Basic crab care

How to Care for Hermit Crabs
Hermit crabs can be great pets, but they're often misunderstood. Many people think that they are simply disposable pets. In reality, hermit crabs, when properly cared for, can be loving pets for decades. That's right -- decades. In fact, hermit crabs have been known to live as long as 80 years! Here's how to give your hermit crab the TLC it deserves.

Steps
Buy more than just one.Despite their solitary reputation, hermit crabs are VERY social animals and need to be in groups. They are often found in the hundreds in the wild. While it is almost impossible to keep hundreds of crabs in your home, your crab will will be lonely without another crab or two to keep it company.
Select the right home. The proper home for your crabs (the "Crabitat") should be one that holds in humidity (no lower than 70%, but no higher than 90%) but lets in fresh air. A fish tank usually does nicely. You can even rinse out that old leaking tank from the attic and use it! See the Tips below for ideas on how to modify it accordingly. Plastic critter keepers are far too small and do not hold in humidity very well.


Buy a hygrometer (humidity gauge) and thermometer.

The gauges are the most important things in the tank.
Hermit crabs breathe through modified (hardened) gills, and can't breathe properly unless the air is humid enough. The ideal range is at least 70% relative humidity. Humidity lower than 70% will cause suffocation, which kills slowly over several weeks and is very,very painful.
Hermit crabs are tropical animals and need warm temperatures. 70-80°F is the proper temperature range. Heat damage cannot be recovered from, and temperatures that are too low alter metabolism. An improper environment can cause your crab to lose limbs and ultimately, die.

Get substrate.
Quickrete Brand Playsand seems to work fine. I recommend Contractors Sand.It has a better texture and pieces of calcium from rock in it and it will hold its shape beter than play sand. This is important when the crabs dig down so the hole doesn't close in on him or her.) You might want to mix in some Ecoearth (or Bed-a-beast), which is shredded coconut husk, or just use Ecoearth by itself. The crabs can actually eat the Ecoearth. Check the Warnings below to see what kinds of materials to stay away from. Make sure the material is at least 2 times the hight of your biggest crab to cover him when molting.
Keep their substrate clean. Change it once a month, (not sure that this is necessary quite this often, if you keep it clean of old food and scoop the top ocasionally) It's a good idea to "poop scoop" any dung and week old food.
Get play-toys. Hermit crabs love to climb! In fact, in the wild, they will climb large rocks exposed by low tide to search for food. They are sometimes called "tree crabs" because they will climb trees to eat insects and vegetation.

Some ideas:

Giving them things to climb on is a must; choya logs are great for this. It is not toxic, and has holes in it for them to grab on to. You can lean it in a corner of your tank, just don't place it too high or your crabs will climb out,Lego's work well to.
Natural rocks and seashells that you pick up at the beach are great things to scatter around the "crabitat." Clam shells even make great food dishes.
Plastic plants made for reptiles are great for crabs to climb and hide in, just remember to use the lid of your tank.
Never use reptile "half pine logs."
A CocoHut is also a must! Most pet stores have these.

Molting And Extra Shells

If your crab digs under for a couple of weeks, don't worry. As long as it doesn't stink like dead fish, he's OK. Please do not disturb your crab during this time. He will need to be alone and if he is bothered, the stress could kill him. Once in a while, a crab's exoskeleton gets a little tight, and like a snake shedding its skin, a crab will shed its exoskeleton and grow a little bit. Don't take the exoskeleton away from the crab! He will need to eat it in order to harden his new exo. This is where the shells come in. When they grow, they need bigger shells. It is important to keep plenty of extra hermit crab shells similar to your crabs' sizes in the tank at all times. Once a month or so, rotate a few undisturbed shells out with different styles of shells. NEVER buy painted shells! They can kill your crab! See the Warnings for information on what kinds of shells to a avoid.


All species of hermit crab need to have access to both freshwater and saltwater.
You will need to provide two water dishes for the crabs.
The dishes should be deep enough for your crabs to submerge, but make sure they are able to get out
You can buy aquarium salt from most pet stores and a little goes a long way. Never use table salt because it is poisonous. Most hermit crab brand salts are also table salts. Use a brand like Instant Ocean, Oceanic, etc.
The water needs to be dechlorinated. Chlorine and Chloramines kill hermit crabs by causing the gills to blister (causing eventual suffocation). Aging the water will remove the chlorine, but not the chloramines, so dechlorinator is a must if you use tap water.
If you don't want to dechlorinate tap water, you can use spring water instead. However, make sure nothing has been added to the water. For example, Dasani water contains magnesium sulfate "for taste", and that is bad for the crabs.

