Introduction

FIRST, DO NOT take everything you read as gospel! Things are learned about hermit crab care each day. Land hermit crabs make great and perfect pets and have a personality of their own, just like you. They can be very shy or very friendly. As they get to know you they will warm up to you. Usually they are not mean but if they have been mistreated they can act mean. You can train them to be nice if you are nice to them. They will get to know you and trust you. We have seen it happen. There are many kinds of hermit crabs, both land and aquatic ones. This page is about the land hermit crab (AKA the tree crab, soldier crab, or purple clawed hermit crab). The scientific name is Coenibita clypeatus . This is probably the most common of the pet hermit crabs. Land hermit crabs are simply land-based (or terrestrial) hermit crabs are of the family Coenibitidae. They are also known as tree crabs as some like to live in trees. Land hermit crabs are crustaceans known as Coenobita clypeatus. They live in the wild in the western Atlantic. Hermit crabs have a three sections: a head, a body (cephalothorax), and an abdomen which they protect with their shells. Hermit crabs have gills on their big claw in order to conserve moisture. In the wild, hermit crabs sometimes go for long periods(many months) of time without food or water, but usually return to the shore quite regularly to wet themselves, change shells and release larvae from hatching eggs. Hermit Crabs do not breed in captivity. It is almost impossible to tell the difference between male and female hermit crabs. However, hermit crabs need to keep their gills wet to maintain good health. It is usually best to place them in or near water once a day. Although hermit crabs might look harmless, they can use their claws to grip things tightly. Trust me; I've had one attached to me for five minutes. If one should attach themselves to you, put them under luke warm water. Even the very smallest hermit crabs can draw blood if it becomes frightened. Hermit crabs usually travel in groups of 25 (approx.) in the wild. So it is important when you have hermit crabs as pets that you have several of them to keep each other company. In the wild, they can live for many months out of water Hermit Crabs do not have their own shell. They use former snail shells instead. The snail shell does not grow but the hermit crab does so when it grows it has to find a new shell .This is a Dangerous time for it because it reveals the soft mussel that its enemies eat . Shells of the hermit are strong enough to with stand the tide and attacks from other animals. Sometimes 2 hermit crabs will fight over 1 shell . The one that wins claims the shell . A sea anemone will sometimes be on a hermit crab shell That is no mistake. If a hermit crab stops next to a anemone it will climb right on . Hermit Crabs (also known as treecrabs and land hermit crabs) are relatively cheap (most of the costs go to their housing and supplies), low maintenance, and entertaining. They are fascinating, interesting, and exotic little pets that won't get in the way and are pretty quiet, unlike birds. They require little of your time and are not dangerous, like most exotic creatures. Hermit crabs are relatively odorless, clean, and hypoallergenic; unlike many other pets. They also do not carry or transmit any known diseases to mankind; unlike baby turtles, cats, and other pets. They can climb like a squirrel, react like a turtle, and dig like a clam! They're also extremely intelligent, especially for a creature their size. They have distinct, curious personalities and very unique characteristics. Hermit crabs have 4 antennae, 2 claws, 4 visible ambulatory legs, and 4 small legs kept inside the shell. The longer set of antennae below the eyes are the ones they 'feel' around with...The shorter set are at the outer side of the eyes...and they are the 'sensory organs' that contain nerves sensitive to taste and smell. A healthy crab will move its antennae about continuously. The hermit crab's larger purple claw is mainly used for defense, and the smaller claw is for climbing and carrying food to the mouth. The four visible legs are used for walking and climbing. The other four legs are kept inside the shell and are used to hold on to and maneuver the shell and for removing sand and waste from the shell. If any of the hermit crab's legs have broken off, they will regenerate when the hermit crab molts. Usually the entire body of Crabs is covered with a hard, calcified armour. The Hermit Crab however lacks this protection on the hindmost part of its body, the abdomen, which is soft and vulnerable. It protects its abdomen, which contains such important organs as the liver and the gonads, by inserting it into a gastropod shell For this purpose the abdomen is bent, so that it fits in the curvature of the snail-house. The outer bend of the abdomen bears some little appendages which enable the crab to hold on to the inside of the shell. The reduced 4th and 5th pairs of legs serve the same purpose. Hermit crabs "have 5 pairs of Peripods (walking legs) like other members of their Order, Decapoda (Sea-crabs, lobsters and crayfish). The first pair called Chelipeds, bare the large claws which are referred to... as "grasper hands" because of the non-aggressive way he uses them. The larger one is usually purple in colour and the smaller one, orange. The purple hand is always visible even when he is in his shell, because he uses it as a barricade to the entrance of his home. You should NEVER attempt to forcibly remove your crab from his shell, because he will let himself be torn in half, rather than allow you to pull him from his protective 'hideout'. " (abstract from Merv Cooper's Crazy Crab Handbook) When walking the animal drags its house along. In water the weight of the shell is diminished by the upward pressure and so the Hermit Crab, in spite of its burden, can zealously run about. In case of danger the Hermit Crab withdraws into the shell as deep as possible. In the shell there is no room for two big pincers. Therefore the Hermit Crab has but one. When hiding in the shell it uses this pincer to guard the entrance. When the crab grows and does not fit in its shell any longer, it looks for a bigger one. The original occupant, if still present, is picked out. Then, quickly and nervously, the crab moves over into its new home. Often a colony of little polyps grows upon the surface of a Hermit's shell and forms a rough, brown layer on it. A bald patch indicates the spot that touches the substratum when the shell is being dragged along. The polyps profit by the crumbs of the Hermit's meals and in turn the hermit profits by the protection given by the nettle-cells of the polyps. Sometimes the Hermit Crab bears Sponges or Sea-anemones on its shell. Besides giving protection these guests give some useful camouflage. When moving into a new shell the crab can remove these from the old one and transplant them. Even though he is called a hermit. That does not mean he does not like company. The word hermit refers to living in his very own shell alone. Actually they live in colonies and do not like living alone. We keep thousands in one very large cage for our shop and they survive very well. They are happy as hermits. Of course we have several water dishes they can crawl into, food dishes and hundreds of extra shells in the cage at all times. They love to try all the shells as if they are playing with toys. Pious men used to withdraw into the desert in order to service God in strict solitude. They used to live in a cave or in a little house all by themselves. They were called "hermits" ("eremos" is Greek for "desert"). Hence this name for the funny crab that lives all alone in its self-chosen hermitage.

Classification is seen below:

Phylum Arthropoda: Animals with specialized body segments, hardened exoskeletons, and joined appendages. Subphylum Diantennata : Arthropods with a pair of mandibles that flank the mouth and at least one set of antennae. Class Crustacea: Diantennata with two pairs of antennae and double branched (biramous) appendages. Order Decapoda: Crustacea with five pairs of legs Infraorder Anomura: Decapoda, with reduced fifth pair of thoracic legs and the folded up bases above the bases of the fourth pairs of legs. Family Coenobitidae : Land (Terrestrial) hermit crabs. (Source: Philippe de Vosjoli, 1999) They can get to be as big as a baseball in captivity and even larger if the shells are provided. They spend their lives just looking for a bigger shell. They have been known to live in the back of an old rusty can, broken light bulb or anything they can find when there is not a shell available.

What is a Hermit Crab?

HERMIT TREE CRABS (Coenabita Clypeatus) are their true names and they are one of the most popular and east to care for pets available today. Their clean habits, lengthy life span, and simple diet, make them an excellent choice for anyone, young or old. The life cycle of the Tree crab makes it a truly unique animal. Being born in an ocean tide pool, traveling to land to secure a shell for a home, going through a metamorphosis to become an air breather, and then taking up residence in tropical trees are just a part of their fascinating life span. The Tree crab lives as a fully self contained mobile unit. They get moisture from dew drops on leaves and have the ability to store both food and water for future use. They can regenerate lost or broken claws and legs and must molt (shed their hard outer skeleton) yearly. During molting they shed their exo(outer)-skeleton and need to kept extra moist and in a medium into which they can burrow themselves. It takes about 10 days for their new skin to harden and during this period they are very soft, vulnerable, and inactive.

Their most fascinating habit is the necessity to find new shells as they outgrow their old home. Besides the necessity to change shells for yearly growth, Tree crabs are extremely curious and are known to change shells frequently whenever an abundance of empty shells are available to them. This is just a brief introduction into the funny and fascinating lives of the Tree crab. With just a minimum amount of care, they can bring years and years of pure enjoyment. For just a small investment, you can watch your crab grow and become " one of the family". A CRAB CONDO, is a great and interesting addition for your desk at work or next to your computer at home, taking a minimum amount of space and care.

Description
The common or land hermit crab, Paguristes frontalis, is a member of a family called "false crabs" because they have only three pairs of walking legs instead of the four found in true crabs. They are unique among crabs in that they grow a shell over only the front part of their body; their slender, coiled abdomen is soft and vulnerable. For protection, they live in empty snail shells which they carry as mobile houses. Since the shell's size is fixed, hermit crabs are perpetually searching for new homes as they grow, often trying on new shells for size.

Hermit Crabs as Pets

Hermit crabs are among the more unusual pets, although they do make interesting, easy care companions. They have distinct personalities, are active and curious, and their unique characteristics and low maintenance requirements make them good pets. Hermit crabs are not "true crabs." They have a smaller, soft abdomen which they protect by living in an empty snail shell. They must find larger shells as they grow, and owners of these pets must provide progressively larger shells as their pets grow. In the wild they are omnivores, feeding on both plant and animal material in tidal pools. They are relatively easy to find in pet stores, but care is required in choosing a potential pet. Check to make sure that all the legs are present (3 pairs of walking legs), the shell covering the head and thorax isn't damaged, there are no parasites/small bugs present, and that the crab is lively. Larger crabs may be more hardy, and if you already have a crab then it is important to match sizes pretty closely otherwise fighting may occur. To learn more about the biology of hermit crabs in the wild, try Marine Life Profile: Tide pool Hermit Crabs. This page, by the Waikiki Aquarium, gives a good overview of the biology of hermit crabs. There are not a huge number of pages featuring hermit crabs on the Net, but some contain good information and great personal stories/experiences with hermit crabs. I would recommend anyone interested in these creatures visit a variety of the following sites to get a good idea of the care requirements of the hermit crab: * The Happy Hermit - how to keep your hermit crab happy: good page on basic care of hermit crabs. * Hermit Crab FAQ - brief but useful FAQ on hermit crabs from the folks at Crabby Crab (also referred to as tree crabs). * Hermit Crabs - by Aaron Minnick of the Teaching & Learning Center, Franklin College. A brief description of hermit crabs, their environment, disposition, and behavior, as well as choosing one as a pet. * Hermit Crabs and Their Crab-Like Relatives - lovely photo gallery, common and scientific names, and a page on biology (no pet stuff here) from the Crustacea Laboratory, Museum of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia. * HermitWorld.com - sections on behavior, care (nice daily care chart), housing, feeding, molting and shells, as well as an FAQ and tips on choosing a crab. * Jeremy's Hermit Crab Page - a nice page with lots of tips on housing, feeding, and molting, as well as some other sections. The author has 17+ years experience with hermit crabs. * Scott's Hermit Crab Page - Scott's pages have good sections on behavior and biology. Crabs and accessories are available on line as well: * The Crabby Crab - a commercial site with information on care, and FAQ and prices for crabs and accessories (will ship crabs if weather nice enough). * Sea Shell City - source of hermit crab supplies and a nifty assortment of replacement shells, and a page on hermit crab care tips. Happy crabbing!

Nature vs. Captivity

In the wild hermit crabs come from tropical regions (where the weather is warm and humid), like the Caribbean, South and Central America, and parts of Australia in rocky shores and inland tidepools. They dwell in nooks and crannies on beach side rocks (sleeping in the shade during the day), or in trees. They will live 30-40 years in nature while as pets they usually live 1-2 yrs and rarely over 4 yrs. The main reason for this is stress. Once in awhile someone will have a hermit crab live over 20 years though which is an amazing feat. In the wild they will live in colonies with anywhere between a dozen and a 100+ hermit crabs, our pets are usually farmed or harvested and kept in colonies of over one-thousand. They need running seashore to reproduce (their first stages of their lifespan in spent in the ocean) and thus they cannot reproduce in captivity. They are unlikely ever to breed in captivity due to their specialized requirements. At the time of writing, there are currently no captive breeding programs, it is just easier to control a natural source. There are laws for harvesting hermit crabs and companies need to get a permit for so many hermit crabs to control the natural balance and numbers of things. After being harvested, professionals go through great lengths to help them adapt to captivity. In nature they are omnivorous scavengers, eating and chewing almost anything they can find(leaf litter, bark & decaying wood except Pine and Cedar, fruits and vegetation, dead fish, etc.) and scavenge for food at night(so they can avoid the heat and predators). They will pick broken and less than perfect shells that blend into the background, large shells are especially difficult to find in nature so larger ones have been seen using pop can/bottles, broken lightbulbs, bottle caps, and other creative things for shells. They have also been known to dig their abdomen into the ground for protection if they can't find anything, they usually dry out and die or get eaten soon afterwards though. They will often find new shells in nature by the smell of a dead snail or other crab that usually brings in a whole group of hermit crabs. At these gatherings there is often a mass exchange of shells, when one crab exchanges shells it's old shell is free which allows others to swap up and down for better fitting shells. As pets we will give them the best shells available, often painted or decorated and feed them commercial hermit crab food, maybe some fresh fruit & veggies as a treat. They have a lot of predators in nature and carry many of their instincts over to captivity. When they see a shadow over their shell or any quick movements, their first instinct is to pop right back into their shell. It could easily be a bird of prey. They sleep during the day and are active during the night to stay less visible to predators and avoid overheating. Often, in nature they will have polyps or sea anemones on their shell to provide extra protection and camouflage, the polyps and anemones eat the crumbs left over from the hermit crab's meals. When they switch shells they will sometimes switch the polyps and anemones to their new shell. Never take a hermit crab from their natural habitat.

