Life span of your Hermies!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 8:51 pm

Iâ€™ve had dog since early 2002, so it would be around 4 years. All of my crabs were small when I bought them, so I canâ€™t weigh in on the size issue although Iâ€™ve always heard that jumbo crabs have a low survival rate. I think how long they survive depends a lot upon pet store conditions.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 9:19 pm

The first crab I had lived well over a year (I think it was around 18 months). I was very lucky and had a very hardy PP. I did EVERYTHING wrong (I was just in 5th grade and didn't have a clue about them).

I've only been crabbing correctly for 2 months or so.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 12:43 am

I do think micros and smalls have a better success rate, but I am not to sure. Maybe the jumbos have a harder time adapting to smaller surrondings and tank life. Anyone have any ideas?

Hermit_of_Hermit_Crabs · Post by **Hermit_of_Hermit_Crabs** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 2:27 am

Well I have had 1 large for PP 2 years and he is my oldest. I have another large PP that will be 2 in March. Then I have 2 medium PPs that will be 2 in January. My Jumbo is 1 year and 2 months old.

Willow · Post by **Willow** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 9:14 pm

I have had a couple of PPs from my first batch of hermies (Oct 2002)----4 years now! I got some Es a few months after that, and I know I have at least 1 from that batch (I tend to lose track of which crab came in which batch). The PPs were "normal" size when I bought them (on the small side of medium), and now 1 is large and 1 is extra-large. 1 has always been pale, but the other is very dark now. The E was quite small when I got her and now is large or at least on the large side of medium. She is now a lovely dark rusty color.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 2:47 am

Wow Willow! Four years is a long time I think for most people. I hope that mine can live that long. I am looking at months for my three PP's right now. I also just had one come up from a molt and the other two are still down. They all molted at the same time. Hopefully they all do well. Just think we could all be here in 20 to 30 years from now and saying:

"well my first batch I got is now 25 years old and are now all Jumbo's and I have had to upgrade to a 500 gallon long tank that takes up an entire room of my house."

well maybe that is just my dream, I don't think a 500 gallon really exists, and I highly doubt my wife will let them take over a room of our future house. But the idea that a crab can live for 30 plus years is kind of exciting.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 4:43 pm

I've only been crabbing for 13 months (and I was doing some things incorrectly in the very beginning), and I've had my longest-living crab, Dobby, for 11 months. I haven't had any deaths (I have four total, but I can't remember exactly when I got the other three) since May, and I'm hoping they all live long and happy lives!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 7:35 pm

So the longest I have read is four years for a single crab. Anyone have one for longer? Just curious.