i'm a new hermie owner, and i need all the help i can get!

[Guest]

hi, my name is amber. i've had my hermie since april and i am sad to say his living conditions aren't as good as they could be. i would love to give him the best of everything, and i love him very very much. whenever i go shopping for new things for my hermie, freddy, my dad never gives me more than 20 dollars. i know that's enough for some things, but i don't get to go shopping much. he has substrate, but it isn't sand and it isn't very deep. should i have sand? i have a very thin dirt like substrate, and it is mixed with a mulch type substrate. it was the cheapest there and i needed to conserve my money so i could afford everything i needed. i already had a glass tank from the previous lizard i had, and it was washed out thoroughly. i have only one hermit, because that is all i am allowed. i do know that they are much happier with buddies but i'm just not allowed. he has two white clam looking shells made of plastic for a food and water dish, one holding his sponge. he also has a small coconut-hut. i'm very sad to say that is all he has. i had some money saved, but i'm spending that on a father's day present, so i have none left for hermie supplies. i do not have a tank heater, mister, or anything. i feel so bad. any suggestions, and what all should i purchase ?

thanks a lot.

[starmaiden]

My suggestion would be to print out a care sheet and give it to your dad. Show him also that others say crabs need companions and he's less likely to think you're just trying to use it as an excust to get more crabs. Are there any special chores you can do around the house to earn more money to buy stuff for your crabs? It may be a long shot, but if you offer to do something above and beyond your everyday chores, your dad may be more willing to give you the money you need to buy stuff.

A basic setup doesn't have to be expensive. You've already got the tank, now the main two expenses you need are the heater and gauges:
Undertank heater for a 10 gallon tank: $15
Gauges: $10
playsand from hardware store: $4
spray bottle from hardware store: $3
Oceanic saltwater mix: $5 for a bag that makes 5 gallons of water
(I use spring water so don't know what dechlorinator runs)

So for about 40 more dollars, you've got Freddie an awesome home! You've already got the hidey and you can use your imagination for the other decorations and/or dishes, just make sure that they don't contain any metal as metal is poisonous to hermies.

Good luck and Welcome to the HCA!

[Guest]

You would be surprised at what bargains you can find at the dollar store. I bought water dishes there (they need fresh and ocean salt water), fake vines for climbing, spray bottle and netting for climbing. Also, you can use things around the house like peanut butter jar lids for water dishes, legos for climbing stuff, a branch from your tree (baked to steralize), etc. The main thing would be to get gauges ($6 at Walmart for a digital combo) and get the tank up to good conditions. As it is summer, you can probably save up for a heater later, if you don't use an air conditioner. And cheap playsand is the best, and it lasts forever.

[troppo]

Oh,don't forget the spare shells for your crabbie

[annopia]

the others have given great information about basic tank stuff, so I'll just add something about food:

do you use commercial food (hermit crab bites etc)? if so, you can save that money by feeding him fresh foods. it will be very cheap, too, since hermies can eat a lot of the foods you have at home (and if you don't, pretend that you like them so your dad gets them). they love all kinds of fresh fruit, fresh veggies, all kinds of nuts (unsalted), unseasoned meat (even if you just take a bit out of a raw, unsalted hamburger). they can even eat some type of leaves and flowers! there is a site called epicurean hermit, which I can't, for some reason, locate right now (can someone help me out?) but that has a more extensive list of what foods are good for hermies.

Caroline

[Guest]

thank you all for your help. it has definately helped , but there are just some specific questions i have, so if anyone has time to answer them - please do !



so far i know i need playsand, and toys, but here are my questions.


1. what type of gauges ? what are they called ? < ha i feel dumb.

2. i think they drink from a sponge ? that's what the pet store person said, but do i put two sponges, one with salt water one with fresh ?

3. how do i make the salt water ? .. i know iodized salt is bad.

4. the pet store person said my crab will change shells every two weeks, my crab is a PP and it hasn't changed shells since i got it in april. i have two shells ready in the tank.

5. what is a mister and how do i use it ?

6. there was a background thing at the petstore used to keep humidity, should i buy that ?

7. do i put the heater ( when i can purchase one ) under the substrate , or under the glass tank ?



that's all i can really think of. please , could someone take the time to answer them for me ?


-- i already told my dad they like buddies, and it gives them a better lifestyle but he told me no. he said i can buy the supplies, but i am only allowed one. will that make my hermie unhappy and dislike his home ?

[Guest]

1: thermometer to measure temp, and humidity guage to measure relative humidity.
2: Sponges keep humidity in the tank, and they can probably drink from them, I don't use them myself, because it is such a pain to keep sterilized.
They do need fresh dechlorinated water, you can use any plastic jar lid, and salt water dish of the same. In the aquarium /fish dept you can find aquarium salt water and there is a link on the right side>>>>>>>>>>>> where you can find how to mix the right amount with the brand you buy.
4: crabs change shells whenever they feel like it, no time table...
and a mister is any spray bottle, I use the salt water mixture to spray the inside of the tank when the humidity gets low..

The under tank heater goes on the outside of the tank, some use it under but I have mine on the back side of the tank.

Oh ya, welcome to Hermie life, they are fun to watch.

Hopefully your Dad will come around on Hermie #2, really, what's the difference? They live in the same tank, and eat the same food...and no vet bills....Come on Dad!

[Willow]

Yes, be sure that you have actual water for your crabbie. They need water, not just for drinking, but also to fill their shells with, and they can't fill their shells with just a sponge. You can still put a sponge in the water, just be sure to sterilize the sponge frequently---they can harbor bad bacteria. Water about an inch deep should be fine, unless he's really tiny, then a half-inch should be enough. A peanut butter lid works good for this.

[starmaiden]

This was a mystery to me in the beginning so in case you didn't already know: To sterilize a sponge, you rinse it with dechlor water, let it dry, and then zap it in the micro for 30 seconds. The microwave kills any bacteria in the sponge. Hermits don't need a sponge for drinking. The sponge is used to help keep the humidity in the tank up.

[dbolack]

I'm only going to answer some of these. Some you'll likely get better answers from other folks.

1. what type of gauges ? what are they called ? < ha i feel dumb.

You can get an inexpensive digital temperature/humidity gauge for about $7 at Walmart. They stock it in the hardware department with all of the outdoor temperature gauges. It will require a AAA battery.

3. how do i make the salt water ? .. i know iodized salt is bad.

You can get a box of "Doc Wellfish" ( also sold as API ) most anywhere with fish supplies. Its sold in a carton that looks roughly like a cup of milk. I believe there are mixing instructions for it here on the site, but I as often as not add a few "flakes" to the crabs food dish (or a separate dish) and let them nibble on some if they need it. They seem to have a good sense of if they need more salt.

4. the pet store person said my crab will change shells every two weeks, my crab is a PP and it hasn't changed shells since i got it in april. i have two shells ready in the tank.

Crabs change when they feel they need to. Sometimes it seems like a whim, sometimes its more obviously necessary. Your crab may be fine. A few more shells will never hurt, and there are a variety of ways you can get these inexpensively.

If you're having trouble keeping the humidity level up, there are a cuple of Do it Yourself humidifiers you can make that only take $5-$10 worth of bits ( some of which you might already have )

Good luck with your crab!

[Guest]

Salt: Mix 1/2 cup salt per 1 gallon of water... or 1Tablespoon salt for 2 cups of water...

The coco mat thing your question #6 I think you don't have to have it but it probably woln't hurt anything if you do. I bought one but didn't end up putting it in my tank.

I don't use sponges either.... my humidity is fine and I don't need them. I use plastic tupperware type dish for a big saltwater pool.