About the harvesting of hermit crabs from the wild

If you have read much about hermit crab husbandry, you would know that it is a well-known fact that a small hermit crab can carry several thousands of eggs per mating period up to sometimes fifty thousand eggs for a larger /older crab. Mervin Roberts in his book "All About Land Hermit Crabs" gives a very educational and practical explanation of 'natures checks and balances' in the husbandry of the LHC. Those 'people' who 'harvest these crabs from the wild are under strict regulations regarding the areas and harvesting procedures. The same provisions are in place for the United States, even though they are seldom enforced for the small one time offenders. The largest natural area for Hermit Crabs in the United States is in the 'lower part' of Florida around the Keys. The people who actually do the harvesting of crabs for distributors work under STRICT guidelines and procedures set forth by the governments from which they are gathered. These guidelines allow/assure the various species a continuous redistribution throughout their natural ranges. Demographics are in place as to where, harvest quotas and species are set as to retain the natural balance of these little guys so that they are not 'wiped out' by overzealous harvesters or 'collectors'. Numerical quotas and size are taken into consideration and distributors such as FMR, Brelands, etc. have limits as to how many crabs they may get through these 'harvests'. It is a very structured procedure with many guidelines to comply with from the time they are taken from the 'wild' until they begin their new lives in 'domestication'. Most of the crabs we 'see' in the United States come from the Florida Key area and other Caribbean areas. Some are imported from the South American areas such as the Ecuadorians that many of us have grown so fond of!

Choosing Hermit Crabs

Look closely at the hermit crab environment and ask questions about the food, bedding, housing and temperature needs for your new pets. If you have never owned hermit crabs before a book on caring for hermit crabs is a wonderful resource. There is a list of hermit crab guides listed under Books to the left. Make sure that you can purchase extra shells from the shop or alternatively from a seashell shop, craft store or tourist shop ( see shells for more information.) When I am selecting a crab I will ask permission to pick up and handle the hermit crabs. Slowly and gently pick up any available crabs from the tank and fluidly lower them onto your palm, stretched flat. It is important that you keep your hand flat as most hermit crabs see you as a giant and are afraid you will drop them! Considering the ease with which they fall I think that they are justified in this fear. You need to be ready at all times to catch them in case they tumble off your hand. Watch each crab as it meanders across your palm. Sometimes it takes a while for a crab to loose its initial fear of you and peek out from the safety of its shell. Try to keep your hand still and talk soothingly to your crab, always remembering to place your empty hand alongside the other at the edge the crab is crawling towards. Choosing the right crab can be a hard thing to do, but if you do it right, it can help you in the long run. Doing this can help you get a crab that will live longer, and a much happier, healthier, more fun crabitat. Be sure to have everything they will need before bringing them home.

Choosing the Right Place to Buy From

Recently, while on vacation, I visited some pet stores and gift shops that sold hermit crabs. In one store, the hermit crabs were kept in a cage that would have been better suited for a rabbit. They had food and water, but no extra shells. The store was very cold, because of the air conditioner, this also removed any humidity from the air. I went intentionally looking for this store, because I had received numerous e-mails about hermit crabs purchased from here not surviving for more than a week or two. From what was described to me, they had all died from stress. If you follow the check list below and buy only from pet stores that treat their animals well, these other pet stores will get the point. You should be able to purchase hermit crabs at most quality pet stores and they are also often found in gift shops at most popular beaches. Choosing the right place will help ensure your hermit crabs are happy and healthy, as well as keep that place in business and show you agree with their care practices. You can order them online but if you want the luxury of being able to pick them out yourselves (instead of having them send you just any old crabs) you will want to find a good pet store. In order to ensure good health and happiness of your Hermit Crabs you will want to find a pet store that supplies FMR crabs, they are a good source that generally do well as pets. Some sources pet stores get them from are really bad. If you contact FMR and give them your zip code, they will be able to send you the names of stores in your area (or the closest store near you) that sells their crabs and or supplies. The only problem is some stores buy crabs from several sources, so be sure to ask at the store. Next, you want to buy from a knowledgeable pet store that does a good job of taking care of their crabs. Some of the larger chain pet stores do a horrifying job of taking care of their pets, especially hermit crabs (info on them is hard to find). Some have been known to have hot UV incandescent light over them, no water or food, wood chips or Astroturf for bedding substrate, dirty or small crowded or smelly cages, many of them sick, mite infested, or with 2 or 3+ lost limbs, etc. The staff should be informative and helpful. Make sure the pet store is clean and the animals have fresh food and water. One person once had a hermit crab lose a leg so they asked a pet store employee and they told them to superglue it back on! Be careful of some pet stores in the tropical areas that have (sometimes illegally) harvested their own hermit crabs instead of buying them from professionals. DON'T take hermit crabs straight from the wild, this happens quite often and they suffer and die pretty quickly. In most places around the world it illegal to take hermit crabs from the shore as they are protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act and other laws which are there for the protection of all hermit crabs. If a pet store doesn't look good, move on and find another pet store. But more importantly, before you go to any pet store, check out your local animal shelter, classified section of the newspaper and trywww.petfinder.org. This is an organization that helps pet shelters find homes for homeless animals. If there are any hermit crab listed they will be found under REPTILES and SMALL & FUZZY. They don't have a hermit crab category. Its always a good idea to give a homeless hermit crab a home.

Make Sure They Will Get Along

The next thing to consider when choosing Hermit Crabs is that they are social and need the company of other Hermit Crabs, so if you don't already have Hermit Crabs you will need to buy more than one (which shouldn't be a problem since they are pretty cheap) to make sure they'll be happy . Don't worry about whether they are male or female, they can't reproduce in captivity anyway. Then you need to choose hermit crabs that will get along and won't fight. There no absolutes to whether they will fight or not but there are couple things you can do while choosing to help cut down on the possibility. 1. You can choose crabs of the same size(the same size large claw) and temperament. Even though hermit crabs are generally social creatures, the larger hermit crab is usually dominant and might sometimes pick on or bully a smaller one/s(this is rare though). Plus, if two of the same size do get a fight they can both fend for themselves. If you have many hermit crabs (more than 10), some people say a mix of sized crabs is often better because then at least the crabs won't be in competition for prized shells. 2. Some people say that with the same color claw get along better, this is usually referring to crabs of the same species get along better with their own kind a little better(this is not always true either). There might be natural antagonism between hermit crabs of 2 different species. 3. It is best to choose 2 or 3 crabs that are right next to each other and especially if they have the same kind of shell. This usually means that they already know each other and already get along. 4. Crabs with missing or damaged limbs and obvious damage to their shell are usually either being picked on or the ones doing the picking on(or sick), either way they are more likely to spur on fights.

The Right Size

There is no really easy way that I know of to tell the exact age of a hermit crab. In general, the larger the crab the older it is. Small (dime sized) crabs need more attention, and are harder to care for. Their chances of dying are a lot greater just because they are smaller. Some people like small crabs though because they think they look cuter or because they have spent less of their life outside their home or in captivity, they are more suitable for smaller children, because they are cheaper, or other various reasons. If you can only afford (or have space for) a smaller tank, you might want smaller hermit crabs too. Another thing to keep in mind is that jumbo (tangerine, softball, etc.) sized crabs only molt about once every 18 months but when they do, their chances of surviving it are less likely. Jumbo crabs are kind of awe-inspiring to look at, but are more expensive and more difficult to find.

Make Sure They are Healthy

Look over the crab and see if the crab is missing any legs, or other parts of their body. They should have two eyes, two long antennae, two short antennae (called antennules), both chelipads(grasping claws: 1 large and 1 small), and all 4 of its large legs. Plus make sure the crab doesn't have any scratches, or cuts on it. Also look to see if any part of the body looks abnormal, different from the other crabs. Be sure the head and thorax isn't damaged. Hermit crabs are not normally smelly creatures, so if is has a strong fishy smell (an indication of death), more so than the other crabs, it might be sick, dying or is in the middle of a moult. It is best to avoid crabs which are moulting when purchasing a new pet as such crabs as it usually ends in heartache because of the stress on an already weakened crab.. It also should NOT be "hanging" limp or loosely out of it's shell. You want to make sure they have a healthy color to their exoskeleton (skin). You want to make sure their shell fits just right (meaning not too big or not too small). The shell opening should be as large as it's big pincer, this is a good sign of it's health and future health. It should also be a little heavy when picked up, showing it has a good storage of moisture and isn't dried out or dehydrated. Be sure to check that there are no little bugs on the crabs, or in the cage. These parasitic mites are deadly and may spread to other crabs. Pass on any batch of crabs if you find even one infected animal. Lastly, you want to pick one of the the most lively, active crabs you can find with fluttering antennae (but keep in mind that hermit crabs are nocturnal animals). Make your pick from the crawlers and climbers, let the stay-puts stay put. Active crabs tend to be healthier and also less timid and hence more interesting and more enjoyable.

Preference
Be sure to pick a crabs with a shell that you like. Some crabs will not switch their shell for a long time. Ask to take it out of it's cage and place it on your outstretched palm leaving the skin taught so they can't grab on to it. A crab that peeks it's head and legs out and is relatively friendly towards you right off the bat is preferable. It is important that the shell is attractive and it is suitable for the other crabs once the original occupant has moved on to another shell. Some crabs spend months in the same shell. I know it is not as important as the health of the crab but it can make a difference in how you perceive your crab. 3

Lastly
Do not ever place your newly bought hermit crabs with the rest of your hermit crabs right away, if you already have a bunch of hermit crabs. They could potentially be sick or mite infested and possibly spread it to the rest of your crabs. Put them in isolation for about a week until you are sure there won't be a problem.

Purchasing Your Hermit Crab

Where to Buy & What to Look For: You should be able to purchase hermit crabs at most quality pet stores and they are also often found in gift shops at most popular beaches. When you purchase a crab, make sure that you can see at least 6 legs and make sure it is moving. Also stay away from crabs that have a strong odor or have any bugs on them. How old is that Hermit Crab? There is no really easy way that I know of to tell the exact age of a hermit crab. In general, the larger the crab the older it is. Hermit Housing: Don't cramp you hermits! Even though they are tiny creatures, they need enough room to crawl around. Don't make the mistake I did and buy a small plastic container. I would suggest purchasing a glass 10 gallon tank with a screen to cover the top. The best place to setup the tank is in a warm spot (remember they come from very warm climates) with about 4-6 inches of sand in the bottom covered with a thin layer of gravel, crushed coral, coral rock, crushed clam and oyster shells, or limestone. Crabs also love to climb. You should include a piece of non-resin wood for them to climb on. If you are unsure about what kind to put in, you can purchase "fake" wood in the reptile section of your pet store. This is the route I took! The tank also needs a water dish that is easy for the hermit crab to climb in and out of. You can also find these in the reptile section of the pet store. Be sure to put small rocks, or a natural sponge (the kind you buy in a pet store not grocery store) on the bottom of the dish so the crabs can climb in and out easily. Crabs can drown if they can't get out of the water dish. The last thing needed for the hermit house is a very small shallow dish to put the food on. I cut down a small medicine cup and burried it in the sand so it is easy to get to. I have also seen people who use a plastic lid or a clam shell. Crabs eat very slowly so it must be easy to remove and change the food supply, so it doesn't go bad. Lighting: Hermit crabs are basically night creatures in the wild. They don't often come out during the day. A low watt flourescent light, like the type used for a tropical fish tank, can be vurned a few hours each day to help warm the tank and simulate daylight or dusk. A nice blue or purple flourescent bulb gives a nice soft light.

Information: Finding A Crab

Choosing the right crab can be a hard thing to do, but if you do it right, it can help you in the long run. Doing this can help you get a crab that will live longer, and a crab that will get along with any other crabs you have (if you have any others). When buying a crab, there are a few things you should do to make sure you get the right crab.
* The first and most important thing is that you make sure your crab is healthy. Look over the crab and see if the crab is missing any legs, or other parts of their body. Plus make sure the crab doesn't have any scratches, or cuts on it. Also look to see if any part of the body looks abnormal. * Another thing you should do is make sure the crab is not too small if you do not have lots of time on your hands. Small crabs need lots of attention, and are harder to care for. Their chances of dying are a lot greater just because they are smaller. I suggest that you get a bigger crabs because they are more tame, and have a better chance of living. * The crab should also have a good fitting shell (meaning not too small). Some crabs don't change to a bigger shell because they are sick. That isn't true for all crabs with small shells, some are just fine with small shells.I have a crab who hasn't changed his shell in a while, but he is perfectly normal still (as far as I know). * If you already own a crab, you have more things to look at if you are thinking of buying a new crab. One thing you should do is make sure your new crab is not aggressive. Also, if you are planning to get more than one crab, but you don't have any now, look into the future, and make sure your first crab is not aggressive. * Another thing about size is the fact that crabs have been known to pick on smaller crabs. Even though the crab may not be aggressive normally, it may pick on smaller crabs around. To prevent this, make sure you buy crabs that are about the same size. This will help your crabs from bullying each other. * The last thing has not been proven, but works for me. Some people say that if you want to have multiple crabs, that you should make sure that they have the same color big claw. These people say that if they have the same color big claw that they will get along better. It tends to work for me, but it may not work for everyone. Take this into consideration when you buy your crab. This crab is very active, and I recommend getting a active crab.

