Things You Should Know Before Getting A Hermit Crab 

How are they?

I had two and one. DIED this morning sooooooooooooooo I need help

Cookie Crumble oh my gosh i am so sorry for your loss!!! my mom is crab sitting lol, so i hope nothing happens. i wish you the best of luck!

Boredom Ensues how long

would a fish tank be a nice environment for them? getting one tomorrow and my siblings are too, we are heading home from the beach tommorow and are going to put them in a carrier but I don’t know what to do after that?

dâködā no,they can’t have tap water,it slowly kills them

Reference water purifier

10 gallons per crab, tap water can actually have some good minerals in it as long as you dechlorinate it (but admittedly I usually get the bottles because it's easier). and handling is kind of debated, but most people would agree that you can take them out, but you shouldn't really do it too too often. I've handled my crab enough that he really trusts me, which is really great. if I have to pick him up, he is not afraid at all and knows he's not in danger and doesn't need to hide. he doesn't even flinch, and he's never pinched anyone since I got him (he's a friendly little dude). it does make measuring his shell opening more difficult though. XD

George Bostwick That is why it is best to only offer natural shells and no painted ones. :) Sometimes they can be picky and stubborn lol.

But the channel Crab Central Station says to not handle them outside of their enclosure, because they need to be in an environment that is 75-85% humidity in order to breathe. The stress of being outside their enclosure can cause them to drop their water. They could drop a limb/leg, too. Bad. You could get pinched, too. Bad.

Even the paint that says it’s non toxic should be avoided

just buy natural extra shells. you can't force them out of a shell, so just leave natural ones in there and eventually they'll switch. I was lucky that mine actually came in his natural shell (which was super weird because I got him at a petco, and most of the others were painted), but that's super rare. so don't feel bad about yours being in a painted shell. and the danger with the paint is that when they dig, it'll chip. and they eat stuff in their substrate, so they might eat it. and there is no paint that is safely edible to crabs, even if it says non-toxic.

Even if it says the paint is non-toxic t’s harmful for your crab and having a painted shell is actually considered animal cruelty. Please buy natural shells for ur crab’s next molt.

Store bought hermit crab food is not good at all! They need protein, fruit, and vegetables, calcium, and store bought food is never recommended.

no, commercial food will either have copper sulfate, ethoxyquin (usually hidden in the fish meal so they don't have to list in as an ingredient), or mostly likely both. and both are toxic to hermit crabs. also in my experience, the kits kinda suck. now that I've learned more about them, I barely use anything from the kits I originally got. it's more cost efficient to just research what you need and get it all individually. :)

You can also find a big bag of children’s play sand (ones recommended for child’s sandbox) at Walmart or homedepot for really cheap, and mix the eco earth with the play sand :)

@@WhoIsKanye Great advice! Thanks!

Alpha_ALT np

I actually use the same substrate, and it does work very well. the sand is the proper size grain, it packs well, the coco fiber helps with moisture, all of that. and my crab loved digging around in it (even if it's just a little crater to get comfy). it doesn't have anything harmful in it, and it doesn't stick to them like calci sand much less cement to them. in my experience it's safe and they do well on it. my one complaint is just that the bag size is too small. so for the minimum 6 inches in a 10 gallon tank (so the absolute minimum), you need like 7ish bags. and you won't find that many at a store so you'll have to order, which can potentially be expensive. although I don't think shipping from chewy was bad. so yeah, good substrate but just make it in bigger bags dammit!

I ment d shaped

Føurcent okay, great, the more the merrier :) okay, so it's just a matter of trial and patience to see wich (non harmful) plants they will leave alone?

I know I am very late, but someone may still find this usefull. I collected infos around about safe plants, and after that I put sphagnum moss, fittonias and other stuff in the tank (so, real plants). The crabs LOVE to climb on those, they do. I always find them up here, althoug they have a "climbing park" made in natural hemp rope. So far the plants are doing good and growing (I've had those for 6 months) and they are amazing for keeping humidity high without mold (I never went under 78% since I've got them). The crabs are doing super good too!

fake plants are fine for them, but you can also go more bioactive if you want. the only real difference is that they will nibble on real plants, but otherwise neither is better than the other. and yeah, you need at least 2-3.

Heather Lear Distilled water is not good for them as it doesn’t have any minerals in it, it can be used temporarily but I wouldn’t recommend it long term.

