We just got 7 hermit crabs from a visit to the ocean, how do I take care of them?

Question

We found 7 hermit crabs at the ocean, we brought them home with us, but now I need to know how to take care of them...Do I need to keep them in the sand and ocean water that I brought them home in? What do I feed them? Is it Ok to have them all in the same container, what type of container would be the best? Any other info you could share would be great..Thanks

Answer 1

First of all, you should know what kind of a hermit crab you have got yourself: http://www.hermit-crabs.com/species.html

Then you should try to get as much info as possible about hermit crabs:
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/HermCrab.htm

Loads of info here too:
http://www.uncoverthenet.com/popular/water_hermit_crabs/

Answer 2

That was a bad idea on your part. If you didn't have the means to care for it before you found it, why would you even CONSIDER bringing it back to your home where it has no place to live permanently? Seeing as you can't return it now, call up any marine fish store and ask if they will take him. The hermit crab will need a large tank (40g+), fully cycled, with live sand, rock, etc. You cannot just go out, buy the tank, and cycle it all within one day. It takes weeks to cycle a tank properly, and if this is your first saltwater pet, then you're probably not going to do it right unless you spend lots of time doing research. Next time, please use your brain!

Answer 3

First of all, you should never take hermit crabs from the beach. When I lived in Guam, I would take hermit crabs home, and they would always die. They are different from the ones from the petstore. But now that you have them, you should go to a seciality pet store, petco might have it too, to get some hermit crab food. I know that for hermit crabs that you get from the store dont have to have ocean water in thier cages, but I'm not sure about the ones from the ocean. also, get a sponge wet and put it on a plate in the cage. This is for them to drink from. It's best to keep them in a fish aquarium, a glass one. Make sure that it is big enough for them to move around. Put some shells in there for them to climb on, they need exercise just like most other pets. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Petco sells special hermit crab items...check there if you want to keep them. But you should never take creatures away from the ocean...

Answer 5

we've had hermit crabs a while and they don't live long ! :( they last longer if they are in ocean water ! If you buy a sponge at the store and keep it wet , they will suck on it and thats how they feed their self ! :)

Answer 6

Some hermit crabs live strictly under water others live on land and water. If you really want to try and keep them then you need to try and simulate their natural habitat. Hermit crabs are scavangers and will eat algae, meaty foods, and fish flakes as well.

Your best bet...Return them to the ocean and buy a few from the pet store. They are very cheap and you will know exactly what kind you are getting and how to care for it.

Answer 7

The problem with hermits from the ocean is they need to be in salt water. Some will come out of the water for various reasons, but they breath air from water stored on the hairs of their legs. They will eat fish pellet food and a tank is the best place for them to be with a cycled salt tank. If you do not already have one set up, I would suggest finding a pet store that can house them until you do.

If you attempt to add salt water to a tank and drop your crabs in they have a good chance of not making it.

If you need more help, feel free to email me

Answer 8

Are these hermits ones that live on the land or in the water? If there are land hermits (the kind you see in pet stores with the painted shells), you'll need a tank size around a 20 gallon long to keep them in, and they should be kept together - despite the name, hermits are social animals that like the copany of others. You'll need two water bowls, deep enough to soak in, one for fresh water, one for saltwater. You can use sand or coconut fiber on the bottom of the tank, but this needs to be deep enough for them to bury themselves competely when the molt, and it should be changed periodically because hermits like to hide food by burying it. You should also provide a hiding spot, and something to climb on for exercise. Depending on the temperature of your house, you might need a small heater for under the tank and a mist bottle because they need high humidity.

If these are marine crabs that live underwater, you'll need an aquarium, saltwater mix for a marine tank, a hydrometer to get the right specific gravity of saltwater (1.024-1.026), and probably a heater to keep the water temperature between 76-80o. You can keep these on a bed of crushed coral or shells, with some rocks for them to climb. You'll also need a filter for their tank.

Both will need food and a supply of shells in slightly larger sizes than what their in now for when they need to change into a large one as they grow.

I'll put some links below to help you out with more info on land and marine hermits and setting up a saltwater tank if you need to do that.

NOTE: You should know the requirements of an animal before you decide to get them as a pet.

Answer 9

Best answer, go back to the ocean and return them