Choosing a hermit crab as a pet

Because they are hardy, curious, and active, hermit crabs make excellent pets. Many pet stores carry hermit crabs, but most shopkeepers are not terribly familiar with these charming crustaceans. When buying a hermit crab, make sure to check each of the following: 1. Health. Check for missing legs and obvious damage to the integral shell (the front part of the crab). 2. Parasites. Check for the presence of any small bugs on the crab. These parasitic mites are deadly and infectious. Pass on any batch of crabs if you find even one infected animal. 3. Disposition. Hermit crabs vary in their level of activity. Lively crabs tend to be healthier and also less timid and hence more enjoyable. 4. Size. Hermit crabs vary in size; including their shells, typical specimens range from marble-sized to fist sized. Larger crabs tend to be hardier and less timid. 5. Matching with existing pets. a. If you already have a hermit crab and are adding another to your household, try to find a good match in size and temperament. Hermit crabs can be cannibalistic and may bully or kill smaller crabs, especially in close settings. b. Don't try to house hermit crabs with other animals such as lizards, snakes, or turtles. Hermit crabs are predatory in the wild and may harm other pets, or conversely may be intimidated by larger roommates.

Different Species of Hermit Crabs

The shape of the claw is a good way to recognize a particular species. For instance Caribbean Hermits have a deep purple claw, Haiti Hermits have an orange - purple claw, Philippine hermits have a smaller more purple claw and Tahiti hermits have a black or white claw depending on the island. The Hermit Crabs common to the United States, DO NOT require salt baths, with the exception of the Ecuadorian Crabs.

Australian Land Hermit Crabs

The crabs that I own are land - based tree - dwelling hermit crabs from Australia, of the species Coenobitia variabilis which are affectionately known as "Crazy Crabs". Another popular land hermit crab is the Strawberry or Red Land Hermit Crab, Coenobita perlatus. Hermit crabs sold in Australia are the only species of hermit crabs that need to be bathed in seasalt water about once a month. It is believed that since they live closer to water in they need more brackish water. There are two species of hermit crabs sold in Australia: Coenobita Perlatus- "Strawberry" or "Red" land hermit crab, little is known and they are very rare. Coenobita Variabilis- "Crazy Crab", most often what is sold in Australia. "Land Hermit Crabs of the family Coenibitidae are in general a tropical group poorly represented in the Australian Area. Some small, brown Coenibita species occur in northern Australia and the bright red Coenibita perlatus is abundant on cays in the Coral Sea between Queensland and New Caledonia. Though found widely throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea to Samoa, this active scavenger is seldom seen on the islands in the Barrier Reef area... These virtually terrestrial decapods have branchial chambers richly supplied with blood vessels as well as gills, and can use atmospheric oxygen directly. They can live for many months out of water but usually return to the shore quite regularly to wet themselves, change shells and release larvae from hatching eggs." Little is known about Australian Hermit Crabs and they are not by any means my specialty. Vanessa Pike-Russell is a very knowledgeable hermit crab owner who lives in Australia. If you have any questions regarding Australian Hermit Crabs you are best off asking her, her email address is hermies@tpg.com.au and her Yahoo instant messenger ID is hermit_crabs 4

Vanessa Pike-Russell, who lives in Australia and is very knowledgable, had this to say about Australian hermit crab care: "E's are somewhat like the Aus C.variabilis crabs in that they wander closer to the water on their nightly wanderings for food. This means that they have a higher intake of salt and salt water in the wild than their C.clypateus cousins, and as such it has to be maintained in captivity. That is the main reason why the drinking water of E's is laced with a weak saline solution (which, from what I have heard, many PP's will drink too). If you have the room in your tank I suggest offering both E's and PP's a dish of each water, and let the crabs decide for themselves. Australian hermit crab owners are advised to give their crabs a salt bath. A "salt bath" merely means a dish of salt water solution (much like that used with E's but stronger) that is left in the tank overnight. If you want to be sure the crabs have some access to it, you can lower them into the dish and allow them to climb out. This is done once a month. If there is room in the tank, then you can add a small dish of water with slightly saline solution like that offered to the Ecuadorian crabs, as well as a dish of fresh water that is chlorine and chloramine free. This is an alternative to salt baths, but only if you have the room in the tank. Due to concern over the possible damage to the modified gills of my crabs due to exposure to salt water baths I consulted 'experts' both in the US and Australian hermit crab fields who felt that weekly salt baths were far too frequent. I was advised to weaken the solution and was informed that If beach sand was used as a substrate then the crabs would probably receive their salt intake that way, making additional salt intake unnecessary. I now only give my crabs a salt bath once a month, and have halved the strength of the solution based on my crabs preferences and expert advice. FMR informed me that the species C. clypateus did better to ingest than absorb salt into their body, and that is why rock salt is added to the FMR food and treat. CLD sent me some FMR Food and Treat and my crabs just can't get enough of it, especially the treat! I have been bathing my Aussie crabs in Stress Coat laced water since CLD convinced me of its beneficial qualities, especially the ability to help repair any damage the salt water solution may have caused. I believe that Stress Coat has been helpful in creating a protective coating of the gills and helping maintenance of the gill function necessary for their breathing. I believe that Stress coat bath once a week has helped my crabs in many ways, including the ability slip out of their exo much more easily, as well as a very shiny exo due to the moisturising properties of Aloe within Stress Coat brand I use. Believe me, they enjoy it just as much as their US cousins do :)"

(Ref: Healy, A. and Yaldwyn, J. [1970] Australian Crustaceans in Colour. Sydney, Reed. Description: 112 p. illus. (part col.) 18x 19 cm ISBN: 0589070738)

Land Hermit Crabs Sold Everywhere Else(Mostly U.S.):

There are three main kinds of hermit crabs found in United States pet stores. Ecuadorians, Purple Pincers, and Reds. To learn more about them, visit the US Species page. Coenobita Clypeatus-"Purple Pincers(PP)", most often what is sold in U.S.A. Coenobita Clypeatus-"Reds", some recognize this subgroup of the clypeatus group, they are deep red to light orange all over including their large claw, rare . Reds have the same characteristics as the pp's except the red tones are all over including their large claw. Coenobita Compressus-"Ecuadorian", only hermit crab sold in U.S.A. that needs to drink (not bathe in) slightly brackish water. Coenobita Perlatus-"Strawberry" or "Reds", very little is known, very rare Birgus Latro- "Coconut" or "Robber" crab, largest land crab, very aggressive, only wears a shell for one year.

"Coconut" or "Robber" Crab - Birgus latro

The coconut crab is the largest living land arthropod. The coconut crab feeds on coconuts and other foods and until it reaches maturity it wears a shell for protection like the land hermit crabs. Coconut crabs grow very large, with some weighing 5 kilos and with a leg span of a metre! Coconut crabs got their name from observed behaviour in which they climb coconuts palms in search of the soft coconut meat which they obtain by using their powerful grasping claws to release the coconut and then use claws and legs to prise the cracked coconut shell open. Extremely rarely, young live robber crabs are imported into the U.S. and offered by reptile dealers. You would only most likely see these in a pet shop specializing in exotic pets. They are not true hermit crabs as they only wear a shell for one year of their life, they first year they are on shore. They are the largest of land crabs. They are known as coconut crabs because of their love for coconuts, and robber crabs because of their ability to steal food. they will obviously need an extremely large tank and environment.

Aggressive
They are very aggressive and have been described as "cannibalistic killers." They are best left by themselves and especially not with any hermit crabs of other species. They are very good climbers and can even scale the walls, walking on the cielings.

Large
A very large robber crab can be over 40 years old and over 8 lbs in weight. They can be very active and strong. they can be especially good at escaping and have been known to tear through wire mesh.

Molting
They will need especially good conditions to molt because of the difficulty involved for them. They will need extra deep substrate as well. They might remain buried for at least a month after molting.

Nigerian Land Hermit Crab

Nigerian land hermit crabs are seen as a delicacy in Nigeria, where they are sometimes eaten. Nigerian Land Hermit Crabs should not be confused with the Nigerian Moon or SoapDish crab, which is a 'true' crab.

Ecuadorian Hermit Crabs (Es)

Ecuadorians come in all colors(most often gray and tan), tones, shades (depending on which area of the tropics they are from and which colony) and and require additional attention. They are more easily noted by their larger and elongated oval shaped eyes (as opposed to the tiny beady eyes of the previous two). Their legs fold over their claws when retracting into their shell unlike most species. They will usually only grow to about half the size of PPs(40 grams). Some say their large claw is more triangular than the others and that their legs look more muscular They also have a particular "squealing" sound to their croaks too. They are also generally less ornary. E crabs are particularly susceptible to temperature fluctuations and they might prefer shells with a more slit-like opening, rather than the traditional round-shaped opening preferred by most crabs. They seem to prefer very natural shells and do not usually change shells as often as the others..They also generally will pee on you more than other species. Many people enjoy the extra activeness and hyperness traits of ecuadorians, but other don't want the added responsibility.

Speed Demons!
They have been described as "speed demons" and run in all directions at once! They are are about 50% MORE active than PPs and can go as fast backwards as they can frontwards or to either side. And E's antennae are HYPER compared to PPs.

Emotional
They are more high-strung, in general, and also more emotional. E's are about as emotional as a crustacean can get. They have a really hard time adjusting to the loss of one of their fellow E's.

Need a Trace of Saline (Seasalt Water) in Their Drinking Water

5

They need an extra tad of saline(marine salt) in their water. Do not bathe E's in seasalt water, it may hurt their gills and cause respiratory problems. It is best to bathe E's in Stresscoat laced water. Only bathe Australian bought hermit crabs in salt water. With the exception of the Ecuadorian Crabs the trace of salt required for their diet can be obtained through their food and treats. FMR adds a trace amount of sea salt to their Treat and Food for this purpose. The Ecuadorians do require an additional trace of saline via their drinking water* but only a trace. Interesting note: when a fresh water source and a source with a trace of sea salt water is offered, E's will almost always head for the saline traced water! Their keen sense of smell is responsible... Too much salt works against the stresscoat baths that HELP the Ecuadorian crabs. It can cause blisters around their ("E's") gills and cause major respiratory problems... from ulcerated gills... it is usually a slow and not too pleasant death from suffocation. But they do require an extra trace of salt and a little more calcium intake. The saline is known to 'strip' away some of this protectant, this is where the stresscoat comes in to help replace the protectant. I use the cuttlebone for their extra calcium...pretzels, saltine snacks can supply the salt requirement. Sad thing is there is next to nothing written about them. I offer plain dechlorinized water to the others.... but the trace of salt water won't harm them. I have found that the Ecuadorians do tend to hover over the water dishes more than my others...

A suggested Saline solution for Ecuadorian hermit crabs is: * Drinking water: about 1/8th of a teaspoon of aquarium salt (Instant Ocean or Doc Fishwell are the best) to a quart of dechloronized water. Then add a teaspoon of this solution to their drinking water.

Difficulty Molting
Molting in captivity is especially strenuous for Ecuadorians and the survival rate of this period is extremely low. It has been shown that regular baths with Stresscoat laced water drastically improves their chances of survival.

Purple Pincer Hermit Crabs (PP)

The most common hermit crab species sold in the U.S.A. Just as their name implies, their large claw (left chelipad) is of a a purple to bluish color which sets them aside from the others. They cover the opening of their shell with this large purplish claw. Their legs are various colors(depending on which area of the tropics they are from and which colony), but we normally see them in reddish and brown tones. They have beady looking, round eyes and their legs seem to fold into the shell when retracted. They will grow to about 110 grams (about 4 ounces). They are probably the easiest to care for and like to switch shells often.

Different Species of Aquatic or Marine Hermit Crabs

This site is focused on the land hermit crab Coenibita clypeatus, but there are many different kinds of both land and aquatic hermit crabs. Sometimes people have found hermit crabs on the beach and wondered whether they were land crabs or aquatic (in the wild, land hermit crabs usually stay pretty near the shore; they are born in the ocean and the females must return to the sea to deposit their eggs). Of approximately 800 hermit crabs known to science, all but 12 are aquatic. They are also sold at pet stores for aquariums and called reef janitors, because they eat up the algae at the bottoms of the tank and help keep it clean to a certain extent.

Here are a few things that may help you if you find a hermit crab on a beach:
Land hermit crabs have solid red, purple, orange, brown, or grey colored legs and claws; Aquatic hermit crabs may have different colored limbs (i.e. they may be striped or spotted). Land hermit crabs have black eyes; aquatic crabs may have eyes of another color. Aquatic crabs can live out of water for a little while (which explains why they are sometimes found washed up on the sand), but they need an aquatic environment to survive . May find them on the beach.; land crabs may be able to stay in the water for a very short period time, but after that they will drown. One thing you may notice about an aquatic hermit crab is that it might have things such as barnicles living on its shell. If you think you may have found aquatic crab but aren't sure, I'd recommend taking it to a knowledgeable vet or knowledgeable pet store to ask, FMR may be able to help but not very much when it comes to aquatic hermit crabs.

