The best mix is around 5 parts of sand and 1 part of coco fiber. You can make your own mix, or get a ready mix like this. Make sure to keep the substrate moist, but it must keep its shape and not be too wet or drip. Even though sand is the most popular choice, there are other substrate types that you can use for hermit crabs. For example, cork bark and mulch are safe woods for hermit crabs.
You will find those for reptiles that need higher humidity levels. To clean it, you will need to use a scoop to remove waste. You will also need to replace it fully once in around 4 months. However, cork bark can be hard for hermit crabs to burrow in, so try to avoid using it on its own.
Hermit crabs are also unlikely to molt with gravel in the tank as a substrate. Hermit crabs need warm and humid environments to stay healthy and happy. Ideal temperatures for hermit crabs are degrees F The minimum temperatures for hermit crabs are 75 F At night, temperature drops are allowed, unless they get below 75 F Night-time heating will then be necessary. To provide heating for your hermit crabs, you can use an under tank heater, or a heating bulb.
If you place it inside, it will heat the substrate and not the air. Your hermit crabs can also burn themselves when burying. You should use a lamp on the outside — this will be around 25 watts for a 10 gallon tank, and higher for bigger tanks. UVB exposure is also important. Ceramic bulbs will not produce any visible light, so can be used for general heating.
If visible light is produced, make sure to have bulbs on timers can be mechanical or digital like this. You will need to monitor temperatures by placing one to few thermometers inside the tank. You can also get thermometers with a probe like this. What is more, you will need a hygrometer to check the humidity levels in the tank. If placing a thermometer inside, place it far away from the aquarium floor to see overall tank temperature.
To keep humidity levels stable in the tank, you can use sea sponges like this for the hermit crabs. Wet them and place them on their water dish. Thank you for reading this post on hermit crab tank size requirement and setup tips. Read below for hermit crab tank size and minimum requirements. What is the minimum tank size for hermit crabs? This water conditioner also removes chlorine, chloramine, binds to heavy metals, any ammonia , nitrites , or nitrates present for up to 48 hours.
Consider Prime as your additional safety net. The bowls should be easily accessible and large enough for your crabs to climb into and completely submerge in them. It is very important to provide some kind of ladder stones, fake plants , etc to get out of the bowls. Otherwise, they can drown. Important : This is a very common mistake. People do not provide enough depth. As a result, Hermit crabs cannot get water inside the very back of their shell. They do this by tipping it upward to release air.
Therefore, if the shell is not completely under the water, hermit crabs cannot do that. The terrible fact is that you will not see any negative effects right away. However, over a few years, it will damage their abdomen and eventually kill them. Food bowls are not necessary, but they do make it easier for your crabs to find their food. It also makes it easier for you to keep the crabitat clean. Tip : Many times you can see sponges in the water dishes. They are supposed to help keep the humidity up in the tank.
Unfortunately, the downside is that the sponge becomes a source of all kinds of nasty bacteria, which is not good for the crabs. Some examples of bowls links to check the price on Amazon :. Do not forget to add in all of your Hermit crabs setup shells. It is really important to provide them with lots of shells. Thus, they can move into that are slightly bigger than the ones they are currently in. It is recommended to have at least 5 shells per Hermit crab, but more is always better.
So they have plenty to choose from. Do not give them coned-shaped shells, painted shells, and shells with a narrow opening. Tip : Caribbean Hermit c rab s prefer a certain type of shell, called a turbo shell. However, they will sometimes wear other types of shells as well. Hermit crabs are very active creatures that enjoy digging, pushing, pulling, and climbing. Actually, climbing is their passion. Most of the time you will see them climbing everywhere and exploring everything.
The more you give them to explore, the more they will venture out and get active. Supply your Hermit crabs with rocks, decorations, plastic balls, plastic tunnels, crab huts, plastic plants, fish netting , and more.
The possibilities are endless. These are some popular examples for Hermit crabitat check the price on Amazon :. The more hiding spots you provide, the happier your crabs will be because they will feel safer. Do not be surprised if your crabs rearrange their crabitat decor frequently. Important tips : Quarantine everything before putting it in the tank. The fastest and simplest way to do that is to boil. You do not want to get any bugs or bacteria. If it is made of plastic you can just dip them and get out.
