I am going to buy a hermit crab soon but I don't know exactly what I need. The guy at the store sells crabs with sand, plastic terrarium, sponge, plastic dish, coconut shell, and crab food all in one packet (It comes with 2 crabs) Is this all I need to get started? He says they live for up to 20 years. I don't know where to get a oyster shell for calcium(?) or a heat lamp thing (I'm in Canada) but do I need the oyster shell and heat thingy?
Your help is greatly appreciated.
P.S
What is the daily/monthly/weekly maintenance of a hermit crab?
new to this
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Willow
Topic author
Don't waste your money on a plastic death box. A glass fish aquarium is MUCH better and can usually be found for approximately $10.00 (U.S.) at a superstore (like Wal-Mart) or a large pet store. Regular sandbox sand is good for substrate, you can get that for about $5.00, also at a superstore, or a hardware store. Here are a bunch of websites for good info, to help you get started:
http://thecrabbagepatch.com/
http://www.crabzilla.net/
http://www.hermit-crabs.com/
Yes, hermit crabs can live 20 years or more, but it's very unlikely they'll last long at all if you keep them in a plastic box.
http://thecrabbagepatch.com/
http://www.crabzilla.net/
http://www.hermit-crabs.com/
Yes, hermit crabs can live 20 years or more, but it's very unlikely they'll last long at all if you keep them in a plastic box.
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Guest
Topic author
The oyster shell in the water idea is a myth. It doesn't work, unless you leave that shell in that water for several months, and that could never happen because the water should be changed at least every two days. For calcium, you can give them crushed eggshells, or buy a cuttlebone from the bird section of the petstore.
Please don't get the plastic box. It's way too small to hold a hermit crab, and those kits are way over-priced. It's cheaper and you get better stuff if you buy it separately.
Get a glass tank. A 10 gallon glass tank should cost $10.
Get playsand from a hardware store. A 50 pound bag costs $5.
A humidity guage/thermometer combo pack (reptile section of petstore) should cost about $10.
The guages are the most important things in the tank, so don't forget them. Your crabs will need between 75-80% humidity in order to breathe, so you really need guages.
The tank needs to have a solid lid (either glass or plexiglas) to hold in humidity. The petstore probably has a glass lid, so you can ask for it, but if not, you can get a piece of plexiglass cut fairly cheaply at a hardware store.
For water, the crabs need both fresh water and salt water available. I buy Instant Ocean marine salt mix, but there are other brands. I bought a pack that makes five gallons of salt water back in April for $6, and I just mixed my second gallon two weeks ago, so it lasts a long time and your money goes far. Crabs cannot survive without both types of water available.
The water also can't have any chlorine in it. Chlorine will cause blisters on their gills, causing them to slowly suffocate. So, either use spring water, or buy dechlorinator to mix into your tap water.
Temperature needs to be kept in the 70-75 degree range. Forgive me, I'm not familiar with the celsius scale. (You use that in Canada, right?) If you can't get it high enough, then you need a heater or heat lamp for the tank. Also, don't let the temperature get too high, or your crabs will overheat. They can't recover from that. (So again, humidity and temperature guages are very important. You can't keep crabs without them.)
For food, your crabs can eat what you eat, as long as it's organic. Pesticides and preservatives kill hermit crabs, and unfortunately, most hermit crabs foods contain both of those. (Usually, copper sulfate and Ethoxyquin.) If you HAVE to feed them commercial hermit crab food, then get Crab Island Hermit Crab Food, Original Formula (not Fruit and Flower Mix). But, feeding them organic human grade fresh food is much more fun.
Also, please don't get just one. They live in very social groups of up to several hundred in the wild, so they don't fare well when kept alone. They seem to lose the will to live unless they have a partner around. Get at least two.
Prices were given in American dollars. Forgive me, I don't know how different they'll be where you are.
Any other questions, just ask.
Please don't get the plastic box. It's way too small to hold a hermit crab, and those kits are way over-priced. It's cheaper and you get better stuff if you buy it separately.
Get a glass tank. A 10 gallon glass tank should cost $10.
Get playsand from a hardware store. A 50 pound bag costs $5.
A humidity guage/thermometer combo pack (reptile section of petstore) should cost about $10.
The guages are the most important things in the tank, so don't forget them. Your crabs will need between 75-80% humidity in order to breathe, so you really need guages.
The tank needs to have a solid lid (either glass or plexiglas) to hold in humidity. The petstore probably has a glass lid, so you can ask for it, but if not, you can get a piece of plexiglass cut fairly cheaply at a hardware store.
For water, the crabs need both fresh water and salt water available. I buy Instant Ocean marine salt mix, but there are other brands. I bought a pack that makes five gallons of salt water back in April for $6, and I just mixed my second gallon two weeks ago, so it lasts a long time and your money goes far. Crabs cannot survive without both types of water available.
The water also can't have any chlorine in it. Chlorine will cause blisters on their gills, causing them to slowly suffocate. So, either use spring water, or buy dechlorinator to mix into your tap water.
Temperature needs to be kept in the 70-75 degree range. Forgive me, I'm not familiar with the celsius scale. (You use that in Canada, right?) If you can't get it high enough, then you need a heater or heat lamp for the tank. Also, don't let the temperature get too high, or your crabs will overheat. They can't recover from that. (So again, humidity and temperature guages are very important. You can't keep crabs without them.)
For food, your crabs can eat what you eat, as long as it's organic. Pesticides and preservatives kill hermit crabs, and unfortunately, most hermit crabs foods contain both of those. (Usually, copper sulfate and Ethoxyquin.) If you HAVE to feed them commercial hermit crab food, then get Crab Island Hermit Crab Food, Original Formula (not Fruit and Flower Mix). But, feeding them organic human grade fresh food is much more fun.
Also, please don't get just one. They live in very social groups of up to several hundred in the wild, so they don't fare well when kept alone. They seem to lose the will to live unless they have a partner around. Get at least two.
Prices were given in American dollars. Forgive me, I don't know how different they'll be where you are.
Any other questions, just ask.
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Guest
Topic author
Hi there, welcome to the HCA.
I'm afraid you've been given incorrect information already.
HCs need heat and humidity around 70-80%, a plastic critter carrier won't retain that very well, a ten gallon glass (or larger-to save any upgrades later) would the right perminate home for your crabs. The sand is probably reptile sand (or calci sand-also bad), which is super fine and could glog a crab's modified gills, plus will clump and not retain humidity very well. Oyster shells for calcium is another mistruth, not enough calcium seeps int water to do crabs any good, they need crushed eggshells or cuttlebone (in the bird section). Crabs need declorinated fresh water and sea salt water, which often pet stores don't tell people either.
There are caresheets on the right of the screen under Emergancy Care and Links that will be the correct way to house your crabs to see them thrive. I know it seems like pet shop people and products that are made for crabs should be right for them, but unfortunatly they're not.
I'm afraid you've been given incorrect information already.
HCs need heat and humidity around 70-80%, a plastic critter carrier won't retain that very well, a ten gallon glass (or larger-to save any upgrades later) would the right perminate home for your crabs. The sand is probably reptile sand (or calci sand-also bad), which is super fine and could glog a crab's modified gills, plus will clump and not retain humidity very well. Oyster shells for calcium is another mistruth, not enough calcium seeps int water to do crabs any good, they need crushed eggshells or cuttlebone (in the bird section). Crabs need declorinated fresh water and sea salt water, which often pet stores don't tell people either.
There are caresheets on the right of the screen under Emergancy Care and Links that will be the correct way to house your crabs to see them thrive. I know it seems like pet shop people and products that are made for crabs should be right for them, but unfortunatly they're not.