Crab Biology
The Caribbean Terrestrial Hermit Crab Coenobita Clypeatus (herbst, 1791) The name Coenobita Clypeatus (usually pronounced seen-oh-bit-a cly-pe-ait-us) may be translated as " shield-bearing monk or cloister brother," which conjures up a truer image of this often gregarious and variously cloistered resident of tropical East American shores than does "hermit crab." But, like most common names, "hermit crab" or "soldier crab" in native parlance, will certainly endure. The animal so called belongs to a small family of terrestrial decapod crustaceans quite distinct from the marine hermit crabs. The family Coenobitidas is composed of two genera: Birgus and Coenobita.Birgus is represented by a single species, Birgus latro(Linnaeus, 1767), the Robber Crab or Coconut Crab of Indo-Pacific islands. Birgus has discarded the protection of an appropriated shelter except for a brief juvenile period.Coenobita contains seven species that inhabit tropical regions throughout the world and that live in discarded snail shells for their entire adult lives, changing to larger shells as they grow. The terrestrial hermit crabs and a few true land crabs of the family Gecarcinidae are the only decapod crustaceans (shrimps, lobsters, crabs, etc.) that have successfully migrated from the sea directly to dry land. Most land animals gradually evolved from the marine environment through brackish and fresh water to marshes and land. The direct route taken by Coenobita presents many adaptive problems, especially in the hot and dry climates that seem to be favored by the terrestrial hermit crabs. Coenobita Clypeatus ranges in size from tiny but sexually mature individuals weighing little more than a gram to old males as large as a man's fist. It occurs naturally from Bermuda, where it is now rare, and southern Florida to Venezuela and perhaps Brazil. It seems to prefer dry, hard soil at some distance from the sea and it is known to live at altitudes of at least 2,300 feet (887 meters.) Although high humidity is desirable, Coenobita seems to avoid areas of dense vegetation or permanently humid habitats, such as marshlands and the muddy banks of brackish or freshwater pools. Hermit crabs can survive in coastal areas but they encounter stiff competition for food there from quicker and more active semi terrestrial grapsoid crabs. The hermit crab populations in these regions are consequently made up of small individuals and a few larger ones that usually carry inadequate snail shells and appear the worse for wear in comparison with those living in inland situations, where there are freshwater drinking places, shade trees, and a better 'food supply- The inland populations often occupy the heavy West Indian Top Shell,(Cittarium-Livona) pica. On Curacao,the hermit crabs are usually least active about noon; they normally reach their peak of activity between sunset and 8:00 P.M. and gradually become less active from then until the following noon, but a sudden increase in humidity, as from a shower, tends to promote activity at any time. The optimum temperature range is probably between 72 degrees and 93 degrees Fahrenheit. All movements become slower at 68 degrees to 72 degrees and hermit crabs maintained at 65 degrees become more or less lethargic. Populations of Coenobita on Bimini in the Bahamas are more active in the daytime, possibly because nighttime temperatures are lower than they are farther south, but this reversal of the activity cycle was not observed in those inhabiting the Florida Keys. When the hermit crabs are active and encountering each other in their travels, they often make croaking sounds, but the source of this apparent means of communication is still uncertain. Some species of the Coenobitahave prominent stridulating ridges on the outer surface of the major claw, but no such structure is to be found in Coenobita Clypeatus. As an adaptation forextracting oxygen from the air rather than from the water, the gills of Coenobita are reduced in number and stiffened, and the inner walls of the gill chamber are vascularized to promote the exchange of gases. Also, ventilation of the gill chamber is enhanced by the reduced side walls of the carapace or head shield of the crab. Moistening of the gills is abetted by well-developed glands in the bronchial region. The danger of drying out or of over concentrating the body fluids through evaporation is the most critical problem confronting any animal that migrates from water to land. Coenobita has an advantage in this respect over the true land crabs, for it can store water in the appropriated snail shell, and this water may be used secondarily for drinking. One reason that hermit crabs so frequently try on different abandoned snail shells is to find one that fits the delicate abdomen closely, thereby minimizing evaporation. The same explanation probably accounts for the nocturnal habits of Coenobita Clypeatus in the southern part of its range, where daytime activity could result in severe evaporation. Experiments have shown that animals in wellfitting shells can subsist without food and water six times as long as those removed from their shells. When the crab withdraws into its shell in the daytime, the claws and walking legs form a reasonably effective seal in the shell mouth against evaporation. The parts of the animal that protrude farthest from the snail shell are most heavily calcified, and this undoubtedly helps to prevent the evaporation of body fluids. 6

Coenobita takes up water by dipping the tips of the claws in it, transferring drops to the mouthparts or maxillipeds and thence to the mouth and gill chamber. Very small amounts of water, such as raindrops and dew, can be utilized in this way. An alternate method is to hold both claws close together and dip them in the water; by shoveling motions, the water is forced to rise by capillary action along the fringe of hairs on the lower surfaces of the claws, and the maxillipeds, direct it to the mouth. Coenobita has a highly developed sensory perception for water; it prefers water of low salinity and it is able to discriminate well between different salinities. The animals seem to remain in best condition when a small amount of salt is present in the drinking water. Full-strength sea water can be used for drinking, but not for shell water-, the latter must be constantly diluted with nearly fresh water to prevent adverse concentration of the body fluids. During the dry season on Curacao, even limestone containing moisture is consumed by the hermit crabs as a source of water. Land hermit crabs are omnivorous. They feed on all kinds of vegetable matter, as well as on protein-rich food, especially decaying flesh. On Curacao, native fruits, such as cactus fruits and the supposedly poisonous "apples" of the Manchineal Tree are devoured eagerly, and fresh droppings of horses and cows are used as a source of both food and water. Local fisherman who use "soldier crabs" for bait claim that they can be obtained most easily by attracting them with coffee grounds. The animal obviously performs a useful function as a scavenger in tropical countries, not only along the waterfront but also around human habitations and refuse dumps. De Wilde tells of a dead donkey on Curacao that kept a group of hermit crabs busy for several weeks. Even when nothing remained of the carcass but the empty dried hide, the crustaceans continued to rattle loudly around inside of what served as a very effective sounding box. In captivity, cannibalism may result from inadequate care but, if sufficient food and water are supplied, mortality is very low, even when several hundred mediumsized animals are crowded together. The crabs were maintained in excellent condition in captivity on Curacao on a diet of cooked rice, bread and fruit- and sometimes fish or other proteinrich food. Molting is a necessary but hazardous procedure for all arthropods, especially under other than natural conditions. All are vulnerable to attack until the new integument hardens, and they must protect themselves from all kinds of assailants and predators during this period. In captivity, hermit crabs often burrow into soil when ready to molt and remain out of sight for a month or more, during which time they consume the cast integument, presumably for its calcium content. When several individuals are kept together in captivity, slabs of some material under which the animals may retreat for privacy should be provided. A source of calcium, such as egg shell is also desirable. Some shell water is retained during molting to forestall desiccation. On Curacao, molting seems to be especially prevalent during April and May. The sex of hermit crabs usually cannot be determined without removing the animals from the shell. Males of Coenobita Clypeatus are distinguished by the presence of tufts of hair concealing openings on the first segment of the last pair of legs and by the absence of appendages on the abdomen. Females have bare openings on the first segment of the third legs (counting the claws as the first pair) and three forked appendages on the left side of the abdomen for this attachment of eggs. The sex ratio of the Coenobita population on Curacao seems to vary with age- in very small animals (weighing less than IO grams), there are usually from 4 to 25 females to every male-, in medium-sized crabs (20-50g), there is considerable variation from slightly more than one female to every male to three males to every female; and in large and very large individuals (501 00 g), there are more than three males to every female. The annual migrations of Coenobita toward the sea are well known to inhabitants of the Caribbean region. They are always made at night and they generate such a clatter that they are said to have scared off human invasions of some of the islands in the past. Contrary to general opinion, the migrations apparently do not coincide with readiness to liberate the eggs in the sea. The hermit crabs on Curacao first migrate from island areas to a locations near, but not necessarily on, the coast, where there are sources of fresh water with which to dilute the shell water. What are assumed to be mating activities--although actual copulation has not yet been observed--seem to occur in these breeding areas about a week before the full moon in August, September and October. As the eggs are spawned, they are attached to the abdominal appendages by the pincers on the last pair of legs. The number of eggs varies from 800 to 1,200 in young females and may reach 40 or 50 thousand in large ones. Freshly spawned eggs are dark reddish brown. During the following month, they gradually become paler, changing to gray or light blue, and the egg mass becomes less compact. Before the full moon of the month following the one that apparently attended breeding activity, the eggs are mature and will burst immediately when placed in sea water, releasing the zoeal larvae. For that reason, females keep less water in the shell when they are carrying eggs than otherwise--enough water to maintain maximum humidity but not enough to cover the eggs. No individuals of the Curacao population of Coenobita were seen entering the sea to release the eggs, as they were believed to do. One might assume that such immersion is avoided so that the carefully maintained salinity of the shell water will not be upset, yet the Pacific American Coenobita Compresses H. Milne Edwards, 1837, has been observed to approach the shore deliberately and permit the waves to wash over it. Females of Coenobita Clypeatus on the other hand, mount low prominences along the shore and follow a procedure for releasing the eggs that may be unique among crustaceans. The eggs are removed in small clusters by the last legs, passed forward to the maxillipeds where they are formed roughly into balls and deposited on the tip of one of the claws- they are then "shot", by a short forward movement of the claw, onto intertidal rocks from which they are washed into the sea by the incoming tide. There is some evidence that the entire egg mass does not mature simultaneously, and parts of it are deposited on the shore on successive nights. This breeding cycle may be repeated twice during successive lunar periods on Curacao, but the first event is the most important and the third one the least. In the northern part of its range, Coenobita has only a single breeding period annually. The larval stages consist of four to six free-swimming zoeal stages, lasting for 40 to more than 60 days in the laboratory but probably less than that under natural conditions. The post larval glaucothoe stage persists for more than a month, during the last week or more of which it is non swimming and crawls ashore. It is believed that many of the larvae remain in eddies near the island where they were released and that local populations are therefore probably self perpetuating to a considerable degree. Also there is some indication that young and inexperienced crabs are guided to breeding areas by older, experienced ones. Individuals of the species are known to live in captivity for at least 11 years.

Biological Classification
KINGDOM-Animalia PHYLUM-Anthropoda SUBPHYLUM-Mandibulata CLASS-Crustacea ORDER-Decapoda FAMILY-Coenobitidae GENUS-Coenobita SPECIES-Clypeatus COMMON NAME-Land Hermit Crab Description: Land hermit crabs are found along coastal shores in areas with warm climates such as the Florida Keys, the Caribbean, and Venezuela. They have 4 antennae and 10 legs. Two of the legs are claws. The large purple claw is used for climbing and to defend itself. The smaller claw is used for carrying food and water to the crab's mouth. The large purple claw is also used when the crab retreats into it's shell to cover the shell opening. Four of the legs are walking legs, and the other four are usually hidden in the shell. The two smallest legs are used to hold onto the shell. Land hermit crabs live in mollusk (snail) shells to protect their soft abdomen (stomach).

Biology?
Some crustaceans that look somewhat like crabs belong to the Anomura. They differ from true crabs by having at most only three pairs of walking legs instead of four. Some anomurans are hermit crabs which have a soft coiled abdomen protected by a snail shell. Most hermit crabs are scavengers on dead plant or animal matter. Hermit crabs are divided into families partly on which of the two claws is bigger. Other anomurans are the false crabs, flat and with similar sized chelipeds. The abdomen is a short flap tucked under the thorax and there are only three pairs of walking legs.

