New Crab Family
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 9:34 pm
Our crab family started out like many others. I was at PetSmart with my 3.5 year old daughter to pick out some fish for our aquarium. She asked the woman tending that section if she had a talking crab named Herbie. She found the hermit crabs, called for Herbie, and when a crab moved she very happily told me that she found him. I'm a sucker for this sort of thing, so we left with two hermit crabs (she also found a crab named Jeremy) and the supplies the PetSmart people told me we would need.
Later that evening I found this forum and learned how completely inadequate our crabitat was. Saw that coming, right? Anyway, I may be guilty of impulse-buying pets for my preschooler, but I make it a priority to teach her the value of all life, and our responsibility to care for anything that we make a commitment to. The next day we bought a 30 inch front-opening terrarium so she can help care for the crabs. We got heating pads, sand, ee, some driftwood, moss, a climbing wall, various pools and dishes, and some crab food. We also got them a pink castle designed for aquarium use. I was surprised that they actually seemed to like it.
Anyway, the bottom line is that five little crabs have a pretty sweet set-up thanks to you guys, and we have a fun new hobby. Thanks for being such a helpful resource!
Our current status: One crab buried somewhere after two days. She spent a lot of time in the salt pool, tried on some shells, and finally picked one she liked. When we bought her she was in a shell much too big for her size, so perhaps she was about to attempt a surface molt. The other four all disappeared after about 8-10 days (earlier this week). They consumed a tremendous amount of water (especially the salt) before they disappeared. They were burrowing together in the ee during the day, but judging by the piles I think they're all under the sand now.
Later that evening I found this forum and learned how completely inadequate our crabitat was. Saw that coming, right? Anyway, I may be guilty of impulse-buying pets for my preschooler, but I make it a priority to teach her the value of all life, and our responsibility to care for anything that we make a commitment to. The next day we bought a 30 inch front-opening terrarium so she can help care for the crabs. We got heating pads, sand, ee, some driftwood, moss, a climbing wall, various pools and dishes, and some crab food. We also got them a pink castle designed for aquarium use. I was surprised that they actually seemed to like it.
Anyway, the bottom line is that five little crabs have a pretty sweet set-up thanks to you guys, and we have a fun new hobby. Thanks for being such a helpful resource!
Our current status: One crab buried somewhere after two days. She spent a lot of time in the salt pool, tried on some shells, and finally picked one she liked. When we bought her she was in a shell much too big for her size, so perhaps she was about to attempt a surface molt. The other four all disappeared after about 8-10 days (earlier this week). They consumed a tremendous amount of water (especially the salt) before they disappeared. They were burrowing together in the ee during the day, but judging by the piles I think they're all under the sand now.
Just be happy that you found this forum and now willing to make the change. 
Probably something you will notice in a short while.