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Hermit Crabs
Pet Rating System: 1= Lowest 5 = Highest
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Overall Rating:
1/2
Care Essentials:
10 Gallon Aquarium
Under-tank Heater
Thermometer
Sand
Sea Sponge for Water
Water & Food Dish
Hermit Crab Food
Hermit house
Rocks and logs for climbing
Hermit crabs are one of the easiest pets to care for and make a great starter pet for children. Hermit crabs have been known to live up to 10 years in captivity if given the proper care. They are also very social and are fun to watch interacting together. In the wild, hermits live all over the world and can be found on most beaches. Because hermits are scavengers, they play an important role in cleaning the beach. Their natural enemies include birds and other hermits.
Housing - A hermit crab likes to have space to move around, therefore, the little plastic take-home carriers are not appropriate housing for hermits. We recommend glass aquariums. Glass aquariums are needed because hermit crabs require a heated environment. You can pick-up an under-tank heater in the reptile section at your local pet store. Never use these heaters on a plastic aquarium. One crab will do well in a 5 gallon aquarium. If you have more than one crab you should have at least a 10 gallon aquarium. They require a constant temperature around 75 degrees. They also need humidity which can be provided by daily squirts from a water bottle. Hermit crabs in the wild live on the edges of the ocean. They do not live underwater and, therefore, need access to both land and shallow water. Their substrate should consist of sand or small aquarium gravel. The water bowl should be no deeper than 1 inch so as not to drowned your crab. Provide a sea sponge soaked in water for your hermit. Hermit crabs prefer brackish water (a mixture of fresh and aquarium salt) but will do fine in fresh water too. Be sure to provide dechlorinated water. You can get dechlorinator products found in the fish section at your local pet store. It is important to be sure you do daily water changes. Change your water daily, soiled water can lead to disease in your hermit crab. You can decorate your tank with driftwood and rocks but be sure that your hermit crab cannot climb out. They are great climbers.
Food - Most commercial pet stores sell specially formulated hermit crab food. As treats you can supplement with dry dog food, and fruits and vegetables. In the wild hermit crabs are scavengers and will eat most anything. Be sure not to overfeed your crab because leftover food ends up in the water and becomes spoiled easily.
Molting - Did you know crabs molt? This is a process whereby your crab sheds his skin as he gets bigger. Humidity plays an important role in helping the skin to shed. During shedding, your crab may hide for a couple of days. When he emerges, he will immediately start looking for a new larger shell. It is important to provide a variety of different sized shells at all times so that he may pick the right sized shell.
Note: Hermit crabs can bite with their claw. If this should happen, hold your hermit crab underwater for just a moment and it should release you.
If you would like more information on Hermit Crabs, try these websites:
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DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this website is not intended to be a substitute for Veterinary Care. If you have any questions or problems, always consult with your Veterinarian.