MARINE LIFE PROFILE:TIDEPOOL HERMIT CRABS

Hawaiian name: unauna, ppai-pp, & others Scientific name: Calcinus species & others Distribution: Indo-Pacific, including Hawaii Size: varies with species, to 1 inch (2.5 cm) Diet: omnivorous, plant and animal material 7

These familiar tidepool residents are members of the large invertebrate Phylum Arthropoda which includes crabs, as well as the land-dwelling insects, and many other groups. Like all arthropods, hermit crabs have jointed limbs and segmented bodies. As members of the Subphylum Crustacea, the most prominant arthropod group in the ocean, hermit crabs share several features with their closest relatives, the shrimp, lobsters, and true crabs: they all have three body regions, a head, thorax (mid-body), and abdomen; 2 pairs of antennae; crushing mouth parts called mandibles; and a hard external skeleton. Hermit crabs and their relatives are called anomurans and are different from the "true crabs" because they have a reduced and softened abdomen. Hermit crabs protect this vulnerable part of their body by using an empty snail shell as extra armor. The hermit crab's abdomen is curved to fit the shell and small hook-like limbs anchor the crab's body within the shell. Hermit crabs have 5 pairs of legs, the first pair is modified into claws and the last two pairs helps them hold onto the shell. When a hermit crab outgrows its shell, it must find another larger one. While hermit crabs may pull one another from desirable shells, it is rare for them to kill a snail to obtain a shell. When a hermit crab locates a shell, it carefully checks the inside and outside of the new prospect with its antennae and claws. Then, releasing its anchoring limbs from the old shell, it slips its abdomen out of the old shell and into the new one. If the fit is good, the hermit is on its way - it not, it quickly transfers back to the old shell. There are over six species of hermit crabs found in Hawaii's tide pools and reef shallows, each distinguishable by the colors of its eyes, antennae, legs, and claws. One of the most common is the Left-handed tide pool hermit crab, Calcinus laevimanus. This species has a large black and white left claw which they use as a door to seal off the shell for added protection. The Left-handed hermit crab uses the shells of many different species of seashells, but is frequently found in the shells of pipipi (nerite), top, or turban snails. The number of available shells in the tide pool or reef flat is very important to the survival of tide pool hermit crabs and can limit their numbers. So, please leave all seashells, even empty ones, in the sea where hermit crabs can reach them. As in most other crustaceans, hermit crabs are male or female. After mating, female hermit crabs carry their eggs attached to tiny limbs on their abdomen. The minute young hatch as larvae and are swept into the plankton; in this drifting stage, they look more like tiny shrimp than hermit crabs! The larvae feed and grow as they drift in ocean currents. When they have reached the right stage of development, they drop to the seafloor and metamorphose (transform) into their bottom-dwelling form and must immediately find a small snail shell for protection. Hermit crabs are omnivorous, feeding on both plant and animal materials. Despite the protection of their borrowed shells, they are preyed upon by larger hermit crabs, box crabs, octopus, as well as wrasses and other reef fishes with jaws for crushing shelled invertebrates. Tidepool hermit crabs profile pg. 2

Classification:
Kingdom Animalia Phylum Arthropoda Subphylum Crustacea Class Malacostraca, Section Macrura Order Decapoda, Infraorder Anomura Family Paguridae Genus Calcinus & others

Suggested Reading:
Buchbaum, R., M. Buchbaum, J. Pearse & V.Pearse. l987. Animals Without Backbones, Third Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL. Fielding, A. l998. Hawaiian Reefs and Tidepools, 4th Edition. Island Explorations, Makawao, HI. Hobson, E. & E.H. Chave. l990. Hawaiian Reef Animals, Revised Edition. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, HI. Holling, C.H. l957. Pagoo. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, MA. (This fictional account of a hermit crab's life cycle is done with great attention to scientific detail). Hoover, J. l999. Hawaiis Sea Creatures, A Guide to Hawaiis Marine Invertebrates. Mutual Publishing, Honolulu, HI. Johnson, S.A. l989. Hermit Crabs. A Lerner Natural Science Book, Lerner Publications Co., Minneapolis, MN. Niesen, T.N. l982. The Marine Biology Coloring Book. Barnes and Noble Books, New York, NY. Tinker, S.W. 1965. Pacific Crustacea. Charles E. Tuttle Co., Publishers, Rutland, VT. Titcomb, M. l978. Native Use of Marine Invertebrates in Old Hawaii. University Press of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI. LEFTHANDED HERMIT CRAB unauna or ppai-pp

Calcinus laevimanus Waikk Aquarium

Life Cycle of the Hermit Crab

Land hermit crabs have many stages in life. Hermit crabs do not reproduce in captivity. Instead, they mate on land near the sea. After the eggs develop, the female carries the eggs on her abdomen to the sea where she leaves them on wet sand or a wet rock for the tide to carry them out to sea. The female usually holds are 1,000 to 50,000 eggs inside her shell while they mature and later they hang out over the shell as they grow. The number of eggs is usually large but depends on the size of the crab Like true crabs, female false crabs usually lay their eggs shortly after copulating but can also store sperm for many months. The eggs are fertilized as they are laid by passing through the chamber holding the sperm. In the case of hermit crabs this is inside the shell..The eggs are attached to her abdomen and appendages until they are ready to hatch. They have been fertilized by a male (it is believed). When she is ready she goes to the ocean and releases the eggs in the ocean by scrapping her appendages. They look sort of like light brown round circles in a bunch of grapes. The hatched egg opens out of the egg looking like a long snout with tiny eyes. It is known as a zoea in this stage. It is less than 1/8 of an inch. The zoea grows by molting and molts five or six times to gain size. Each time it sheds its outer exoskeleton. A new large zoea grows covering itself with a new skeleton. It also grows appendages. It then enters the glaucothoe stage. His eyes are now on his stalks and two of his appendages have become claws. He is at this glaucothoe stage for about another month forming four antennae and antennules. After another molt he is off looking for protection of an empty shell as he is very vulnerable at this stage. He makes good fish food. They often hide in seaweed or on sea fan or moving plants. Once they mature and find a suitable shell, they come to live on land for the rest of their lives. They come to shore sometimes with and sometimes without a shell and will not need to return to the ocean except to replenish their calcium. Often you will see hermits at the oceans edge doing just that. Once ashore and hermit crabs go through a metamorphosis, developing modified gills that act as lungs to enable them to breathe air. Once on land they live in a variety of environments including trees, mangroves and areas up to 1-2 miles away from the shore. But remember they do not drink salt water though. They drink rain water and need it to survive. Hermit crabs have been known to live as long as twenty five to thirty years in captivity. We knew of a hermit that lived to be forty years old. His master found him in the Pacific during World War II. . On a recent visit to Tahiti and outer islands we found many land hermits. They are white and black with a red line on their back. They are extremely friendly and do not seem to be aggressive. Hundreds would go to the shore line at the waters edge bathing themselves at night. They were all the giants. Because there were so many large shells available and so few people on all the remote islands we visited, many large hermits existed. We also found them climbing coconut trees for the fruit by the dozens during the day. That was an adventure never to be forgotten.

Land Hermit Crab Anatomy

Ref: Jones, S. and Morgan, G.J. (1994) "A Field Guide to Crustaceans of Australian Waters". Western Australian Museum. Chatswood, N.S.W. (Australia) : Reed Books, 1994. ISBN 0 7301 0403 6

Gender
There are different ways to tell the gender of hermit crabs, depending on the species. Unfortunately, all of the ways I know, are dependent on viewing a hermit crab that is out of its shell. Considering the fact that hermit crabs are usually out of their shell only when moulting, or changing shells, this can make identifying male or female anatomy difficult to do. Whatever you do, do not try to pull your crab from its protective home just to see if it is a boy or girl crab, because your hermit crab would rather be torn in two than be pulled from his shell. Alan W. Harvey (from the Department of Biology at Georgia Southern University) how to sex a land hermit crab wrote: "Sexing land hermit crabs out of the shell is straightforward. Females have well-developed pleopods (the small legs) on on the left side of the abdomen, and a gonopore (an opening through which eggs or sperm are released) at the base of the second pair of walking legs. Pleopods are absent or at best vestigial (small) in males, and the coxae of the last pair of legs are, in most species, produced into stout, somewhat tubular structures (the legs have a wide, tubular look to them)." Note: The information in brackets was added later by me to help de-mystify the technical words. Although not scientifically conclusive, hermit crab keepers have widely held assumptions when determining the sex of land hermit crabs. Many believe the presence or absence of long hair along one side of the abdomen determines the animal's sex. It is assumed that females have this long hair for the purpose of holding eggs. It can be difficult to see. Hermit crabs are not known to breed in captivity, however, their eggs must hatch and become larvae in the sea. However you can see the legs and the claw which also can have hair. It is thought that male hermits have hair on their legs and claw and females do not. It has been noticed that the females with the egg pouches found in the spring do not have hairy legs, where the males of the same size do You usually can notice this when they are about the size of golf balls. Many long time owners and a hand full of scientist believe they can change their sex, as need be, when they need to reproduce. This has not been proven. This is what happens with worms, but hermit crabs are not in the worm species. . Regardless they do not breed in captivity and they have NEVER been able to recreate the environment that they need to reproduce. Many studies have tried. All have failed to my knowledge. Some believe it has to do with the size of the claw but actually different species have different types of claws and different colors and this is not sex related. Hermit Crabs do not mate in captivity so there is no chance of breeding your hermit crabs. Some hermit crab owners have been mistaking in thinking the eggs of a larvae fly were tiny hermit crab eggs . If you see anything other than hermit crabs in your tank it is a PEST and should be removed as soon as possible. See MITES for more information. 9

If you happen to miss name your hermit by sex. Don't worry they do not mind.

Age
Although not scientifically conclusive, hermit crab keepers have widely held assumptions when determining the age of land hermit crabs. The little teeth on the larger claw seem to imply age. The more teeth, the older the hermit crab. Of course, size is another factor. Jumbo hermit crabs (softball size and larger) are estimated to be between 15 and 50 years old.

Health
Health Hints For Hermit Crabs:
1. Provide new shells for crabs to grow into. Hermit crabs love to swich shells but need larger shells as they grow to maintain adequate body moisture. For proper fit, the new shell should be one-third larger than the present shell, and the shell opening should be the same size as the crab's large pincher. 2. Not all shells are suitable for crab homes. To ensure that tree crabs function in their homes, shells should be properly cleaned, processed and chosen by a knowlageable hermit crab distributor. 3. Bathe your crab once a week. Crabs will clean themselves if you provide them with fresh water in thier non-metal bowls. But it is a good idea to bathe crabs once a week. Submerge them once in lukewarm water and then allow them to air dry. Please give them their baths OUTSIDE of their cages. 4. Create a social, healthy environment. Crabs thrive on company and are the most active and entertaining when they coexist in pairs or in a tree crab community. When increasing the number of hermit crabs, be sure to provide more space for them. They also need a warm and humid environment, 70-85 degrees F. 5. Promote exercise by creating a playground. Crabs LOVE to climb! Coral and choya wood will encourage activity. Again, be sure they have plenty of room to play! 6. Serve a balanced diet and fresh water in shell dishes-daily. Crabs need calcium obtained from shell dishes. And, they thrive on premixed hermit crab food and treats, along with a variety of veggies and fruits. They will bury their food, so make sure you remove ALL uneaten food prior to their daily feeding.

Stress
Since we cannot speak the hermit crab's language, there is little known about stress. There are some things we do know. Stress is very common in hermit crabs, and is believed to be one of the main causes of a much shorter lifespan in captivity. Stress leads to other worse conditions like sickness, leaving their shell, lost limbs, and death. We must do whatever we can to make our crabs lives as stress free as possible (especially in the crucial molting periods). Whenever a sign/symptom of stress is observed, IMMEDIATE attention should be paid to the situation and to be as prompt as possible in seeking EXPERT advice! What is necessary, to prevent further problems/ deaths, is to locate and DETERMINE what PROBLEM is causing and creating this stress. Ninety-nine percent of the time there is an underlying cause...

Known Causes of Stress

-Poor control of temperature and humidity levels -Underlying problems such as bacterial growths (from too much dampness in the tank/wet substrate) -Dehydration (lack of water) -Poor Water quality (has heavy metals in it, especially chlorine which blisters gills, or old water that hasn't been changed) -Poor housekeeping (allowing wastes to build up, food to spoil, mite infestations, tank and substrate to get dirty instead of cleaning regularly) -Exposure to odors, housekeeping sprays, fumes(all things that can jeopardize their respiratory systems) -A drastic change in environment -A molt gone bad -Disturbing them when they are molting or sleeping -Predators and aggressive cagemates -Dropping from heights -Over misting/bathing -Death of a fellow hermit crab -A lonely hermit crab by itself -Anything else that could bring on a shock

Symptoms Of Extreme Stress

-Inactivity -Lost limbs -Comes out of it's shell and stays out -Won't come out of it's shell -Starts acting really strange -Won't eat or drink

Remedy
Read over this whole site to care for it better, ask questions on the message boards, and/or contact FMR.

Sickness
There is very little known about hermit crabs' sicknesses. We do know that there isn't a single recorded case of a human getting sick from a hermit crab. We also know that hermit crabs do get sick and sometimes they will drop dead for what seems like no reason. If a crab won't retract into it's shell when agitated, you know something is seriously wrong. We must do what we can to keep our hermit crabs disease free and when a symptom of sickness is observed you must get to the cause and fix it immediately. Causes: -Buying a hermit crab from a place where they are poorly cared for -Placing newly bought sick crabs with your other crabs -Poor housekeeping, not replacing or cleaning gravel, not digging out buried food or wastes, not cleaning tank properly -Allowing the substrate to get wet, moist, or damp causing bacterial and other growths -Not changing food and allowing it to spoil or rot -Chemicals and odors -Too much stress -Poor Water quality (has heavy metals in it, especially chlorine which blisters gills, or old water that hasn't been changed) -dehydration, lack of water -Poor control of temperature and humidity levels A pretty good indicator of knowing if your crab may be in trouble is to take a toothpick or piece of paper (personally, I use a corner of a piece of paper or paper towel...it works the same but is much safer...as there is not a danger of puncturing or injuring your little guy) Using this object GENTLY run it in between the area between his big claw... a healthy crab will normally grasp at it quickly and hold on... if he is 'down' he may make a feeble attempt at grasping it and that would be a signal for you to monitor him well...as this is often a signal of a soon to be molting crab, especially if some(or any) of the other indicators of a molt are also present...

