Handling of hermit crabs

[Juliet1120]

Hopefully I am posting in the right area. Very new to having Hermit crabs but after LOTS of research and money I have gotten their home correct. I am just having issues finding things about handling them. Ours are never touched, I dont let my children touch them and I dont touch them when we do finally see one if they are not hiding. Is that okay? Or are we suppose to handle them. Am I making them more shy by never handling them and not allowing them to get use to us? We have had them for about 4 months now. After I got the coconut fiber and sand the correct height of 6 inches or more we only see one or two once a week. Just wondering if Im going about this wrong. Thanks for any information

[Crabinski]

Hermit crabs really aren't "hands on" pets and are best off left to go about their crabby business unmolested. There are, of course, times when crabs have to be picked up (upgrading or deep cleaning the tank, crab fights, moving crabs into/out of ISO, manually reshelling, etc). That said, it comes down to the personality of the individual crab: some are quite happy to be picked up and will climb around on their humans or sit nicely to be sized. If I'm doing a bit of surface maintenance in the crabitat and one of my guys just will not move from the area I need to work on, I will pick him up and move him out of the way. The big caveat here is that no crab should be picked for anything other than an emergency situation until it has undergone a molt in its new home and probably finished destressing.

[naalide]

About handling I share Crabinski point of few.

We have had them for about 4 months now. After I got the coconut fiber and sand the correct height of 6 inches or more we only see one or two once a week.

You know they are nocturnal?
Try to sneaking up at some time before midnight or a few hours after and you may see more hermits.
Some species are more active at day during summertime at mating season.

Another reason for their 'absence' could be molting.

[Juliet1120]

Yes...aware they are nocturnal, thanks. That was when we saw the one or two. Really late at night or early morning. I suprised myself with all the information I manage to learn about them and how much I like and care about them when we hardly see them. Yes I am that awful parent that bought a painted hermit crab on vacation for her son. When we got him he was in a wire cage with gravel....when we got home and I read up on hermit crabs I felt awful...but I couldn't part with him, so I got him 3 buddies, a correct size home that could hold humidity, threw out his yucky hermit pellets, made them salt and fresh water dishes so that they can submerge and got lots and lots of shells. Hopefully they can happy now after being captured. Thanks for all your help. Yes and we threw away the painted shell and spit in disgust at all painted shells. Thanks again

[landlubber]

I personally don't handle mine much for the most part. As crabinski said, I also mostly move them around when cleaning and such. I do take a few shots of them outside the tank with my camera so I can start a document on them. I put in the pictures, and this helps me tell them apart-I get confused about which one is which I study their "Welcome Home Pics" and soon I can tell at a glance which one is which, even if they are doing the twin thing to me. I also take photo documentation of their post-molts so I can see the changes in size and color, and I add that information to their "file."

However, if you got one of those crabs who appear to like to be handled, or don't mind it I don't see why someone shouldn't handle them (after they are done destressing). I just adopted a new crab today and I've never met such a friendly crab. He is really active, but doesn't shrink into his shell when I come near (I swear the fella is looking right into my eyes), and he loves to climb all up my arms. Today he had a really great grip on my sweater and climbed all the way a crossed my back to my other shoulder and back down my other arm. When I pick him up by the back of shell he waves his legs all around and his antenna is going crazy. It's like he's saying, "This is so demeaning! Put me down woman!"

I just enjoy watching them more than handling them, that's my preference.

[KellyCrabbieLove]

I have a few that I regularly handle but for the most part I leave them alone. I have a few that run up to the glass when they see me for attention! I have one that "waves" her front right walking leg when I do the finger antenna wave thing. It is so awesome. I feel guilty if they start trying to climb the glass and can't help but get them out to play. My favorite crab, Thor, never misses an opportunity for me to let him crawl on me. He has been with me a year and a half and has never once opened his BP at me. He eats out of my hand even! He never dug down even when new to destress and is not a digger unless molting. Maybe he is afraid he'll miss some lovin'. Lol

Some crabs love their time with their humans while others scurry away if you are even walking by the tank. My newest little guy doesn't seem to want time to destress without attention just like Thor but aside from getting him out for pics once I haven't touched him. He always appears to be sulking when I check on him. He comes to the glass sometimes and stares at me. Crabs are such amazing creatures.

