hermit crabs...?

Question

i have a strawberry hermit carb I'm keeping until friday (I got it for my friend's b-day) and was wondering if anybody had any tips for keeping them as pets

Answer 1

Do not just offer them a sponge with water!!! That is not enough! They must have both fresh and marine salt water in pools, read below for more info. ALSO dairy and things like yogurt and cheese are actually great treats for them,, dairy is fine to offer as a treat!!! Salt like table salt will kill them so foods must NOT contain ANY salt.

Firstly one MUST ALWAYS keep more than one hermit crab as a pet, they live in large colonies of 100 and more, so keeping one is just not responsible.
Secoundly;;; Strawberry Hermit crabs need a ton of room!!! They are an advanced owners crab only, they require at least 30 gallons long for just two strawberries. They must have warmer and more humid conditions than Purple pinchers, E's or Ruggies. They also must be provided with both fresh and marine salt de-chlorinated waters that are both deep and large enough in source size that the crabs may fully submerse themselves.

Strawberry species of land hermit crabs are the toughest to keep alive through a moult.

Unfortunatly it is obvious that you and possibly your friend have not taken the time to completly understand and research this type of pet, they require at least $100 worth of set-up costs, BUT with a strawberry that will go up to $200!

They must be provided with fresh fruit, veggies, meats, fish and whole grains, strawberries also will require specific things to keep their color good and keep them healthy in general.

I have owned and worked with hermit crabs for over 14 years and own 65 of them right now BUT I do not even want to tackle the ownership of Strawberries, they need their own enclosure of a 30-75 gallon aquarium woth large water pools and proper secure lid, misting system, air exchanger etc. to keep them healthy and thriving.

Hermit crabs are NOT good starter pets, nor something to be taken lightly they are wild exotic terrestrial crustaceans, and since they are in fact wild, they must be provided with the correct habitiat.

So make sure before she takes this crab that you get at least one more or that she does, and also have her pick up a 30 to 60 gallon aquarium with glass lid and lights, 2 food dishes and 2 very large water pools that are deep enough to submerse in while providing a safe exit and enterance. ALSO tons of climbing and hiding areas sicne Strawberries require plenty of places to get excersize since they are very active at night (hermits are nocturnal) and they must have the room and places to climb. THey will hide during the day, as they are skiddish and will de-stress for 3-4 weeks and need to be undisturbbed for that entire time which mean hands off while they get used to their new home.
Then she needs a great selection of food and must be able to have room in the family fridge and freezer to store most of it. Then she can get bottled water to use, 2 gallons to start, marine salt like Tropic Marine, then about 50 lbs of clean and sifted natural playsand for substrate, humidity and temp gauges since you must or she must, keep the crabitat within the proper ranges or they will dehydrate and suffocate from not enough humidity, or from being too hot. Then she will need at least one heat mat for the winter months, a light strip for the top of the tank so they have both heat and light, as they are nocturnal they still must have strong daylight to help mimic the natural habitat that they orriginate from. Full spec lighting 12 hours on and 12 hours off, on as the sun rises etc.

Temperature ranges should be held between 78-84 degrees F and monitored closely, and humdity MUST be between 78-86% relative and can even get a bit higher and keep them happy but never allow it to fall below.

Wet sponges will not help, that is only a temporary fix, plus sponges harbor harmful if not deadly forms of bacteria if not cleaned daily.

Never use table salt or foods with salts added nor sugars.... also never use tap water and also do not under any excuses use room freshners, bug sprays or any chemicals in, on or near the tank or even in the same room, these guys are very sensitive and will die.

They breathe via modified gills, therefore without the proper tank conditions they will suffocate. During molting they must never be picked up or touched, keep the tank and water pools very clean, but do not use soaps to clean with.

See, there is a ton to it, been doing it for 14 years myself and they only reason why mine have lived this long is proper care, many complain they die easily, fact is that is improper care and someone who has no realy clue. Our eldest 4 crabs have been with us for these 14 years, we got them when they were Micro sized, they are now bigger than our fist!!!

Theya re not toys or novelty pets that you can forget about, they require daily care and weekly maintenance. All I can say is research research research!!! Otherwise the crabs will soon die and that is just discusting to me.

P.S. do not listen to the person directly below me, she is obviously cluless and proved my point about what improper care and lack of research will result in.

Oh and they do eat their food, ours eat throughout the day and night and empty 3 full dishes every 2 days! They also go through 4 cups of water within 4 days.

Answer 2

Hermit crabs DO drown,actually.Soak a sponge with clean water [no chlorine or metals] and place it on a small plate or large shell.They like a substrate they can burrow in so if you have any play sand or fine gravel that will do.Crabbies are scavengers so they eat practically anything.Avoid over-salted foods or containing milk[dairy prod.].They like wheat cereal,oatmeal,tostitos,apples,crackers,even meat and poultry as long as it's cooked with no additives.
And they are nocturnal,so try to get something for them so they can hide in,like a big cup or flower so they can go in.

hope this helps.

Answer 3

omg i hate hermit crabs....

i got one in LBI this summer and it died after 2 weeks. it was so gross, it FELL out of the shell.

Soryy that doesnt make you feel better.

Anyway don't give them a bath because i think it loosens their claws. (mines like all fell off so i was afraid to like touch mine.)

They don't even eat their food, BTW

Answer 4

heres a cool name ViVia it means live long in French don't you want your hermit crabs to live long and strong? well your choice :P

Answer 5

i do have 3 hermit crabs..you try to to design a small natural habitat with water and some rocks.. don worry if u put the pet totally submerge inside the water..i wont drown....

as for food..try some fresh prawn meat..small portion and they will eat it....

Answer 6

they are very easy to care for my 3 year old sister and 6 year old brother has one all they need is a tank an moss/dirt ground food water and a bigger shell for when it grows. their simple.

Answer 7

sure------keep them warm----and clean water-----ans a Little food like a little piece of banana or veggies or special crab food----even some of your chicken or beef---venison----their diets are eclectic