HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I know i could search but i have a few questions, I did read the whole article about the crabs on hermitcrabs.com.
1. Do I completely submerge the crab under water when cleaning?
2. Do i put his shell in the play pen after washing?
3. Do i need new shells for them to switch out in (bigger shells?)
4. Will faucet water work, or will distiled (gallon jug from grocery store) water work for them to drink?
5. can i use my fish tank with a flourecent light bulb on the top cover , is that light source ok?

1. Most people here don't bathe our crabs because it can be stressful for them. If you give them a water dish deep enough for them to walk into and submerge their shells, they can bathe themselves. If you choose to bathe them, you completely submerge them but only for a minute. They can drown.

2. Your crab shouldn't come out of his shell completely. This is a sign that there is something wrong. If he is out of his shell, it should be right next to him so he can reenter it.

3. Hermit crabs need new and bigger shells. They should always have at least 1 preferably a few new shells available.

4. Faucet water can't be used without being treated because it contains chlorine. Some types of bottled water are ok, such as spring water, but others are just filtered faucet water which still contains chlorine. The easiest thing to do it to buy dechlorinator (without stress coat/slime coat enhancer) from the pet store and treat your faucet water. It is pretty cheap and easy to use.

5. A fish tank with a flourecent bulb would probably work but you should have temperature and humidity gauges in the tank. The tank's temperature will determine whether you need an additional heat source.

thanks a lot! one more quick thing, i did use faucet water for his first drink since there wasnt anything else. is that going to be alright till tommorow when i go to get the supplies? i had already given him faucet water

It will be ok as long as you get the dechlorinator soon. It's better than no water at all. Also, I forgot to mention before about salt water. You should also provide a dish of dechlorinated salt water (mixed using aquarium salt) for them to drink.

welcome to the HCA! it sounds like Kaep0722 has done a great job answering your questions, but if you have more don't hesitate to ask.

Caroline