I had been thinking about getting some Hermit Crabs for some time, and after quite a lot of research, I decided to go for it. And I have to say, it makes me so happy with these guys in my room. They're probably one of the most fascinating creatures I have ever owned, and over the years, that accounts for half the animal kingdom
Anyways, last night I went to Petsmart, got a 20 gallon long tank, a glass canopy hood, a heater, a water bowl with a cave, another water bowl for fresh water, a food bowl, the expanding coconut shavings, and some moss. My boyfriend brought me some extra play sand he had for his goldfish tank, of which I need to get more for because half the tank is at four inches, and the other half is around two inches deep. I also had some terra cotta pots that I put in there for them to hide in, and I am leaving here in a minute to go grab my hermies new shells, and some drift wood and things to climb on.
Oh! I almost forgot the most important thing; I got four hermit crabs.
One of them is probably just over the size of a quarter, two are about the size of a silver dollar, and the last one is my beautiful little baby boy (just guessing on that) roughly large enough to fit in the palm of my hand. From what I can tell, they are all Purple Pinchers, being that they are much darker in color than I believe the Ecuadorians would be. And I made sure NOT to get any of the "fancy" hermits with the painted shells. From what I have read, that is a pretty gruesome and cruel process, getting them in those. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I can get some good quality shells for them? Anyways, my only real concern then would be the heat. I have one of the Hermit Crab heaters they sell at the store, and put it on the one side, because from what I have read, Hermits need one part of their tank warmer, and the other part of their tank a little cooler so they can decide and fluctuate their own heat. The problem is that three of them have gone to the side without the heat, where the thermometer says it is 70 degrees. Is this too cold for them? Should I get another heater for that side of the tank as well? And if I should get another heater, is there any particular heater you would recommend? The humidity level is staying at a constant 90 percent right now. I do expect that to go down slightly with the small crack in the tank lid.
So yeah, just a little tidbit as to where I am coming from, and what I have going on. Thanks for reading, and I would appreciate any comments or help.