LPS Gaby you’re a little kid too

Kool-Aid Man im 15 bout to be 16

Kool-Aid Man im talking about actual little kids 6 and 8 year olds

Hey I'm a kid 11yr I had mine when I was 11 I just bought mine today xd

Jack Studios I don’t personally have marine hermit crabs, but I would be glad to research their care and make a blog post or youtube video about them for you :)

My blog is Brianna’s Pet 101 on blogger.

Yes it is

Yup

Its perfectly fine 👍😋

What about only river bed sand

It retains moisture

Yes if you have tiny crabs

all Hail chedder as they get older they can get to a size of a tennis ball so you’ll need to buy a 20 gallon tank and you can buy those at Walmart or pets smart!

There's plenty of DIY projects out there! Just make sure there's no pine in anything you use as it can be toxic to crabs and many other small animals. Craft store are also a great resource for looking at decorations. Just be cautious of paint and pine.

It’s hard to convince parents when they think everything is perfect

Please don't get pets if you are not able to care for them correctly. I'm a little late, but if you still have them, you can take sticks from outside and bake them (there are a lot of tutorials) and it is completely free.

ne you do not one i have 3 in a 40 gallon and there fine

Yes, you need a day/night cycle. A daylight bulb, or a uvb strip bulb are your best options.

Sonia Johnson Okay, that is very dangerous. For one, Calcium Sand will kill your hermit crab! It will get into his/her shell and harden causing them to become concreted into their shell. Please switch over to 6 inches of (5 parts) playsand and (1 part) eco earth. Then for the food you're using, anything marketed for Hermit Crabs is dangerous. Your crab needs fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats, from the safe food list. They need plenty of shell options. (5-6 correct size shells per crab) Plus having only 1 crab can lead to your hermit crab becoming depressed and not even seeking out food. You need at least 5 gallons per crab but 10 is better, so if you get another crab so yours isn't lonely you will need at least a 10 gallon. Please message me on Instagram and I will help as much as possible to try to save your hermit crab. @b.hermitcrabs

Brianna's Pets I disagree

Jacob I no she's right they can die over time with sand harding

LPS Gaby you act like the hermit crab is going to purposefully eat the sand he knows about hardening since he is a popular RU-vidr that posts caring vids on his other channel and the sand is made so they can eat it

LPS Gaby plus that has never actually been documented meaning it’s likely to impossible

Lanicatt Alanna Okay, so for your fresh water pool, you need prime water conditioner, you can buy it at Petsmart. It's a small bottle, and it only takes 2 drops per gallon of tap water. That takes out all the bad chemicals that harm your hermit crabs. You need both water dishes to be deep enough for them to completely submerge in, including their shell. But make sure they have a way out. You can use rocks, shells, plastic plants, or plastic mesh (super cheap at craft stores or walmart). For your saltwater pool, you use prime, same as the freshwater to remove chemicals, then you need instant ocean, it is a marine grade salt used for saltwater aquariums. You use 1/2 cup per gallon of prime treated tap water for that. It needs to be the same depth as your fresh water pool, with ways to get in and out. If you want to talk more feel free to DM me on instagram @b.hermitcrabs. Also you need to change the water at least every other day to prevent build up and harming them. Mine poop in their water, so make sure you check it at least every other day.

you can find some good ones on amazon just make sure there 100% natural and you can also get some good one from Naples sea shell company!

i get mine on etsy. thecrabbyshack has ones where you can pick the proper size range for your crabs which is great. mine arrived while my crab was molting and he came up last night and switched into one of them this morning. so they are crab approved. :)

Tori McGinnis where you get that information from ?

@@SharkoOG Sorry for the late reply, but I get my information from www.hermieskitchen.com/pages/hermit-crab-care-guide

Your learning something wrong it’s definitely 10 gallon

Normally, the Hermit crab association says a 10 gallon for one crab will suffice, 29 is ideal for 2-3, and 5 gallons per crab is bare minimum. I read the article you posted, height is really more of a swing factor than a necessity. (I keep both my hermies in a 20 long, and they've been doing just fine for 5 years)

10 gallons is the minimum, they'll be fine in a 10 gallon if you have smaller ones and not a lot. but I wouldn't recommend it just because fitting all the things they need well is a pain in the ass. you can do it, but it would be easier to just get at least a 20 gallon.

Natei They are definitely more complicated than most people think.

How old are you? Maybe you can prove that you are responsible enough to care for a pet on your own. Start by doing TONS of research. Write down everything you could possibly need to know. Then start saving your money. When you have saved up enough to get the necessities then ask again.

TJ Beast Enough what?

Enough of the stuff

Sorry its my brother using may youtube account not me

My RU-vid account

In pr thers alot