HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi everyone. I haven't been on here in forever! In fact, I visited the old website and was very confused, and then I ended up finding this one so !
Anyway, there has been recent talk of getting a hermit crab in the student lounge at my school at a meeting about the design of the lounge. I'm not sure what to think. This could end up being a very bad thing, and there will be some poor hermit crab who doesn't get fed and proper water and humidity. I also would like to apologize at this point if this sounds like a bad idea, please tell me! My school will be acting upon this relatively soon...
If this were to happen, do you have any suggestions as to ways I could make sure the school wasn't doing something totally wrong or the students were hurting him/her? I am very worried about this, but I am confident this amazing community can help me
If you want more details, let me know!

I think a fish tank would be a better idea. Nobody is going to think of picking up a fish. Fish can be seen in the tank at all hours of the day. A hermit crab down molting won't be seen for weeks or months. Hermit crabs require much more in terms of care than a simple fish tank. There are a lot more people familiar with fish care than hermit crab care.

Sweet Pea wrote:I think a fish tank would be a better idea. Nobody is going to think of picking up a fish. Fish can be seen in the tank at all hours of the day. A hermit crab down molting won't be seen for weeks or months. Hermit crabs require much more in terms of care than a simple fish tank. There are a lot more people familiar with fish care than hermit crab care.

Fish are far from simple... Temperature needs to be monitored, the nitrogen cycle needs to be maintained, parameters must be watched closely. Weekly water changes are needed.

The biggest issue with school buildings and caged animals is keeping steady heat. Many places won't allow supplemental heating for fear of fire, and some buildings drop or raise the temperature on nights and weekends to save money. This is flat out deadly for exotic pets. IF they've thought of this and are willing to set up a proper tank then it's not a horrible idea. Tanks can be locked to keep non-authorized personnel out.

If you're really worried, bring up the fact that hermit crabs need the same level of specialized care as most reptiles. They might be thinking it's an easy and cheap pet, but with some education ( ) they'll soon know the truth. So long as someone is willing to put the time, effort and money into it, it really could work.

Honestly, cold water fish would be a much easier thing. Like CrabbyEmerson said, it's not without it's challenges, but it's so much simpler than taking care of hermits once it's up and running aside from the time needed.

And again, if they're willing to put the time in and do it right, a reptile would make an awesome addition as well. My local reptile rescue will donate an animal and an enclosure, teach people how to care for it, give presentations on it, and take it back during breaks. It's outreach for them and they love doing it!