Do not hold it in boiling water, the plastic will melt down. Warning: Do not give them pine cedar. These are all toxic and dangerous woods to Hermit crabs. They can try to eat it, just to see if it is edible.
As a result, after multiple times they got sick and die. Some people say that there is nothing wrong with adding live plants in Hermit crabitat. Of course, live plants are a part of their natural environment. Nonetheless, I do not think that it can be safe to add them. There are several reasons for that:. Therefore, in my opinion, you should not use live plants in Hermit crabitat. You will not have any problems with fake plants.
So fake plants are the best choice. Like all living creatures, Hermit crabs produce waste. Eventually, you will have to deal with it somehow.
In the wild, you can find them almost under every rock. The good thing about Hermit crabs as pets, they are usually pretty tolerant of other insects. Hermit Crab Diet 3. Everything About Hermit Crab Molting 4.
Is Hermit Crab Dead or Molting? How long do Hermit Crabs live? Lifespan Life expectancy. I really liked this cool article. I newly got my hermit crabs and I needed information. Thank you for writing this. The kit included a sea sponge. Aquarium gravel, a mister, and a very small enclosure. All of course NOT good for them! Thank you for giving me the info needed to give these little guys a great life! Hi Jillian, I do hope that my articles can help.
There is lots of false information on how hermit crabs should be kept. Best regards, Michael. Your email address will not be published. Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment. Lucky bamboo Dracaena sanderiana is not just touted as a popular houseplant anymore. More and more aquarists start using this species in their terrarium, paludarium, and aquarium setups, owing Palm tree polyp Clavularia viridis is a unique, fascinating colonial coral that makes an excellent candidate for established reef aquaria.
This species is also known as Clove polyp, and it Skip to content Hermit crabs make interesting pets when cared for properly. These include: Space Tank size Substrate Temperature and Lighting Humidity A water source A food bowl Toys Shell shop Cleanup crew I would like to start off by saying that Hermit crabs are very delicate creatures, sensitive to stress, and are susceptible to small changes in their environment.
Small Hermit Crabs Small hermit crabs are 2. Add Substrate into Hermit Crabitat Hermit crabs are land crabs and as such, they need to burrow. So, how deep should Hermit crabs substrate be? Absolute Minimum Substrate Depth for the Hermit Crabs: Micro Crabs — 3 or 4 inches 8 — 10 cm of substrate Small Crabs — 5 or 6 inches 12 — 15 cm of substrate Medium Crabs — 8 or 10 inches 20 — 25 cm of substrate Large Crabs — 10 or 12 inches 25 — 30 cm of substrate The rule of thumb is that the depth of the substrate should be at least three times deeper than the biggest crab.
Substrate Consistency for Hermit Crabs This is another important thing to know. Heating and Lighting Ideally, Hermit crabs need an enclosure that offers them a hot side and a cold side. Depending on the size of your crabs, you may be able to get shells at the pet store or even at a craft store, but otherwise, it is best to shop for top-quality shells online at standardized sizes.
Ordering online can be tricky, but until you place and receive an order for a specific size and actually see the shells next to your hermit crab, it can be difficult to know what size she needs. If you are unsure, then purchase several different shells and sizes:. Once you've ordered and found the right shell, simply remember your crab's size; in the future, you can select shells that are one size larger.
Most common hermit crabs, especially Purple Pinchers C. Other species of hermit crabs, such as Ecuadorians C. In addition to considering the size and opening of the shell, you should only buy natural, polished, or etched shells. Remember, painted shells are hazardous to the health of your hermit crabs. If your child wants a decorated shell, there are many beautiful natural shells safely etched with dolphins, palm trees, and other designs. Shells with round holes are preferred by most common hermit crabs.
Turbo shells are probably the best choice for hermit crabs of any size. With a broad, round opening and a heavy, thick construction, these shells are roomy and offer good protection. There are many types of turbo shells available in all-natural, polished, and etched designs exposing the white pearlescent layer beneath the dark exterior of the shell.