Treatment:
10

Follow the links above and correct the situation leading to sickness and contact FMR. They'll help you if you need to use a drug treatment(which is rare)

Mites
Hermit crabs can be made victims of parasites, such as dust mites, maggots (in extremely dirty, nasty situations, as other crabbers have noted) and such, these parasites cause extreme stress to your crabs, but believe it or not, when treated promptly they are seldom fatal. Although not usual, parasites can sometimes invade the hermit crab and its environment. They are dust mites from your home. An environment that is too high in humidity and/or too warm can cause the dust mites to invade your cage, because it is a perfect breeding ground. If you notice parasites on the crab's body, follow these steps to eliminate them. A crabarium that isinfested with mites and other pests cause hermit crabs to become stressed, lose limbs and die. It is important that you do not use chemicals that could be harmful to hermit crabs in ridding their home and yours of pests. Hermit crabs are very sensitive to the presence of chemicals and they may suffocate if pesticides are sprayed close by. Keep the tank covered and wherever possible, find a natural alternative in cleaning products. Mites are little bugs that may crawl all over your hermit crabs and in their cage. According to Christa, mites are about the size of an apostrophe ' and are the color of dried snot (green, or brown, or grey). They run away from the strong light of the sun. They will lay eggs and more will hatch. They are a real problem and can kill your hermit crabs. They are also a real pain to get rid of. If you see any sign of mites, eggs or other pests it is important that you remove it quickly! Some hermit crab owners have been mistaken in thinking the eggs of a larvae fly were tiny hermit crab eggs (they don't breed in captivity). If you see anything other than hermit crabs in your tank it is a PEST and should be removed as soon as possible. It is best to keep a good lid on the tank to keep flies and mites out of the cage and for many other reasons. There is no easy one step solution to getting rid of mites. You must get rid of both the mites on your hermit crabs and in your tank.

Keeping Mites Away From Your Crabs and Tank

Your hermit crab tank is an ideal place for mites to infest because it is dark, warm, and humid and it has food, water, and animals inside of it. Regular cleaning of the tank, bathing of your hemit crabs, keeping the bedding substrate dry, changing food and water regularly, keeping things that attract bugs out of the tank (like cardboard, strong smelling foods, and stuff from outside in nature which may already have bugs on it), and keeping the area around the tank clean and dustless (don't grow plants around the tank, mites are attracted to plants).

Getting Rid of Mites In Your Tank

You must empty your whole tank and either replace or clean and disinfect (by boiling or baking) your substrate. Also boil and/or bake and/or replace (you can also microwave them for a very short period) anything else in the cage (except your hermit crabs of course and don't boil sponges, nuke 'em in microwave). Clean the tank very well squishing any bugs you see with the paper towel pressed firmly against the tank(especially in the corners where they hide) and rinsing the tank out very good. Leave everything in the sun for awhile (except your hermit crabs), because mites hate sunlight and will most likely leave the tank if theyre still in there. Leave the tank upside down in the sun so the mites can easily run off.

Getting Rid of Mites On Hermit Crabs

The substrate and crabarium items boiled and dried (or baked), your tank cleaned out with a dilute solution of vinegar and water, and give your hermit crabs a series of baths until they are free of these pests. The only way to do this is by repeatedly (about 1 or 2 times a day) bathing them in Stresscoat laced water really well. Dechloronated water will work too but you're better off with stresscoat laced. Turn the crab upside down and get ALL the air bubbles out. Then pour the water off the crab. The mites will float to the top of the water and drain out with it. Remove all of the mites from the water by pouring them out, and repeat bathing them. Drain them down the sink, not in the garbage, and rinse out the sink and it's pipes very good afterwards with hot water and soap. Pour the water out before taking your crabs out so that any mites floating on the top don't latch back on to your crabs. Do this a few times until you are sure ALL of the mites are off the crab and out of the shell. You can leave the crab under water for a minute or so, it won't drown and the mites might release themselves. Just be careful and don't leave it under water for several minutes or it will probably drown. You can also use a paper towel and gently squish the bugs on the crab, do this gently though so you don't hurt the crabs or stress them any further. You may need to use a magnifying glass and keep a lid on your tank to keep the flies away from your crabs and their food.

How NOT To Get Rid of Mites

Sharks unlimited gives advice to bathe the in a Clorox bleach solution. Don't do this, it will hurt your crabs and won't solve the mites problem. Clorox bleach has an extremely high amount of chlorine in it which will blister gills (check water section) and it has other chemicals in it. Also, don't use any mite or bug sprays, hermit crabs are related to spiders and insects. Mite spray will hurt or kill the hermit crabs too.

Keeping Mites From Returning

You may want to only feed your crabs dry food for awhile because strong smelling foods or fresh foods may bring the mites back. Replace the food and water every day. Pay extra attention to keeping the bedding substrate clean by scooping out any poop or buried food and nuke the natural sponges regularly in the microwave.

Limbs Fell Off

Hermit Crabs will commonly lose a leg, claw, or even 2 or 3 legs or claws. The muscle at the end will contract, keeping the crab from bleeding. There is usually a cause that you need to figure out and correct RIGHT AWAY. They will grow back a leg, limb, or even an eye when they molt. However, it may take 2 or 3 molts to fully regenerate a whole leg or limb, especially if it is large. As Crablover Don once put it: "the biggest MYTH out there... the death sentence due to the loss of a claw (or even two)... I hope you won't mention this to any of my guys... as they can prove you wrong...VERY QUICKLY!! Some guys may be a little 'challenged' at first, but they soon adapt to the situation and do quite nicely until that missing appendage is regenerated! Hermit Crabs CAN live quite well missing one or even both of their claws. Why do I know this? Because I have a dozen or more fellas with these 'challenges' LIVING among my two hundred plus crabs. The fact is these claws do have certain functions... the larger (left)'claw' is used basically for defense and climbing, while the smaller (right) one is used for eating and climbing. At first Idid 'handfeed' some of the guys missing both claws, but these guys are amazing in finding alternative ways to eat and drink... IF the crab IS HEALTHY otherwise they usually survive!"

Causes Of Lost Limbs

Claws and limbs may by lost in any of three ways: 1. Fighting 2. Stress 3. Sickness Some of the reasons hermit crabs lose their limbs are: 1. If hermit crabs are stressed by environmental factors such as heir crabarium being: too hot, too cold, too humid or too dry. 2. Another reason crabs loose a limb or a cheliped is when a crab moults and does not shed their entire exoskeleton in one piece, but instead section by section, over a number of days. Generally if they survive the moult they grow their limbs back again (regeneration) and can be happy and healthy. The loss could result from physical stress called Crab Stress, such as a traumatic molt or toxic interference from paint fumes or insecticides. 3. There are cases where one hermit crab will act aggressively towards another hermit crab. It could be territorial or over a desired shell. In the wild a hermit crab will "throw" a claw or leg if another hermit crab tries to pull them out of their shell. This is a responsive behaviour and their limbs are built in a way that they are able to "drop" or "throw" a limb easily so they may survive an attack. 11

* When one crab likes another's shell, say Crab A likes Crab B's shell, Crab A will go up to Crab B's shell, knock its shell ( that of Crab A) against the other crab's shell (Crab B), causing the crab in the desired shell (Crab B) to come out and have a look at what is going on. Now the first crab will try to pull the second crab out of its shell by a cheliped or other limb. The second crab will normally drop his cheliped(grasping claw) or leg/s and retreat inside his shell, using his remaining cheliped to protect himself. Preferring to loose a limb instead of loosing a shell.

Remedies
Adding chlorine free water-filled sponges in there water dish and misting crabs, along with twice-weekly baths and daily drinking water will help an arid environment. If your hermit crabs start to lose limbs and it isn't part of a moult, please read the above links and phone or email FMR for help, or visit FMR's site for more information. Toll Free Number 1800 535 2722 9am-5pm Eastern time

Tetracycline
Please ignore any suggestion to use Tetracycline with your crabs... UNLESS you: 1. receive specific instructions that it is absolutely necessary and 2. that you get complete instructions as to administering it. Please DO NOT just attempt to use it on your own. Tetracycline does NOT do/work as Paul mentioned... as more times than not, the crab does NOT make it! As noted, it is one of those last resort things to try... and often causes more harm than good! What it does is sedates the poor guys putting them into a stupor! There are other ways to deal with this stress. We had one person who killed her crabs by dissolving a tablet in the waterdish... to keep her crabs healthy! Tetracycline is a drug!!!!! One should NEVER just use it without getting DETAILED directions/ instructions of HOW to use it or WHEN and IF it should EVEN BE USED!... There has been much discussion and warnings about using tetracycline for crabs. This is a drug and should not be used as a cure-all for stressed crabs. It can do much more damage than good in the majority of cases. I have never tried it myself, but this is what I hear from CLD and others. I have some on hand but have never used it. There were several people on other crab boards that used tetracycline when they shouldn't have and their crabs died. Before anyone uses this drug on their crabs, please contact FMR to find out if this treatment is warranted. I am sure I will not be the only person to warn you and others of this. Tetracycline is a last resort and should be used, just like any prescription drug for humans, with the advice of a professional. The good news is that I called the FMR 800-number and had a long talk with Paul (Kathy was at lunch). I described my habitat and he said it sounded like everything was great (humidity, heat, food, tank size). He said the two biggest threats to a hermit crab's health are hard water and respiratoty stress, which was probably the cause of Londo's and G'Kar's deaths. Paul gave me a very easy, affordable, accessible treatment for respiratory stress that is very effective. They can't fully describe it on their website because of legal restrictions on "prescribing" medication across state lines, but he said it was okay for me to post what he told me. Here's what you should do if your crab becomes lethargic and weak: 1. buy tetracycline tablets, made for fish to treat "ich," at any pet supply store. You'll need two 250mg caplets. 2. dissolve one caplet in one half gallon of water 3. sumberge crab for 30 seconds only 4. repeat once per day for two more days using the same half gallon of water plus medicine 5. dissolve the second caplet in another half gallon of water and continue treatment for three more days, for a total of six treatments over six days.

Miscellaneous Health Questions Came Out Of It's Shell And Is Stays Out
Sometimes a hermit crab will run around without a shell. This is sign of severe stress, and quite often the hermit crab dies soon. It may also have a stress induced respiratory disease, much like hyperventilation, that you must contact FMR to help you cure. Usually when it does come out of it's shell, you will find it by a water source like a water pool or natural sponge. This is because it doesn't have it's shell to retain moisture. Sometimes they may come out because they are overheated.

What You Must Do

1. Gently put it in isolation because cannibalism has been known to occur under these circumstances. Handle it as little as possible and as gently/carefully as possible because you could really hurt it and add stress. 2. Put the necessities in isolation with it and many shells. At least 3 shells the right size (the size of it's big claw) and at least 3 more 1/4 to 1/3 larger. Use turbo and mother of pearl lined shells as it might be picky and moisten them a little to attract your crab to them. 3. Do what you can to reduce stress. 4. Leave them alone as to not cause any further stress. 5. Consult FMR immediately to further help you

Won't Come Out Of It's Shell

If Your Hermit crab won't come out of it's shell, it isn't necessarily mean, but more likely it is shy and scared. You must realize what it is like to be them. Anything passing overhead could be a predator looking for lunch. Coming out of their protective house when they're being held by something 100 times larger than them is asking a lot. While some crabs never seem to go all the way in their shells; some crabs you never see out of their shells. It all boils down to their individual personality. What you can do is help them trust you, like you, and eventually lose their fear of you by gently and nicely handling them often. Time usually helps the most. Probably the best way to get the crab to come out is to hold it. Dont spray it with water, just let it sit in the palm of your hand with your skin taught. Cup it with your other hand and make soft soothing sounds. Eventually the warmth of your hand will start to warm up the shell and be drawn up to your crab's claw. The hermit crab will start to wonder what is this warm thing I'm sitting on so it'll poke down and wonder why it can't grab onto it. Eventually it'll lose it's fear and curiosity will get the best of it and it'll come right out. Be confidant, no sudden movements, and don't scare it. Some hermit crabs will take a very long time, especially if their new from the pet store and have been poked by every person walking by. Some people will blow on their hermit crab, be very careful doing this because some people have had the crab pop right out and pinch them on the nose before they knew it. If all else fails, you can lightly mist the hermit crab with dechlorinated water. Do not mist the crab until its dripping. That will only annoy the crab and leave you with a sloppy mess. Most hermit crabs, if they need any misting at all, will respond to two or three quick spritzes.

Hermit Crab Is Spending All It's Time In The Water Dish

If your hermit crab is spending many hours in the water dish it means one of 3 things. Either it is getting ready to molt, suffocating, or it is overheating.

If It Is Getting Ready To Molt

Prior to a molt, they take in extra moisture and store even more extra in it's shell in order to explode the exoskeleton and slip it off. If hermit crabs are getting sick or dying this is probably not the case.

If It Is Suffocating
12

Either you don't have the correct humidity level or their water quality is poor, they may suffocate. If their gills aren't kept moist they can't breath and if the air is too dry, their gill will dry out and they'll spend a lot of time in the water dish trying to moisten them. If there is chlorine or other harsh minerals like iron are in the water, their gills will blister and ulcerate causing them to suffocate, so they might spend a lot of time in the water dish trying to moisten their gills so they can breathe.

If It Is Overheating
If the temperature is over 80 degrees F, and the water dish is a few degrees cooler, they might prefer to spend their time in the water dish. If they overheat too much it will cause irreversible damage and usually a quite painful death that you cannot stop even if you make the temp cooler. If the crab overheats it may also dry it out inducing suffocation.

