By Joan Fox
Hermit crabs aren't overly fussy about their surroundings except to have the environment clean and warm. Unless you live in a tropical environment, you will need a heater. Crabs don't need elaborate surroundings, but you should make what surroundings she has into something familiar and comforting - we're looking for a simple tropical paradise here. Read on to learn about the essentials.
So you have your glass or plastic tank that's pretty tall. Our crab friends really like to escape so you'll need a cover over the top. Plexiglas is a good choice.
There often are "Hermit Crab Kits" in some pet stores. Steer clear of them as they are not large enough for a suitable home. A proper figure for the size of a tank is about 10 gallons, but in this case, the bigger the better. Your crab will want you to supply him some friendly company. They are very social beings. And it is not unusual to find them all piled on top of each other in the wild.
If you decide that you want the bottom to have common sand, then you might want to dry and bake it, which will sterilize it for a nice fresh substrate. Aside from sand, you might like something more unusual. Some of these are made for reptiles, but work well for crabs, as well. The first is coconut fiber-based bedding. The fiber is ground so finely it looks like soil. It's a great burrowing medium. You can also consider crushed coral. What you want to avoid are gravel and wood shavings.
Again, let me emphasize how important proper humidity is. Remember they do breathe through gills. If the humidity is too low, the crab will surely die of suffocation. What you can do is just give her the water dish which can increase the humidity in her tank. You can also put a natural sea sponge in the dish as well. The sponge alone holds a lot of water. It also has a large surface area to create humidity. It may or may not be a great idea as the sponge can promote bacterial issues that smell likes sulphur - very unpleasant. If that happens I'm certain you will want to take another route and put marbles in the water dish. If you decide to do that and a small crab falls into the water dish, he will have something to fall on and grab onto.
As important as humidity and temperature are toys to keep your pets busy climbing. In the wild they climb up on rocks to eat. You don't have to be fancy with this either. If you have broken pottery that is not painted, clam shells, rocks, anything that hasn't been treated can serve as a hiding place. Make sure your pet friend can get out of any of her toys. They do have a sense of humor, and they play a great deal of the time. Remember to keep that top on because if they have these toys they will climb up and out of the tank. Those plastic plants you put in your fish tank? Well, they work well, too. Just make certain that the crab is not eating the plastic as it will kill him.
There should be variety in their diet. They adore coconut shavings, and also eat peanut butter, hard-boiled eggs and egg shells. Be aware of giving them anything that may have been sprayed with a pesticide. Buy organic fruits and vegetables just to be sure that you are not poisoning your friend. Remember, too, that salt water is where they bathe. Fresh water is what they drink.
A very good rule of thumb is that if you are not positively sure that what you are giving your pet is healthy, ask someone who knows. Hermit crabs are very sensitive to additives of any kind. Things you wouldn't even imagine. If you want to give her some meat, make sure that meat hasn't been marinated. It's a better bet to give her raw meat, and not worry about what condiments have been added.
Just like nearly all pets, try to avoid buying or using anything from the pet store. They are usually fairly toxic and the crab specimens are usually sluggish and dirty. You can order good, healthy crabs and stick to the organic regimen, and all will be well.
If you decide that you want the bottom to have common sand, then you might want to dry and bake it, which will sterilize it for a nice fresh substrate. Aside from sand, you might like something more unusual. Some of these are made for reptiles, but work well for crabs, as well. The first is coconut fiber-based bedding. The fiber is ground so finely it looks like soil. It's a great burrowing medium. You can also consider crushed coral. What you want to avoid are gravel and wood shavings.
Again, let me emphasize how important proper humidity is. Remember they do breathe through gills. If the humidity is too low, the crab will surely die of suffocation. What you can do is just give her the water dish which can increase the humidity in her tank. You can also put a natural sea sponge in the dish as well. The sponge alone holds a lot of water. It also has a large surface area to create humidity. It may or may not be a great idea as the sponge can promote bacterial issues that smell likes sulphur - very unpleasant. If that happens I'm certain you will want to take another route and put marbles in the water dish. If you decide to do that and a small crab falls into the water dish, he will have something to fall on and grab onto.
As important as humidity and temperature are toys to keep your pets busy climbing. In the wild they climb up on rocks to eat. You don't have to be fancy with this either. If you have broken pottery that is not painted, clam shells, rocks, anything that hasn't been treated can serve as a hiding place. Make sure your pet friend can get out of any of her toys. They do have a sense of humor, and they play a great deal of the time. Remember to keep that top on because if they have these toys they will climb up and out of the tank. Those plastic plants you put in your fish tank? Well, they work well, too. Just make certain that the crab is not eating the plastic as it will kill him.
There should be variety in their diet. They adore coconut shavings, and also eat peanut butter, hard-boiled eggs and egg shells. Be aware of giving them anything that may have been sprayed with a pesticide. Buy organic fruits and vegetables just to be sure that you are not poisoning your friend. Remember, too, that salt water is where they bathe. Fresh water is what they drink.
A very good rule of thumb is that if you are not positively sure that what you are giving your pet is healthy, ask someone who knows. Hermit crabs are very sensitive to additives of any kind. Things you wouldn't even imagine. If you want to give her some meat, make sure that meat hasn't been marinated. It's a better bet to give her raw meat, and not worry about what condiments have been added.
Just like nearly all pets, try to avoid buying or using anything from the pet store. They are usually fairly toxic and the crab specimens are usually sluggish and dirty. You can order good, healthy crabs and stick to the organic regimen, and all will be well.
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