HCA: Hermit Crab Association

should i get a bunch of tubes for my crabs, or a hamster wheel? im tight on money right now, and my crabs have been a while without something new, other than food. i can afford one wheel, or a couple tubes. which do you think they would like best, and if i get the tubes, should i place some in the ground? i am kind of confused with that. i need your opinions on which to get, or maybe some other sugestions for toys?

thanks!

A hamster wheel should be top priority, hermit crabs seem to loooove running marathons on them!

mine are pretty slow, but salsa seems to want to escape by trying to climb the glass.

I’d go with the hamster wheel, once they figure it out they’ll be all over it. I have a few that will walk on it all night, I had to get another one bc they love it so much. It gives them the chance to walk the miles that they would in the wild.

I got a hamster wheel that is plastic and has bumps on it, but I only put it in yesterday and they haven’t been on it yet

should i get the upright hampster wheel or the flat one? my petstore has both. also, should i replace my moss pit? they dont really seem to like it.

If seen/heard they can use either but most of the time I see/hear people have wheels not saucers(not flat)

I have tried wheel and the saucers. Even with craft mesh on the saucer they still prefer the wheel. I just put the saucer back in the tank last week. I saw one crab on it once. The wheel always has a crab possibly two in it.

Oliviet#1 wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 08, 2019 10:14 am

I got a hamster wheel that is plastic and has bumps on it, but I only put it in yesterday and they haven’t been on it yet

It could take a couple of weeks for them to figure it out. Give it time. Once they figure it out they'll love it. Maybe try putting a treat in it. I tried that. They ignored the treat though but you never know. Lol

Hermiesguardian wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 08, 2019 12:02 pm

It could take a couple of weeks for them to figure it out. Give it time. Once they figure it out they'll love it. Maybe try putting a treat in it. I tried that. They ignored the treat though but you never know. Lol

What is considered a treat? I have seen my Peach eat banana, and I think they have eaten honey and applesauce

Oliviet#1 wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 08, 2019 1:27 pm

What is considered a treat? I have seen my Peach eat banana, and I think they have eaten honey and applesauce

I consider treats for my crabs to be cheerios, molasses, and bee pollen. These are just things that I don't give them as often as all of the others foods I offer.

i consider it dreid fruit and coconut treats

Oliviet#1 wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 08, 2019 1:27 pm

What is considered a treat? I have seen my Peach eat banana, and I think they have eaten honey and applesauce

You wouldn't really want to put anything sticky in the wheel. It would be difficult to clean. Popcorn, cheerios, coconut.

Hermiesguardian wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 09, 2019 8:53 am

You wouldn't really want to put anything sticky in the wheel. It would be difficult to clean. Popcorn, cheerios, coconut.

Ok thanks I put a couple Cheerios inside

The one thing I made that that they seem to like are food cubes. I made little 1" cubes out of craft mesh. I cut little holes on each face so they can reach in. I fill them with pieces of popcorn. It makes them "work" for their treats a little bit instead of it just being out in the open for them to take.