Provide a steady and varied diet.
Hermit crabs are scavengers by nature and will eat almost anything. Beware of some pet store food. It has many preservatives that may harm your little hermit.
Don't feed them anything spicy, hot, or with preservatives in it.
They love silversides and shrimp that are fresh, as well as other seafood.
If you have more than twenty crabs or so, try getting a fish head from a local fish market. They are usually happy to give them away. You can put all of your crabs in a large tank or a large clean Rubbermaid storage container, (clear, no lid, or lid with VERY large holes cut in it) drop in the fish head, and a water-bowl, and leave them in there to eat for a few hours. I don't suggest doing this very often, because the smell can be very strong, but your crabs will love you for it!
If you cook, set aside a piece of steak or chicken, non-marinated to grill lightly for the crabs. They also eat raw meat.
Hermit crabs love fresh fruit like pineapple, apple, pears, grapes, cantaloupe, watermelon, mango, papaya, strawberries, etc. If you aren't sure that pesticides have been used, it is best not to feed it to them, but if you can't find an all-natural grocer, wash your fruit thoroughly before you cut it.
Crabs will go crazy for coconut shavings.
They will also eat natural peanut butter on whole wheat toast, hard boiled eggs, egg shells (boiled), popcorn (plain, unsalted and unbuttered).
Don't feed your crabs the same thing two times in a row. Mix it up a bit. Remember, they eat whatever they come across in nature.
Remember to change their food every day/night. Hermit crabs love to bury their uneaten food, and can cause molding and is messy.

Play with them.

Some Hermit crabs love attention. When they are up, carefully take them out of their crabitat. What do they like to do? Climb! Let them climb all over your shirt while you are watching TV or exercise them as they walk across both your hands (like a crab treadmill). It is important that they never fall, and are not out too long, because remember, they need humidity. Falling from a height of 3 ft. can be fatal for them, and fear of falling is the number one reason crabs pinch. Keep them in a position where they aren't going to fall and they likely won't pinch. Just make sure to watch your crab when out, and only take one out by yourself. (While "playing" with them may seem fun to you, typical house humidity is only 40% and even less with AC and heat. Crab's gills being exposed to low humidity is like us holding our breath too long. Please remember this when they're out of their habitat. Also, they may pinch for no reason; be prepared. It hurts and misting or running tap water on crabs can hurt them and will likely result in them holding on longer and tighter. Please be very careful when handling them.)

Tips

Buy crabs that are lively, not lethargic. Lethargic crabs may be sick. However, some crabs may just be stressed or naturally shy, not sick.

There are six types of hermit crabs available for sale in the United States.

All of them are in the genus Coenobita. The most common type out there is the Caribbean (Coenobita clypeatus,) which is also called "PP" for purple pincher due to, you guessed it, its large purple pincher. Most likely, when you see a hermit crab in a store, you will be seeing one of these guys. The other types are Rugosus "Rug" (rugosus), Strawberry (perlatus), Equadorian or "E" (compressus), Cavipe or "Cav" (cavipes), Komurasaki "Viola" (violascens), Indonesian or "Indo" (brevimanus). The PP is the best one to start with because the others are more delicate and require much more detailed and intense care.

A good way to keep the humidity in a fish tank without cutting off circulation of fresh air is to use Plexiglas.
You can buy it cheap, and most home improvement stores will cut it for you. First, you will notice a lip that looks like it will hold a lid or a piece of glass just inside the plastic. Take these measurements. For example, if it is 10" wide x 20" long, you should ask for a piece to be cut as follows: 9 and 15/16"wide x 18" long. This will make it easy to get it off and allow free transfer of air while retaining most of the humidity.

If you have a sick crab, don't panic.
Keep an isolation tank in a closet with enough substrate to dig under completely and ample food and water. If a crab is acting sick, he may be about to molt.
A dead fishy smell may indicate a dead crab. But, before you start searching, look for other causes of an odor. Did you serve them any seafood recently? Even months later, there may still be bits of food in the tank. Crabs like to bury food. That is why you should change the substrate once a month or so (unless you have a crab dug under the sand).

Hermit crabs CANNOT have babies in captivity.
They must have a tropical climate and most importantly the ocean in order to breed.

Do not "rescue" hermit crabs from a pet store with bad conditions. They will just be restocked. More hermit crabs will be brought into the situation than saved. Instead, work on spreading information about the pet store.


