and they have been in that since last night and seem to be doing just finde since all of them have been quite active.
As have I and not really getting a ton of sleep. We are trying to find some local beaches around the area that we can return the lil guys to as we speak..I just feel very badly for thinking so abruptly and possibly hurting the lil guys hopefully me getting some land crabs will have a lot better results. I honestly just got sucked in by their adorable lil faces. lol I should be punished for being so weak hearted when it comes to these lil guys.


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Post by Guest » Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:43 pm

I just thought I would let you all know that w just got back home from the beach and the little ones have been returned. I felt very happy seeing them happily waddle away into the tide.
Hopefully I can get some lil land hermies when I return home and that I can enjoy more easily since I know more about them. Again thank you for the help you gave me and I apologize to the lil ones for taking them away from their home when I ought not have.

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annopia
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Post by annopia » Fri Aug 08, 2008 4:55 pm

kala83 wrote:I just thought I would let you all know that w just got back home from the beach and the little ones have been returned. I felt very happy seeing them happily waddle away into the tide.
Hopefully I can get some lil land hermies when I return home and that I can enjoy more easily since I know more about them. Again thank you for the help you gave me and I apologize to the lil ones for taking them away from their home when I ought not have.
thats wonderful! i think you would really enjoy land hermits, not only are they easier to care for, but you can interact and observe them more. If I had to pick only land or marine hermits, i'd pick land ones, mine are irreplacable.

Caroline
26 LHC: 6 PPs, 5 Es, 1 Straw, 6 Ruggies, 2 Indos, 1 Blueberry, 4 Violas, 1 Aussie


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Post by Guest » Sat Aug 09, 2008 8:39 pm

grr so very frustrating i have been trying to find people in my area of Missouri that sell Land hermit crabs and hardly anyone in my home town sells the lil guys at all...I am sure I will eventually luck out but this truly very irritating to have to look so hard for my lil guys....if anyone might have any advise to help me out it would be wonderful.

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annopia
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Post by annopia » Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:56 pm

her crabs (plus shipping) run a bit expensive, but Tammy at the Crabbage Patch in Florida ships very healthy PPs. They have all had at least one good molt in her care, so chances of PPs are way down:

[Link no longer works]

Caroline
26 LHC: 6 PPs, 5 Es, 1 Straw, 6 Ruggies, 2 Indos, 1 Blueberry, 4 Violas, 1 Aussie

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