HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I got Hermine over a month ago at the local flee market and knew nothing about proper care. I did a lot of research and got a 10 gal tank with over 6" of eco-earth. There is fresh and salt water. Humidity and Temp and ok. She burried herself right after i got her. I had moved her when she came up yesterday and she went inside the hut and burried herself again. She hasn't eaten anything since I got her she doesn't seem interested in the Pelets or fresh fruits and Veggies. I'm worried about her.

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Hello! The pellets aren’t good for them. A lot of the commercial foods marketed for hermits are actually not safe. I’m on my phone, so I am unable to post links at this time. Try to give your hermit time to destress. Be hands off don’t dig her up, don’t hold her. Do get her a friend. Only one. They need species buddies. Are you using a dechlorinator for her water? Most of us use a product called Prime. Needs to remove chlorine & chloramine as well as detoxify heavy metals and ammonia. What kind of salt are you using? You need Marine salt. Like to make a saltwater fish tank. Most of us use Instant Ocean.
Check the safe food and unsafe food list. Offer organic when possible.

When you get a friend, dip the friend in the freshwater of the crabitat.


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I know they say the pellets are not good for them but that's what she ate before I got her so I thought I'd she was going to eat something it would probably be what she's used to. And I have done my research on the water and food she needs. When she dug herself under I thought she was going to molt that's why she doesn't have a friend yet

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Please don’t take offense to what I write, there have been many crabbers who have thought they have had the correct products that didn’t. I am just trying to help you.


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I didn't take offense I was letting you know why I haven't changed those things and that I have researched a lot

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What about putting some protein like egg or peanut butter or honey? Maybe that will tempt her

A lot of new hermie owners will be worried if their crabs don't look like they are eating, or drinking, or even burying themselves for weeks at a time. Let me share my story. In June of 2016, I decided that I wanted a Hermit Crab during a trip to the beach. I thought, I had these as a kid so I can surely handle them now! I started with one. Just one. And a wire "Crab Hotel". Once I started looking into the care of a hermit crab, I panicked!! I Immediately put the crab in a small 1 gallon tank to get him warm and the humidity back to where he needed it. With in 2 days, he buried himself in his sand, and didn't move! I knew it, I killed him. I'm a horrible person! So I picked up the tank to check, and wait....he looks dead! Ok, i'll give him the proper burial he deserves because I'm a bad crab owner. So I pick up the shell, look inside....and he's ALIVE!! He molted!!!

So don't be too worried just yet. Most likely PPS(Post Purchase Stress) since you did get it from a flea market. You aid the humidity and the temps are good, so it's just an adjustment. She'll it when she's ready, just provide a constant supply of fresh food. If you want to use the pellets, be sure to crush them, or moisten them. The hardness is a little too much for them. My three love fresh broccoli and some organic, unsweetened coconut. They each grab a piece of that and will NOT let go!

I should also tell you that my original Hermie died. I made the mistake of not getting him a friend before he got depressed. I got Flash, but it was too late. So I currently have three, and will be getting more! Love being a crabber, and you will too. Just make sure to get your little one a friend, and introduce them. Even after an introduction of a week, Flash still evicted George very quickly.

The point here is, just let her de-stress, provide fresh and salt water, fresh food everyday, and get her a friend!!! You will be just fine!

Just gonna add -

Regarding the familiarity of the pellets for your crab:

Interestingly, studies done on land hermit food preferences have shown that rather than choosing to eat the same food regularly, a crab will prefer to eat something diferent within a 24 hr. period. As omnivorous scavengers they've adapted to the need to supply their bodies with a wide variety of nutrients by seeking out variety. In tests, the scent of a food they'd recently eaten was rejected in favor of the scent of something they hadn't consumed.

Try offering different animal proteins, eg. fresh or dried or cooked fish, clam, crab, octopus, shrimp, mussel, chicken, beef, bloodworms/daphnia/mysis shrimp, krill (fish section of the petstore ), or as mentioned above, egg (which they will eat in the wild - PPs will climb trees & raid bird nests, lol.)

And try not to worry - the hardest part of crabbing for sure.