Shells with D-shaped holes are preferred by crab species with flatter thoraxes. Babylonia shells are a nice mix of brown and white and are readily available for both small and large crabs. These shells are common in pet stores, craft stores, and online shell stores. The shells made by land snails are usually much thinner and more lightweight than those made by sea snails Turbo, Babylonia, etc.
Generally, sea snail shells are preferred over land snail shells, so these are not recommended. Avoid these types of shells top to bottom : shells with slit openings, broken shells, and micro shells. All shells must be prepared before you place them in the crabitat to ensure that they are safe for your crabs.
Shells sold at craft stores are usually bleached beforehand, leaving chemicals that could harm the crab. Hermit crabs use their shells to store water, control their temperature, and of course for protection. They will be the judge of what fits best—just be sure to clean the shells well. Now the shells are ready for your hermit crabs! Place the shells with the opening facing up to entice the crabs to inspect them, but be patient—only the crab will know when it needs to switch shells and which candidate will be the most comfortable.
Inevitably, unused shells will fill up with sand over time, so be sure to clean them occasionally with dechlorinated fresh water. A hermit crab may need to try on several shells before it settles on a good one. When a hermit crab is ready to change shells, it may need to try out several shells before settling on a new home.
Purple Pincher crabs C. Clypeatus are particularly likely to switch shells several times in the span of an hour or two, while other crabs may spend more time looking for the perfect shell. After inspecting the inside of the shell with its legs and antennae, the crab will carefully position the shell. Rising up out of its current shell, the crab will swing its soft white abdomen over and into the new shell and curl down into it.
After up to an hour of rolling around and inspecting the new shell, the actual shell switch happens in less than a second! If you have several crabs that are the same size, they may have loud vocal and physical contests over shells.
While these are rarely meant to cause harm, the battles can become dangerous, and you may need to separate the crabs. However, if you have provided enough sand, the crabs should be able to bury themselves to get out of the situation. Fights are very common in the following scenario, and there is nothing you can do about them besides separating the crabs and buying more shells:.
If you notice the crabs making noises back and forth or trying to steal shells, buy a few more shells for them to choose from. I had a crab who held a grudge over this scenario for more than a month: Crab B didn't stay above ground for more than an hour at a time until Crab A switched into a new shell and was no longer harassing B for stealing her shell! With the exception of the first photo from flickr, the hermit crab and shell photos used on this page were taken by the author, fritteritter; other photos were taken by photographers at sxc.
CJ: If you are usually in temperature, or your temperature at home is not too different from where you the crabs, you don't need a heat lamp or heat pad. If you live inland your humidity may be lower than needed. In this case you can put natural sponge with water in cage or a wet towel over a portion of the lid to add more humidity. You also don't need light source if you have the crabs where sunlight comes in but don't put cage right in front of window, so you don;t overheat them.
To disinfect it you can put it on the stove until it is boiling and let it cool. If you eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, you can give a little to the crabs along with tiny pieces of leaves. BTW I also just noticed that a caribbean hermit crab does not require salt water. The crabs I have are identifyable as caribeans but I do not know if this information is true. I live in puerto rico and found my two hermits out of the wild, one is slightly smaller than a golf ball and the other is about three inches in diameter.
They have a nice encloser with plenty of rocks to climb on but not much sand. I am planning on getting more sand from the beach but have a few questions. First, should I give them a heat lamp? I found one in a thicket of trees by the beach and the light there was not too bright so I am guessing that the light from the sun shining into the carport is enough. The two crabs are very social and have climbed all over the structures in their aquarium. I gave them fresh water in a small ceramic dish that they have been drinking and washing around in, we got them yesterday and I have already replaced it twice.
However, we do not have immediate access to fresh salt water as we live a few miles inland and are about minutes from the nearest beach. What should we do about the salt water? I have also given them mango leaves which they have only walked around on and fed them some scraps of banana that the large one has taken a few bites of. They are very happy however, crawling around in their little habitat.
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