New crab owner

[DGreen94]

Hello everyone, I am new here I don't know how to post to the specific topic like it wants me too I am trying to learn. I just recently bought my children two crabs during our Mississippi trip. I know the basic care instructions i even brought home sand and water from Biloxi beach so they feel more at home then getting the store bought. They have a nice cozy 10 gallon home with lots of shells and climbing toys food and water. Just this morning one of my babies scared me i thought it was missing but it had went under sand and was hiding under some shells. When i came back to check on them again still confused as to what happen to my smaller one i seen it poking up from the dirt it was under maybe 3 hours. I don't know Any advice is appreciated

[JoeHermits]

Hermit crabs are diggers and will disappear from time to time, either to molt or for pleasure

They also don’t really care where their water or substrate come from (There are no native terrestrial hermit crabs from Biloxi Beach so I doubt it represents their home). Keep an eye on any collected seawater, as it may have organic material (visible or otherwise) that can decompose and produce an odor


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[DGreen94]

Thanks for the reply... I know they don't have to have the water I got it because I live 9 hours away from Mississippi and wanted them to have some salt water until I was able to order some stuff for them it was really more of a laughing moment comment lol.

Ok so for them digging when he came back up I looked it up and read that. I just didn't know where he was I had got a lil scared because i hadn't had a top for their home yet and I have a cat and also one climbed to the top and was just sitting there so I didn't know if it had fell or what lol.

I will change the water every 2 days until its gone and my bundles of stuff i ordered arrives so hopefully it don't smell within the 2 days of changing.

I really more so want advice on brands of food and stuff like that everything else I am aware of.

[curlysister]

Welcome to crabbing!
You will need a lid both to keep the crabs in and to keep the humidity in - they have modified gills and need humidity around 80% in order to breathe. I have a plexi glass lid now, but my first couple of tanks I just taped plastic wrap (ie Saran Wrap) over the top to hold in humidity. Not fancy, but effective - altho I had to keep my cats out of the room with the crabs. The plexi glass lid was strong enough to hold my 12 pound cat! My new tank has some sort of home made corrugated plastic stuff - not strong enough for the cat(s) so I put a wood shelf board over top of that. Your hygrometer/ thermometer will let you know if your lid is holding in enough humidity and heat!
As for food, you can feed much the same as what you eat. They need a varied diet that includes animal protein and calcium daily. Meats, fish, seafood, veggies, fruits, grains, greens, nuts, seeds, eggs and the shell, etc. You can find dried foods that will last longer in the tank - some are available at pet stores (just watch for additives that may not be safe), and there are also people or companies that sell them. I feed a mix of fresh and dried.

[DGreen94]

Ok so quick question don't they need air as well? My tank is glass so would I have to find something with holes in the lid? My tank didn't come with a lid so right now i had to put a board over top and leave it cracked so they can have air cause i didn't want to just close them in. I only do it at night as I'm able to watch them during the day because they are escape artist .

My cat has actually been doing pretty good he hasn't bothered them he just looks and walks off. But he is a really amazing cat i've had him for 3 years and he has been through a lot with my kids as my oldest son is 3 .

Ok so I need a meter i saw one yesterday at petsmart ill go get it today. Okkk so the egg i cook it? Also i have salmon that i did not like can they eat that cause i can unfreeze it for them. Ohhh I am so excited about this. I school my babies at home instead of at daycare and they have really been a great bonus for us my boys love them. And thank you so much this is the information i need.

[JoeHermits]

Holes in the lid are optional but will help increase air flow. Increased air flow will decrease mold growth but also lower humidity. It can be a balancing act sometimes

Egg or salmon can be offered raw or cooked, although raw animal products get messy and can spread pathogens (won’t hurt the crabs, it’s mostly an us thing)


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[DGreen94]

Ok thats great to know cause I was so worried about the holes. Thank you for all the advice.

[sophie_rice]

Hi!! I’m not at all a hermit crab expert but wanted to offer you some quick advice!!

I know it can be super scary when hermit crabs aren’t visible or are molting/ buried, but please, don’t unbury them!! It can disturb molting which could lead to their death!!! Something I wish I would’ve known when I got hermit crabs was that you SHOULD NOT believe everything you hear about crab care. This site is pretty reliable, but I would always get a second opinion on everything you hear!! For example, the commercial hermit crab food may be advertised as “healthy”, but it is NOT. They won’t even eat those pellets because they don’t seem like food to them. Please, provide them with a diet of healthy homemade grain and seed mix (look up a recipe online), and fresh fruits and veggies along with a complete meal purchased off a hermit crab store on Etsy. Not those pellet food brands. Trust me!