Why Spending Too Much Time (Many Hours) In The Water Dish Is Bad
They will lose their natural lubrication and coating resulting in a loss of electrolytes and eventually drying them out when they come out.

Death
This page is designed to help new Hermit Crab owners learn how to take care of them so you don't make the same mistake I did. I bought two hermit crabs, Shelly and Sheldon, and then began the search of how to care for my new pets. I found a few websites and searched the pet stores to try and find the proper food. Everything went well until Sheldon decided to molt. I made the unfortunate mistake of thinking that Sheldon had committed "Hermicide". That is, I thought he had drowned in the water pool. To Sheldon's misfortune, I disposed of him, not knowing that he was using the water to help remove his old shell. Poor Sheldon! I now have three Hermit Crabs named Herman, Shelly, and Rockie to which I dedicate this page. I will make every effort to keep this page updated as I continue to learn more and more about these tiny creatures. Be very careful when pronouncing your hermit crab dead. Many people mistake a hermit crab that is molting, stressed, inactive, or sick for dead and get rid of it while it is still alive. This happens quite often. Make sure you aren't mistaking a shedded exoskeleton for a dead crab also. They will look but not actually be dead under these circumstances. Keep in mind that if it is indeed dead, there is nothing you can do for it and getting rid of it will solve very little. If it is alive and you threw it away, it will be a very bad thing. There is no harm in letting it be for a few days until you know for sure.

When Is It Dead?
The best way to tell if your hermit crab is dead is by a very bad smell or odor of rotting fish. Don't mistake it for dead until you smell this. However, if you leave old food in the aquarium or moist bedding substrate, that could also make it smell pretty bad. It may smell bad if it is very sick too. Other Symptoms: 1. If it doesn't move, and 2. It smells very bad. 3. If it is "hanging" half way (or all the way) out of their shell and it doesn't retract when agitated. 4. If the big pincher doesn't contract when you put a twig in there for it to grab. 5. Usually they keep an internal water or moisture supply. When they die, this sometimes might leak out. This may happen with healthy crabs too though, especially when picked up.

What To Do With It Once Dead

You will probably want to scoop it out with some of the bedding substrate underneath it, to be more sanitary. Then you might want to take it out of it's shell and take a look at it to see if you can figure out what it was that killed it (this might be helpful to your other crabs). If it was in a good shell you might want to clean the shell, boil it (to disinfect it), and return it to the tank or storage. Then you can get rid of the little dead critter. Some people will bury it inside the house under one of their plants, if they have any potted. Others will bury it in their back yard or garden. Other people will put it in cement or tar if the are laying a foundation or driveway. Some people will flush it down the toilet if it is small enough. Still others will throw it in the ocean, lake, or stream if they live nearby one. And others are content to throw it out with the trash or compost pile. In nature they probably would've been eaten by a predator or another hermit crab after it's dead.

Inactive Hermit Crabs

The first thing to remember is that crabs are nocturnal, which means that in the wild they sleep during the day and are active at night. So if you are watching them during the day, don't expect them to be very active. One of the reason why they are inactive during the day when in the wild is that the heat of the day in the tropics where they live would dry them out. Thus, they hide away in the leafy foilage or cool areas and are active once the sun has set and the moon is out, roaming about in groups of 100 or more in search of food. Other than the heat of the day, hermit crabs avoid predators who will think they are a tasty morsel. If a shadow passes over your hermit crab you will see the instinctual reaction of your hermit crab retreat within their shell for protection. Imagine the shadow of a bird passing overhead, wanting you for dinner , wouldn't you would retreat into your shell to pretend to be just a shell? I would! If they are inactive all of the time (even at night) then there could be a variety of reasons or problems.

Molting
Before, during, and just after the molting process they will be very inactive, this is normal. If your hermit crab is inactive for a long period of time which follows the habit of spending a lot of time in the water dish, your crab may be moulting. Please read the information in the moulting caresheet.

Temperature Too Cold Or Too High

If the temperature gets too cold they will go into semi-hibernation. If it is too high they won't want to move. Sometimes they will croak or squeal if the temperature gets too high or low. Another reason for inactivity is If the temperature falls below 70oF(21oC), or the humidity within the crabarium is low. In either of these cases you may find that your crabs are less active. As stated previously in the temperature and humidity caresheets, it is important to keep a comfortable environment for your hermit crabs.

Lonely
If a hermit crab is by itself, it might be sluggish, lonely, stressed, inactive, and never come out of their shell.

Stressed
There are many causes of Stress.

Sickness
They generally won't move when they are sick. 13

Dead
Death, the great equalizer.

How To Make It More Active

First, you must start with healthy land crabs and a warm environment. Sometimes a change in environment can improve the activity of your hermit crabs. If you have a clean area for them to play, such as a plastic container, wire cage or even a plastic washing basket, you will notice that your crabs will spend a long time investigating every inch of it. Another way to increase activity is to create an obstacle course within the tank, using choya logs or driftwood, coral and/or rocks. Vary the course every week or so and make sure to handle your crabs regularly. Keep a healthy, social environment and take it out often to play with it. Check out the links above and see if there is anything wrong that you could help remedy as well. Water induces activity in the form of bathing or misting. Make their habitat a playground setting with a dry bottom medium and plenty of coral, driftwood, sea fans and lava rock for climbing and exploring. The more you take them out the most active they will become as they adjust to their new environment.

Isolating Your Hermit Crab

Whenever your Hermit Crab is being picked on, molting or about to molt, out of it's shell, sick or potentially sick, newly bought from the store, etc. it would be a good idea to isolate it. The best thing to do is to have a iso unit ready made for such an event. You can purchase a 1/3 gallon tank (Approx. 7" W x 5.25" H x 4.5") with a few extra sponges (which you need anyway), food and water dishes, plus shipping and handling online at petdiscounters.com for less than $20 U.S. or at your local pet store probably for cheaper. If your budget is tight, or your hermit crabs prefer not to be moved and you have enough space in the tank, you can purchase a tank divider online with shipping and handling for less than $10 at petdiscounters.com here or at your local pet store. You can also make your own divider with Plexiglas from a craft store, a lot of times the craft store will even cut it for you. Be careful with these though as Hermit Crabs have been known to climb dividers. Also be careful with cardboard and milk carton boxes as they've been known to attract bugs. You can introduce a small plastic container with holes punched in the lid for air flow; a small amount of substrate such as sand inside for your crab to tunnel down into; a shell with water in it; and a piece of sponge that has a few drops of water sprinkled over it. Other things you can do is cut the top off of a 2 liter soda bottle, wash it good, and push it around the bedding substrate, this won't work if you have a Jumbo tangerine sized crab or larger though. One good method is to use strawberry cartons with the see through mesh and push it into the substrate around them, that way they can actually see and communicate with their buddies if they want to but they stay protected.

No Time To Read then Quick Health Hints

1. Provide new shells for crabs to grow into. Hermits love to switch shells but need larger shells as they grow. We have a wide variety of shells and can match your size like a shoe. The new shell should be 1/3 larger than the present shell opening. 2. Not all shells are suitable for hermit homes. Shells need to be the right spiral to insure hermits can function in their homes. The shells should be cleaned and processed properly. You can boil the dirty shell to clean out a shell and make it safe for hermit. 3. Bathe Hermits twice weekly. They need their water and extra body moisture. Bathe crabs by submerging them in very lukewarm clear water. Using the Hermit Calcium spa is helpful for their inner shells. After the bath allow them to air dry. A towel is not necessary. 4. Create a Friendly social environment. Crabs thrive on company and live in large groups. They do better when they coexist in pairs or several others. They need a warm humid environment 70 to 80 F. 5. Promote Exercise. Crabs love to climb. Provide wood, a climber or coral so they can climb, and allow enough room for play. 6. Serve Good food and a balanced diet. Crabs need calcium from shell dishes, vitamins and food. Give them choices, as they love variety. Be sure to remove all spoiling food daily. Dried cereals can be left for weeks on end. Not to many cookies now.

Behavior
Personality and Attitude
Just like humans, each Hermit Crab has it's own personality and attitude. They can range from a mix of shy, mean, friendly, confident, emotional, aggressive, dominating, lazy, and other attributes. Males and females will act alike. There are a few things they all have in common though. The remainder of this page will focus on what all Hermit Crabs generally have in common.

Social
Despite their names, they all are usually very social and need other hermit crabs to interact with. A hermit crab by itself will become sluggish, lonely, stressed, inactive, and never come out of their shell; then they generally die more sooner than later. They will often sleep by each other, get next to each other and touch each other with their feelers, "croak" with each other, etc.

Nocturnal
They are all nocturnal, which means they sleep (and thus are inactive) during the day and are awake at night. They are active at night. But if you wake your hermit crabs up during the day, they usually sleep during the night. They prefer dark areas and hiding spots to areas in the open with a lot of light during the day for this reason. Do not wake a hermit crab when it's sleeping. It will cause harmful stress. During the day, they will usually sleep underneath something or in the corner as a means of protection. That way both side of the walls are protecting them and their shell protects them from the other angles.

Feeding
Since they are nocturnal, they eat and drink at night. While some will eat any food you give them, others are very picky. They will often bury their food, you should dig it up to avoid bacterial growths. They can smell their food from quite a distance. When a hermit crab sees a cluster of other crabs feeding, it will quickly join the group. They eat very slowly and very little and sometimes most of what they eat will be eaten once every 3 or 4 days. They will also store food and/or water in their shell. Some people get worried that their crabs aren't eating but they usually are. I overheard in The Aquarium Fish store that the amount a hermit eats is about the size of their eye, roughly the sie of their stomach. Sand in their food dish is a tell tale sign of them eating, you can also crush their food in a zip-lock bag, smooth it out, and check to see if there are any tracks in it. They will usually eat a lot just after being taken home from the pet shop, most pet shops don't feed them very well.

Large or Jumbo Hermit Crabs

Large crabs (tangerine, softball, etc.) are generally slower, feelers, movements, etc. Large crabs have been described as "gentle giants," their foot-shaped feelers move normally but the antennae move more slowly. Big Hermit Crabs are also generally more confidant and will generally come out of their shells more often, and usually more dominant towards the others in the tank. The larger crabs tend to be less shy. Since they are bigger, they are less afraid of you. They also tend to be more aggressive. This is not always the case though as smaller hermit crabs have been known to bully larger hermit crabs. Putting Large and small hermit crabs together might start fighting, but they will usually get along fine.

Croaking
14

They communicate by sound, the name for this sound is generally called "croaking". Croaking is rare but they will do it as a means of communicating to each other or communicating to you. Sometimes if you pick them up during the day or when they don't want to be bothered they will let out a low croak. They can sound like a bird, cricket, bullfrog, or a mixture of these sounds. They will croak sometimes when approaching each other or next to each other, but most often it seems to be kind of a conditioned thing. If it gets really cold in their tank for about 15 minutes or so they might let out sort of a throaty chirp. Ecuadorians and other species have a different sound to their croak. Some (usually larger) hermit crabs will croak louder than others and some (usually more active) crabs will croak more often than others. Click here to hear a croak on your computer in .wav format if your computer is capable of playing it. Here is a whole sound gallery of croaking. They may also make sounds and communicate with each other by tapping on another crab's shell (meaning it is usually after the other crab's shell) or rubbing each others legs together.

Digging
Hermit crabs dig for many reasons. They could be seeking cooler or warmer conditions, could be in the molting process, or some crabs just like to dig a lot (some like to climb a lot too). According to Christa, they can can raise or lower their temperature in three ways: 1) by digging into the substrate, 2) by "hanging out" of their shells to ventilate their sensitive abdomen, and 3) by switching into a thicker or thinner shell. They may make intricate tunnels too. Be aware of where your hermit crab is, when it is underground. Make sure that there is an air-pocket or tunnel in the sand where they have burrowed down. If you notice the sand caving in around them, pull them out. Although it is unlikely that they will suffocate under the sand, it is still possible, especially if the sand is too wet (or if it is completely dry).

Fighting
Most Hermit Crabs are community oriented, social, and non-aggressive, but a rare few are just bullies. Another rare thing is cannibalism among crabs. When something grabs onto a hermit crab's limb and tries to drag it out, their first instinct is to "release(let go, throw)" the limb(which will grow back when they molt) and retreat into their shell rather than give the shell up and expose it's vulnerable side. There are a few of things you can do to make fighting less likely though. One thing is to choose them carefully. Another is to keep plenty of shells around the cage (this discourages shell disputes which are most common). Shell fights happen when one crab likes another crab's shell and starts rocking or tapping it (many times while on top of the other) in effort to get the other hermit crab to leave it's shell so it can be occupied by the crab. Providing a large enough habitat with plenty of extra shells for playful switching and growing into should reduce fighting. Many times the hermit crab in the shell being rocked will be croaking and tucked into it's shell, but sometimes it will fight back. There should be at least 3 shells of the right size and 3 a little larger for them to pick from as some are picky. Most like turbo shells lined with mother of pearl. They should have a cage with plenty of room to discourage territorial disputes and more than one food dish to discourage fighting over food, the same goes for water dishes and other resources. It all boils down to their individual personalities whether or not they get along though. I have also heard of owners separating them for awhile and "scolding" them when they see a fight. Probably the best thing you can do if you have hermit crabs fighting is to put the one who started it in isolation for a night or two. Being alone is the best punishment. If they fight again when you put them back together you should isolate one again for a night or two. Hopefully they will learn their lesson and eventually stop fighting. One thing to remember though is that no matter how much they may fight, they are always better off together or with others. Hermit crabs are social creatures that need company. There is one story of a person who bought 14 hermit crabs and 4 years later only had one. He said "Henry killed them all" and "Henry just likes being alone." If you, by some horrible luck, get a crab like this (which is one in a million) you might want to leave it by itself with a mirror. Usually, hermit crabs are only aggressive to hermit crabs of similiar sizes.