Warnings

Crabs are exactly that. Crabs. They can produce a powerfully painful pinch! Supervise and instruct children on behavior while handling hermit crabs!
While they usually don't pinch unless they feel like they are going to fall, they will pinch if provoked! Most times when a crab does pinch they will hold on for quite a long time. Some people suggest running the crab under tap water- please don't do this! The chlorine and other chemicals in the tap water are harmful to your crab (which is why you use a dechlorinator in their drinking water) and will most likely make the crab hold on for longer. Sitting as still as you can with your hand on a table or floor is the quickest way to get them to let go. Or even putting your hand in their tank can help since they will "smell" their normal habitat and calm down quicker.
If you have exterminators visit your house on a regular basis, do not have them spray that room. Put a towel under the door to keep fumes away. Put them in a closet for a few days if possible. They are not bugs, but are related enough that pesticides will harm them.
Never use gravel, wood chips, synthetic fiber, cedar, or gel! Crabs need to dig. Gravel makes it impossible to dig. Most types of wood chips are of pine or cedar type. Any sappy wood like pine or cedar aren't good because the sap is toxic. It is also hard for them to dig in this material. Gel is just wrong. It is toxic!
Avoid buying painted shells or shell painting kits. They are toxic to the crab. They put "non-toxic" on the kits but they mean non-toxic to children. Painting a shell is a good way to kill your crab. Most of the paint will even come off when your crab goes into the water, or the paint will chip off and they can (and will) eat it. If the crab(s) you buy already have a painted shell, that's OK as they will eventually change out of it and into a natural shell that you provide. Natural shells that have been polished to a shine are OK as there are no toxic coatings, and they are quite pretty.
Don't use soap to clean crabitats or toys! Once the crabs and sand are removed, you can use a white vineger spray and THOROUGHLY rinse!!! Toys, shells(EMPTY!), and choya logs should be boiled for cleaning and set out on towels to dry.
If there is something that you ever come across, and you aren't sure of the answer, DON'T GUESS - ASK SOMEONE! Someone at one of the hermit crab sites listed below will be happy to answer any question not answered here.
REMEMBER, CRABS CAN PINCH!! Supervise children while handling hermit crabs so they can learn to enjoy them!
Never feed your crabs any foods that are not organic. Preservatives cause complications during molting, which frequently result in death of the crab. Most commercial hermit crab foods contain Ethoxyquin and/or copper sulfate, and should not be fed to crabs. If you can't feed all organic human-grade foods, a safe commercial food is Crab Island Hermit Crab Food, Original Formula (not fruit and flower mix). Some of the chemicals to watch out for in these commercial "hermit crab foods" are ethoxyquin, and copper sulfate.
Most products designed specifically for hermit crabs are unsafe and inhumane. Most hermit crab foods are poisonous, and 'hermit crab kits' are too small to fit the neccesary two water dishes, extra shells, etc. that crabs need. Most of your supplies will be labelled as products for other animal species.



Things You'll Need
A glass tank (no smaller than 10 gallons)
Solid lid for tank (glass or plexiglas)
two water dishes
spring water or dechlorinator for tap water
aquarium salt mix (Instant Ocean is a good brand)
a hygrometer (humidity gauge) and thermometer
food dishes (open clam shells work fine)
a hide-a-way (half of a coconut with a door cut out, or a flower pot half-buried on its side provides a good place for alone time)
extra shells
substrate
white vinegar (for cleaning)
organic foods
thermometer
2-4 pounds of sand
a sponge
spray bottle (to keep your crab moist and to spray your sponge)
a little bath tub
light
a heating pad
something to climb on (some plastic plants could work)
a poop scooper (or a plastic spoon will work)

Information provided by:

http://www.wikihow.com/Care-for-Hermit-Crabs

If someone can help me...I've read the advice, and my poor crab is fading fast! I've been misting him all the time because that's all I've known to do. He does not seem interested in eating or drinking. He is a little guy in a painted shell from an outdoor vendor who didn't have the crabs in very good conditions. He is a land hermit crab, that much I know. I bought crab food, which he hasn't wanted to eat. He's only eaten a little bit of bread but nothing today. One of his legs fell off when I was misting him. His color looks really bad, poor little guy. Is it possible he might be molting, or is he just dehydrated like someone told me? Maybe I'm misting him too much at this point. I'm just not sure.

I realize the habitat we have for him is all wrong--it's just a little plastic pet habitat my son got for his birthday. We wanted to buy him something to put in it, and we saw the crabs and thought it would be a nice pet for our son. I know I need to buy something more appropriate and buy a couple more crabs for company.

Right now I just want to figure out how to save this crab before it's too late. The woman who gave me advice told me he needed tetracycline solution but I can't find it anywhere.

Any advice would be appreciated. I've been up with him for hours and am afraid he's going to die by tomorrow.

Thanks so much for any advice! - Kate

Hi Kate,
I am so sorry to hear of your crabs condition. Unfortunately, sometimes there is just nothing we can do except prepare the kids for the inevitable demise of their new pet. Sometimes, they die from stress and not the best original conditions. Have you checked into an aquarium with a covered lid? Temp and humidity need to be correct to obtain the best environment. Keep him comfortable, does he have someplace dark to get into like a hermit hut so he can destress. Is his substrate deep enough to bury in so he can have some quiet time. Even with the correct conditions, sometimes nature takes over. I live near Bowling Green, Ky.where are you located?

We're in Cincinnati, actually. I don't have a good set up yet, but last night I did give him a deep substrate, but I think he's beyond the point of being able to bury himself. He isn't walking anymore, poor little guy.

I am going to go out today and buy a better tank set up and see if that will help. I will follow your advice for Basic Crab Care. I think this little guy may be too far gone, but I'm going to see what we can do.

Thanks for your help. If you get a chance, I would appreciate suggestions for the ideal tank set up, in terms of what all it should and should not contain. If this little guy does not live, we'll be buying three more hermit crabs from a good store and start things off right. Thanks so much for your help. Very nice chatting with you! - Kate

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