Anyway, although I’ve only had my hermit crabs for almost a year, I’ve learned so much and will try to help you if you have any questions! Hope these tips helped!!

[DGreen94]

Hello, thank you so much! I have learned pretty quickly about that. When my crab first buried himself i looked it up and learned that. I was expecting him to be buried for longer but he came up the same day. He has done it a few other times as well but mainly he likes to stay under their coconut. They both are out a lot more now tho after changing shells. My smaller one went back to its old shell i'm guessing the other one was a lil heavy for him lol. I didn't buy the lil pellets i got a breakfast fruit blend for them and they seem to really like it a lot so i will probably stick to that brand. I also have some salmon and other stuff i heard was good for them like egg and veggies.

I have been watching videos and reading up a lot on them I do extensive research when there is something i don't know. I have a 10 gallon tank but i think i am gonna buy a 40 gallon just to give them a lot more space for climbing digging and other stuff.

They have toys to that they play with which is really funny to watch i also put my smaller shells that came in the pack i order for decoration and they play with them which is also funny to watch lol.

Thank you for the advice as i stated all advice is welcome so i really appreciate it.

Also what is the name of the store on Etsy if you know it. I found a brand on amazon that has a great mixture and they like it so far they are always eating it.

[sophie_rice]

There’s a few brands on Etsy… some are happy crab, crabitude (I think), south of the ocean, and there’s a bunch more! I usually look up “hermit crab meal” or something. They also have great shell selections there!! Could you please tell me the name of the brand you found on Amazon? Bc Etsy has ridiculously high shipping prices and I need more food for my crabbies!!

[DGreen94]

Ok great thank you i'll look into them.

Theres a brand called Gargeer and they have so many different flavors and mixtures and its only like $10-$14. There is also one called Snout and Shell they have a breakfast blend with fruit oats seeds and grains its like $12 thats the one my crabs really like and they have others as well. Also Treat Sensations they have coconut treats and other stuff its like $5.

[curlysister]

Hi!! I’m not at all a hermit crab expert but wanted to offer you some quick advice!!

I know it can be super scary when hermit crabs aren’t visible or are molting/ buried, but please, don’t unbury them!! It can disturb molting which could lead to their death!!! Something I wish I would’ve known when I got hermit crabs was that you SHOULD NOT believe everything you hear about crab care. This site is pretty reliable, but I would always get a second opinion on everything you hear!! For example, the commercial hermit crab food may be advertised as “healthy”, but it is NOT. They won’t even eat those pellets because they don’t seem like food to them. Please, provide them with a diet of healthy homemade grain and seed mix (look up a recipe online), and fresh fruits and veggies along with a complete meal purchased off a hermit crab store on Etsy. Not those pellet food brands. Trust me!

Anyway, although I’ve only had my hermit crabs for almost a year, I’ve learned so much and will try to help you if you have any questions! Hope these tips helped!!

If you look through our care sheets, there is one specifically about commercial foods - while many do contain preservatives that can be detrimental over time, there are also some that do not and that can be safely fed to crabs.
Be sure to read the 'nutrition' care sheet, it gives all the info you will need about crab nutrition. A person can choose to buy dried foods from Etsy, or other stores like Hermit Crab Patch, etc....but it is by no means a necessity. Crabs can be fed strictly from your kitchen if a person chooses to. They key is variety - grains, seeds, nuts, eggs, fruits, veggies, greens, leaves, flowers, meats, seafood, egg shells, cuttle bone, etc. They should be offered animal protein and calcium daily.
As for second opinions....not really necessary. I have followed HCA's care guidelines since I got my crabs 13 1/2 years ago, without double checking anywhere else!

[curlysister]

There’s a few brands on Etsy… some are happy crab, crabitude (I think), south of the ocean, and there’s a bunch more! I usually look up “hermit crab meal” or something. They also have great shell selections there!! Could you please tell me the name of the brand you found on Amazon? Bc Etsy has ridiculously high shipping prices and I need more food for my crabbies!!

See my reply above - you don't need to order anything off Etsy if you don't want to or can't afford to.
You can feed foods from your kitchen, grocery store, or bulk store. There are also many dried items at pet stores that are appropriate - cuttle bone (often in the bird section), dried shrimp (sometimes sold as turtle food), dried flowers, dried insects (check the reptile section), dried cat and dog treats (the ones that are only meat), as well as some commercial brands that are safe (read through our care sheet that gives brands).

[DGreen94]

How do i find the care sheet? I am still learning how to navigate through the website.

[JoeHermits]

Yeah, it’s a bit of a maze: viewtopic.php?t=92457


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