Take care of hermit crabs?

I'm thinking of turning my 5.5g into a hermit crab tank. Do you have hermit crabs? How do you like them? What care do they need?

 

I think its 10 gallons for the first crab and 5 gallons for each after. And the like the buddy system. A 20 long for 3 or 4 crabs would be awesome!

So beside the tank size issue you have going on (), I'll let you know what I know (its been a long time since I've had them!).

Fresh and Saltwater (dechlorinated)
Sponge in water to prevent drowning
Varied diet (of what, I'm not to sure. I fed mine the best hermy crab pellets I could find)
Climbs. Lots and lots of climbs. And a secure top. My girls escaped all the time. Finally found one dead under the TV when we went out of town :/
Coconut fiber substrate, dry.


.... That's all I can think of right now. Its been forever... Like 10 years, I think, since I've had crabs!

 

I used to, until I left for vacation and my brothers were caring for him... And he went in molt. I'm actually not fond of anything crawly like that, I don't even like my crawdad. But they are fascinating to watch. Things I learned- Use sand, it's wonderful. They will dig through it easy and most like to hide in it to molt. Mist the guys once a day, and they love a luke-warm soak once a week. It also keeps away the parasites. I put a shallow dish in my tank, with a little bit of water and a sponge, I think he liked itXD. I think that 5.5gal would be ok sized for 1 hermit crab, but I wouldn't push it with more. I kept mine in a 10gal. Mine was sociable, my brother would pick him up and place him in his palm, the little guy never pinched.

 

I would only want one. What about humidity and heat?

 

Hermit Crabs are real social with other crabs, and get pretty big. I'd go with at least a 10 gallon if you could. If not, then I'd skip the idea, unless you had an upgrade in the future.

I'm not sure if they need UV or anything, but they like it toasty. 80*, and medium humidity, hence the misting only once a day.

 

Here's a couple of sites, maybe they'd help you some?
Basic care-

Better instruction-
https://www.hermit-crabs.com/care.html

 

I had them for years and would do them again in a heart beat. They do much better in pairs and trios. They will climb anything they can. I used a turkey pan as an excercise bin. It made it easier to get the tank cleaned out.

As for food. Besides pellets plain pretzles and saltines were always devoured.

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Mine eats all kinds of things. Crab pellets, corn meal, and bread crumbs as well as bits of fresh fruit and some veggies.
Cheese doodles....

I use bottled drinking water for his little dish.

 

I had them for years and would do them again in a heart beat. They do much better in pairs and trios. They will climb anything they can. I used a turkey pan as an excercise bin. It made it easier to get the tank cleaned out.
...

Ha! I used a wire trash can for my girls XD

 

Ha! I used a wire trash can for my girls XD

Not quite getting the concept of a turkey pan or trash can in tank.

 

I think they meant they took them out of their enclosure for exercise.
Mine always liked wicker baskets to climb on.
This is a great time to mist them. Their substrate won't get all wet and nasty.

 

Ok, thanks.

 

Its not for in the tank. While you clean their tank out, set them in the pan to play. I always set them in a critger carrier when it came time to clean the tank out

 

How dirty do their tanks get in a week?

 

How dirty do their tanks get in a week?

Not vary much. Mostly just getting out wet sand, and any sheds, uneaten food bits... They aren't very messy, though. Just takes a few minutes

 

Oh, I want one. Why oh why can't a 5.5g big big enough. Only empty tank right now. Haha

 

Why use a tank? I've heard of hundreds of people going and getting storage totes for these guys. They work just as well. Then you could keep more. Just make sure that they can't climb out.

 

BUT I have an empty TANK. LOL

 

LOL! If it was me, I find something to put the in the empty tank, and then get the tub for hermits, just so I could have 2x the fun! I'm trying to figure out what to put in my extra- 3-10gal, 2-20gal, 1-30gal, and 1-40gal, while I have all of my other tanks, plus the ones I'm in the process of setting up.

 

I want one tank that doesn't have water in it. LOL. I think I'll just grow a terrarium.

 

Hehe, I just had a 20gal get cracked, all the way down the front. I'm thinking a little bit of fixing, and thanks to this thread, I shall use it for some hermits. Maybe you could move some fish around and have like a spare 10 gal for hermits?

 

Hehe, I just had a 20gal get cracked, all the way down the front. I'm thinking a little bit of fixing, and thanks to this thread, I shall use it for some hermits. Maybe you could move some fish around and have like a spare 10 gal for hermits?

I could take the betta out of his 10g, but I want to aquascape it for now.

 

Not quite getting the concept of a turkey pan or trash can in tank.

Outside of the tank. Same concept as letting my parakeets out of their cage and using a screen frame and gate to limit them to one room

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