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[me n my hermikids]

When i got my little Timothy, he was really not well, and had to be hand fed. I think this possitive reinforcement caused him to bond with me, because now when he sees my "giant" hand in the tat, he actually comes to me. My others go and hide mostly.

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[soilentgringa]

I am a very hands off crabber. I rarely ever touch them unless they are new or I am taking a photo for ID purposes.

[Tala]

When i got my little Timothy, he was really not well, and had to be hand fed. I think this possitive reinforcement caused him to bond with me, because now when he sees my "giant" hand in the tat, he actually comes to me. My others go and hide mostly.

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Ahh! That's adorable and I so wish they wouldn't hide (or collapse & fall over ) when I walk by or get inside the tank to change food & such-- not necessarily at the expense of their health though :/. Glad Timothy is doing better! And that he can't wait to see what you & your hand are up to!

[Tala]

I am that awful parent that bought a painted hermit crab on vacation for her son.

We did the same thing! My mom had a class for work she needed to take so we went to Texas with her, and my little brother and I ended up buying two painted shelled little crabbies ("for my 5 yo little brother") (I got way more into them than he did ) from this random guy in the mall. After that is when I discovered HCA (like maybe over a month ago is when all that happened) and since then I have gotten SO into all things crab, haha.

I figure reading up on the best way to treat your crabs and making sure their environment is healthy & made to their liking, etc., is awesome-- even if it's after you bought them. It's definitely way better than not doing any research at all. So basically my point is that you're not an awful parent.. at least not for adopting hermit crabs before researching them, lol. Good luck!

[Crab_Coalition]

Hopefully I am posting in the right area. Very new to having Hermit crabs but after LOTS of research and money I have gotten their home correct. I am just having issues finding things about handling them. Ours are never touched, I dont let my children touch them and I dont touch them when we do finally see one if they are not hiding. Is that okay? Or are we suppose to handle them. Am I making them more shy by never handling them and not allowing them to get use to us? We have had them for about 4 months now. After I got the coconut fiber and sand the correct height of 6 inches or more we only see one or two once a week. Just wondering if Im going about this wrong. Thanks for any information

I have a son that loves his hermit crabs and he handles them BUT he has been taught the right way to handle them, the right time and also for how long they are out of the tank. He knows which crabs do not want to be handled at that time and the crabs seem to really love him. When he works in the tank or approaches the tank, the crabs do not run or hide from him unlike me or my wife. They seem to know him and are relaxed with him so as long as you know how to handle the crabs so they won't be too stressed, I find no problem with it. Overall, we handle the crabs about 10% of the time and usually with those that are already up and when we are doing some tank maintenance. A couple of times I just wanted to hang out with a crab and scooped one up to watch him or her crawl around or crawl on me. (-:

[soilentgringa]

We are extremely hands off with our crabs. The only time we pick them up is when putting them into the tank and to take id pics after a molt. I believe that since they are hardwired to see any creature larger than they are as a predator, that us handling them is super stressful. Increase in activity is usually a sign of "panic mode".

[wodesorel]

I'm only hands off because I can't get in and out of the tank. Once that changes, we'll see.

I've always been of the opinion that once they're established - molted and healthy and not at risk of dropping dead from the adjustment into captivity and Post Purchase Syndrome - that they're pretty darn hardy. I would never handle exotics since their death rate is so high even with perfect conditions, but PPs are really built tough. I look at Carol of Crabworks who would let hers run the house for around 4 hours every single night, for decades. Hers ended up being with her for 40 years! And we are not talking tropical conditions either - for the first 30 years she lived in New Jersey, and for anyone who lives in the North East, you know that means dry house conditions when the furnace is running full blast in winter.

[megmaholm]

For me, it depends on the individual crab. I have a couple that have been with me over a year that are pretty mellow and don't seem to mind being handled, but I still don't do it often. They're the ones I'll pull out to show to people. A lot of mine are a lot more jumpy and skittish so I don't touch them unless I have to. Most of my handling consists of moving them if they're in my way, or taking pics of them. I'm extremely hands off with any that haven't molted with me.

[KellyCrabbieLove]

I have a few that will try to climb me for attention if I am working in the tank and others that hide if they even hear my voice. I am hands off on the shy ones and hands on when it comes to my social butterflies. Thor will always come out for attention. He will sit in my lap and lean up against me so he is still warm but being held.

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