- Joined
- Apr 8, 2003
- Messages
- 679
I have had half a dozen small hermits for a couple of years. I keep them on a mixture of playpit sand and calcisand. Their tank has some driftwood and coral to climb on and nibble. I feed Zoo Med's Hermit Crab Food, suplimented with occasional salad, fruit and dried fish food. They also seem to like small offerings of honey or peanut butter. You can feed them pretty much anything, but don't offer meat or dairy, since it will putrify. Some people feed them dog food, but I don't have a dog, so that's not practical for me. I have also heard that cabbage may be toxic to them, but I can't tell you if this is true or not (anyone?).
They need a selection of new shells to swap into as they grow. I use hand painted shells, which I bought from easyexotics.com. We name the shells, rather than the crabs, since the little buggers all look the same. The large claw should neatly block the shell's opening for a good fit.
You'll need to wash their substrate every few weeks and clean out uneaten food regulary to prevent disease. They also appreciate you regularly rearranging the tank ornaments, so that they can explore new areas. They have a reputation for being unusually smart for invertebrates. Sive the sand when you wash it, because they drag food into the burrows, where it can rot.
Make sure you dechlorinate tap water, since it will burn their gills. I give them rainwater in their dish most of the time because it's easier than messing about with chemicals.
If you mist the tank well they will emerge from their burrows and forage, just like after the rain in the wild. They are very timid and dart back into their shells if suprised. Be careful when handling, since they can give you a nasty pinch when they retreat, trapping skin behind their incredibly sharp and strong legs and their shell opening. My kids love them and have learned to treat them with care.
They stidulate to each other while foraging, which sounds like little squeaking noises. Very cute.
Hermit crabs eat a TINY amount of food, so it's hard to tell if they are eating unless you see them do it. They are extremely hardy, as the people above have said and will tollerate quite a lot of mistakes.
Compared to my tarantulas they are quite labor intensive and take up a lot of space. But then, so does any pet compared to a tarantula :}
They need a selection of new shells to swap into as they grow. I use hand painted shells, which I bought from easyexotics.com. We name the shells, rather than the crabs, since the little buggers all look the same. The large claw should neatly block the shell's opening for a good fit.
You'll need to wash their substrate every few weeks and clean out uneaten food regulary to prevent disease. They also appreciate you regularly rearranging the tank ornaments, so that they can explore new areas. They have a reputation for being unusually smart for invertebrates. Sive the sand when you wash it, because they drag food into the burrows, where it can rot.
Make sure you dechlorinate tap water, since it will burn their gills. I give them rainwater in their dish most of the time because it's easier than messing about with chemicals.
If you mist the tank well they will emerge from their burrows and forage, just like after the rain in the wild. They are very timid and dart back into their shells if suprised. Be careful when handling, since they can give you a nasty pinch when they retreat, trapping skin behind their incredibly sharp and strong legs and their shell opening. My kids love them and have learned to treat them with care.
They stidulate to each other while foraging, which sounds like little squeaking noises. Very cute.
Hermit crabs eat a TINY amount of food, so it's hard to tell if they are eating unless you see them do it. They are extremely hardy, as the people above have said and will tollerate quite a lot of mistakes.
Compared to my tarantulas they are quite labor intensive and take up a lot of space. But then, so does any pet compared to a tarantula :}
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