New User and Hermit Owner

[Quwilly]

Hi! I am a new Hermit crab owner, I just got my little guys today! I've been doing a lot of research for the past few hours.

They are, from what I can tell, Purple Pinchers. We got them from a souvenir store that kept them in crowded and questionable conditions. We made the misguided purchase of 3 painted shells, and one of the two is already in one. They seem healthy enough, but one is missing the last joint on one of his legs, I think. They're in a plastic critter carrier with colored rocks. The kit came with a mysterious little bottle of crab food with no labels, two halves of a clam shell, a sponge, and one natural shell that is two big for the little ones we have right now. We put in some seashells that we got from the beach to keep them entertained for the time being. We also purchased calcisand and a sand sifter.

We plan on purchasing a proper aquarium and more suitable substrate as well and more proper climbing toys and such. I worry about being able to provide proper food and such though. I know they enjoy having fresh food, but money gets tight and it might be hard to convince my mother to give them a fresh diet.

I instantly fell in love, despite being pinched in the store. We decided on the names Ala and Bama since we got them in Gulf Shores. If you could give us some tips about being good crab parents we would really appreciate it!

[LadyJinglyJones]

Heya! Welcome welcome!!

If you wanted them even after being pinched, you are clearly a born crabber!

So you obviously know that their current set up isn't so great (and its a good idea to replace the calcisand as soon as possible), so you've taken the fist step on the way to having an awesome crab pad.

The members here are all crab crazed, and we can help with most any set up questions you may have, like what brands/kinds of heaters work best (I like Ultratherm under tank heaters - on the side of the tank of course), how much sand/coco fiber you need for any given size of tank, where shells can be found, etc.

I'd toss the food - it's probably garbage.

The nice thing about hermits is that they take the teeniest of bites - with fresh food, a very little goes a long way! Even scraps - the tops of carrots washed with dechlorinated water, potato bits, a small shred of apple: crabs don't need much. Many kinds of protein require a little bit more effort to source, but a little fish, chicken, shrimp or whatever you are having for diner won't go amiss (cooked or raw) and it really takes very little to meet their needs. Grains, seeds & nuts are great too.

Here's a link to the safe foods list & food pyramid - both really useful:

http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92557

http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92554

I think the first priority will need to be proper dechlorinator & marine salt mix!

At any pet store that sells fish, you want to pick up dechlorinator that not only removes chlorine, but chloramines as well. Also, one that neutralizes amonia & heavy metals. A brand called Prime is the most commonly recommended.

Toss the hermit salt - it's almost certainly not a marine salt mix. Instant Ocean, Fluval marine salt Mix, & Kent marine salt are all okay. Just don't buy 'aquarium salt' - it's for treating freshwater fish maladies and doesn't contain the necessary minerals for crabs.

Next I'd say get a larger tank. Ten gallons are okay, but they are really cramped & its tricky fitting everything you want in one. If you can, aim for something bigger. Check to see if your pet smart or pet Co are running a dollar per gallon tank sale. Craigslist and other buy/swap sites are also great!

A heater is essential, along with a thermometer & hygrometer. Digital hygrometers are much better than the ones with the little dials... I think those ones are basically useless. They lie.

Heat & humidity need to be a minimum of 80° and 80%.

Here is the shell page, so you can familiarize yourself with the shells hermits will use. I've seen a lot of garbage shells marketed as hermit shells. It's super vexing...

http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92552

And finally, if you haven't seen it, here's the HCO care sheet:

http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 51&t=92457

Let us know if you need anything!!

[wodesorel]

As far as food goes, chunk it up and freeze it in tiny mealsized portions. A $2 coconut will last all year, as will a 99 cent mango on sale, etc. You can ask the ladies or gentlemen at the fish counter for a single shrimp, or a single smelt when they have them. I've been given them for free before because they thought it was interesting it was for my hermits. Just be polite to them and they'll treat you nicely, too!

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[LadyJinglyJones]

^ true! I have a little fish counter lady who laughs & laughs every time I come in for one mussel and a shrimp. She thinks buying seafood for 'seafood' (I told hr they're land crabs, but a crab is a crab in her mind) is hilarious. She is gleeful & adorable and points me out to other customers now.

[wodesorel]

I felt so weird the first time I asked. I made sure it was quiet and there was no one else waiting. "Hi! Um...was wondering... would it be possible to buy just 4 smelts please?" -odd look from lady- "It's for my pet hermit crabs, they don't eat a lot and I want to treat them for Christmas" and she rolled some up for me and marked it as like 20 cents.

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[GotButterflies]

Welcome to the HCA!

Welcome to the addictive world of crabbing! Lots of things to fix, and it can be a bit overwhelming.

The Calcium sand that the hermit crabs came with can harden when wet and can cause issues. Please keep that in mind.

As far as food - you should be able to get a little from whatever your parents are making for dinner for your hermits. You want to feed them things before they have been seasoned. It's preferred to feed them organic, but if you can't you can't.

Safe food list: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92557
Unsafe food list: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92556
Food pyramid: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92554

[daws409]

Hi! I'm a little late lol. Just wanted to say welcome to HCA! If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

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