Territorial
All hermits get along but they are territorial and if they come from different shops at different times they'll need to reestablish their boundaries. That is why some say they fight. They are establishing who is in charge and the boundaries of the cage. Size does not have anything to do with it. Sometimes the smallest one rules. It just depends on their personality. Other animal like lizards and turtles do not belong in the cage with them. They do not live together in the wild so why do it in captivity. Each hermit crab usually does sleep in their own favorite spot each day. Other than that, hermit crab's usually aren't very territorial, although territorial fights may occur if your tank is too small and cramped or if two crabs really like one spot and they are too stubborn to let the other have it. This may happen more often when new crabs are introduced to a tank where current crabs have had their preferred spots for a long time, especially when there isn't much space for the new ones to pick new spots.

Antennae
Much of their emotions and feelings are shown through their antennae. When they are really excited you will see their antennae fluttering up and down very quickly.

Escape Artists
They are natural escape artists and if there is any way for them to escape (whether or not you know of it) they eventually will. They will even climb along the rims of the corners of the cage! Some people have named one of their crabs houdini. They can sometimes climb where there appears to be little to no grip. Make sure that there is no way for them to get to the top of the tank and that the lid is on very securely, you might need to place some weight on the lid. If you lose a crab, go to the lost crab page for instructions on how to find and retrieve it.

Grooming
Hermit crabs perform various grooming procedures, especially keeping their antennae, eyes, and eyestalks free of dirt and debris. Their legs will groom each other to various degrees and their back legs will will constantly help clean their back parts as well as help clean (and sometimes modify) the shell.

Waste Excretion
Most hermit crabs excrete urine through antennal grands, located at the base of the antennae. They will curve their abdomens and poop OUTSIDE of the shell, you can usually see it on the substrate.

Excersise
It is important for a hermit crab's well being that they get excercise outside the the cage. I found that since I started to let them out of their cages to roam free, they seem to live longer on the average. It can be amusing to watch them run across the room. Unlike most people, I let my crabs out a day or two at a time. They like to wander in and out of my C.D. case. Also, I have two crabs too large to fit comfortably into my ten gallon, so I just let them run free in my room. Although, I have had to take some precautions in doing so- making sure they can't get behind furniture and that all electric cords are off the ground. I found that they keep out of the walkways, but you should still watch each step you take. They seem to like having the freedom to move, but they always return to the same location eventually. I feel that giving crabs the freedom to wander around is a more natural lifestyle for a crab to live in. Since I started to let my crabs spend most of their time outside the cage, they live longer. They live between 1-4 years on the average; where as before, I was lucky if they lived for 6 months in the aquarium.

Information: Behavior
* Hermit crabs range in their personalities, much like humans. Some are very shy, while others are not. Some are mean, and others friendly. It will probably take you a while to find this out about your crab, so while you are trying to find out, be very nice to it, and try to train it to be nice to you.
* You will want to take your crab out of its cage and play with it, to get it used to you. Keep an eye on it because hermit crabs have a tendency to scurry away and hide. Also, if you put him on your hand, don't give it anything to cling on to. If you have loose skin, and a mean crab, you'll find out his personality quickly. * The shy crabs don't walk around quickly. They slowly get their legs out, and a sudden move will scare them back into their shell. Move slowly around them if you want to see them out a lot. * The larger crabs tend to be less shy. Since they are bigger, they are less afraid of you. They also tend to be more aggressive. So if you have many crabs, get more than one cage and separate the large and small crabs. If you must keep big and small together you can, but I don't recommend it, although some big and small get along. Monitor them and see which ones get along together the best. Also don't keep any other types of animals in the cage with them. For instance no turtles or lizards. 15

* Don't let your crab go near a place with a big drop off. They have very bad depth-perception, and can't tell how far down a drop is. They can walk off something a few feet up one minute, and be afraid to fall off something a few inches tall the next minute. * Just because they are called "hermit" crabs doesn't mean they live alone. That is very false, and they tend to like having company. * If your crab always retracts into its shell when you get near it, don't worry, after a while it will get used to you, and become tame. * The best place to hold the crab, is with fingers on both sides of the shell behind it's back legs. While holding here, their big claw can not get you. Do that until they get tame, then you can hold them however you want as long as it doesn't look like it will hurt the crab.

Crab behavior
14-year-old hermit crab expert Glen Bissenger has the following to say about hermit crab behavior on his Web site: Hermit crabs range in their personalities, much like humans. Some are very shy, while others are not. Some are mean, and others friendly. It will probably take you a while to find this out about your crab, so while you are trying to find out, be very nice to it, and try to train it to be nice to you. You will want to take your crab out of its cage and play with it, to get it used to you. Keep an eye on it because hermit crabs have a tendency to scurry away and hide. Also, if you put him on your hand, don't give it anything to cling on to. If you have loose skin, and a mean crab, you'll find out his personality quickly.

Croaking
If you have heard it, you would think that it sounds like something between a frog croak's, a chicken's clucking, a cricket kind of a sound and something else thrown in for good measure. In case you haven't heard it before, there is now a site dedicated to the sound files of Carol of CrabWorks's hermit crab croaking . Below is just a sample. Usually they make this noise at night but if you move them around when they do not want to be disturbed, they will croak at you saying leave me alone. Some say they are agitated but I am not so sure that is true. Hermits are not generally mean. I think being nocturnal, they just want to be left alone to sleep. Hermits live in large clusters often on top on one another. Little bothers them except lack of a shell. Some believe they are saying I need a friend as hermits prefer to live in colonies sort of speak. You never find hermit crabs in the wild alone except maybe if they are lost and hunting for food. "The land hermit crab sometimes communicates by a whirring-chirping sound, though not too often. These noises usually have been heard during aggressive encounters in the crabs' natural environment and are seldom heard in captivity. The only behavior observed that may resemble aggression has been when one crab shakes or rocks another to drive him from a shell the aggressor wants. Even in this act neither crab is harmed." (Nash, P. 1976) "Land hermit crabs... produce clicking sounds by intentionally tapping the shells and rapping legs as well as make stridulating sounds by rubbing legs together. This noise-making is used in hermit crab communication, including aggressive displays. If a hermit crab tries to climb onto another or makes contact with it, both crabs may stridulate in annoyance. (Philippe de Vosjoli, 1999) We know of a lady who calls her hermits by name and they will speak to her when she calls they by name. Hard to believe but this is a true story. By the way. She spends most of her awake day playing and talking to her hermits at age 85. So such a thing is possible for the dedicated.

Disposition
Despite their heavy accomodations, hermit crabs are active and agile, particularly in the water where they are relieved of much of their burden. They are excellent climbers and can often be seen clinging to or clambering over rocks during their travels. Hermit crabs retreat into their shells when threatened, using the primary pincer to seal up the shell's entrance.

The Hermit Crab's Shell

Hermit Crabs only have a exo-skeleton (a skeleton on the outside) on the front half of their body, so the back half of their body is very delicate and vulnerable. This means that the crabs need to protect that area. For this, the crabs grab their faithful shell and put their back end (the vulnerable end) inside of the sturdy, protective shell to keep it from harm. The shell also provides for extra needed moisture and a place to store their food. Hermit Crabs are constantly in pursuit of the perfect shell. They are always looking for one that's more comfortable, a bigger fit, a better fit, etc. Your hermit crab hobby will soon become a shell collecting hobby. Sometimes they switch shells just because they are bored of their current one. Some will switch more often than others. If a crab finds a shell that it really likes, it may not switch for a long time. Hermit crabs have a lot of time on their hands, a crab will inspect it in every possible way. It checks the shape and opening thoroughly with antennaes and legs. The crab may insert a claw to explore the interior to roll the shell on all sides. This way hermit crabs decide whether or not the shell is a suitable home. If the crab decides to try the new shell on for a trial fit, the crab will insert its abdomen into the new shell while still holding onto the old one. Shell changes are done quickly since the hermit crabs are vulnerable to predators without their shells. If you have a surplus of shells on hand, they will usually switch right after being taken back from the pet store. Most pet stores don't leave many shells for them to switch into. Many times, taking a rejected shell out for a few weeks and re-introducing it will spark new interest in it. Several very large hermits have been found with cans or broken light bulbs as their outer protector. It is difficult for a large hermit to find an empty shell so they use what ever they can find. When they reach this size they are bird bait and they know even a moment out of the shell they could become a bird meal.

Not All Shells Are Suitable For Hermit Crabs

To ensure that tree crabs function in their homes, shells should be properly cleaned, processed and chosen by a knowledgeable hermit crab distributor. They need to be hard enough so that they won't break and of the right specifications. Be careful when buying shells from craftstores or other such places, many times they will be coated with chemicals toxic to crabs, "treated" with acid to etch designs, toxic paints to decorate and other chemicals to polish them to a high gloss...

Kind
There are some kinds of shells that Hermit Crabs prefer. They like shells with a mother of pearl lining and turbo shells(especially tapestry). According to CLD, "Hermit crabs generally like shells with a circular opening, lined with mother-of-pearl. Green, tapestry, and gold-mouthed turbans all fit that description, as do black "native" top shells (scientific name: Trochus Pica)." These shells tend to be snatched up quicker than the others. Hermit crabs tend to like dark shells and shells that are the same color as their bedding substrate and background to provide camouflage. Some crabs like shells that are light and thin so they can move quickly while others like shell that are heavy and thick for extra warmth and protection. Before placing new shells in the cage, wash them out thoroughly to get rid of any leftover residues. The most effective way to sterilize them is to boil them in water. I do have a warning though.... FMR uses an epoxy coating on their higher glossed shells...some places use a polymer.... Boiling the shells for too long can melt that polymer right off, peeling and exposing the natural color of the natural shell. Also, rinsing them in cold water after the boiling' process can cause the shell to 'crack' and ruin what is left of the 'painted' surface... The most popular hermit crab shells are:

TURBAN SHELLS
(Family Turbinidae/Turbos) Very popular shell with hermit crabs and hermit crab owners. Most have a nacre, a mother of pearl lining that hermit crabs are attracted to. Especially are the the Cat's Eye, Tapestry and Great Green Turban shells

Turbo Petholatus
It is common from North West Cape, Western Australia , to eastern Queensland. It is especially common on the Great Barrier Reef...varies in colour from brown to green, with broad, dark, arrow-head shaped markings. The shell is glossy and very attractive, making it the most sought-after turban shell."(Stone, D.M and Barden, S.N, 1975, p.54) 16

Turbo Revei
Similar to Cat's Eye/Tapestry Turban varieities. Differs slightly in markings and colouring. Comes in banded and unbanded varieties.

Turbo Silvermouth
The Silvermouth turbo has a nice nacre, or mother of pearl layer. This shell is rather stunning and is popular with crabs because of the smooth texture of the inside of the shell.

Natural Green Turban Shell

The green turban shell has less of a sheen and comes with markings of different shades of green. Banded and non-banded varieties.

Murex Shells
This is a very large and beautiful group of shells, with very many sub-families. Murex Bicolour, Virgineus and Branched varieties.

Murex Bicolour Other Popular Hermit Crab Shells

Fox Shell Tonna Tesselatus Babylonia Spirata Landsnail (Aratan/Rice/Banana) Landsnail (Yellow) A. Quadrasi, Banded Land Snail White Land Snail Yellow Land Snail Bursa Folia Bursa spinosa Cassis bandatum Also known as helmet shells, these shells are a little heavier than other shells but are still popular with the larger hermit crabs. Come in Pear, Coronated or Banded and Draught Board Helmet varieties. Haitian Land Snail Shells These shells range in colours and my favourite is the candy land snail shell. Top Shells (Trochus) A pearly inner layer is typical of top shells and so they have long been exploited as producers of mother-of-pearl for buttons, violin inserts, ornaments and buckles. Top shells are amongst the most common mollusc finds off rocky Australian sea coasts. Ref: Stone, D.M and Barden, S.N. (1975) Australian Seashells : A Guide to Collecting Australian Sea Shells. Golden Press: Gladesville: N.S.W. Australia

Size
The shell's opening should be as large as the crab's largest claw. This allows about the right amount of moisture and so the hermit crab can completely close itself off for protection. Shells that are too large are cumbersome to the crab and they become lethargic.

Quantity
There should be at least 3 shells the right size for your hermit crab and at least 3 about 1/3 larger for them to grow into (some can be picky) to discourage fighting. If one is a perfect preferred fit for both, they could fight over it which is the most common type of fighting. They will need larger shell as they grow larger.

Too Big or Too Small

Some Hermit Crabs like shells so big you can't figure out how they hold on to them or drag them while others like shell so small you are afraid they are stuck (and sometimes they do get stuck, click here for advice). This is natural. The ones that prefer big shells are generally shy and like to retreat way back into them so that they are safe from the big pincers of their neighbors or you. Hermit crabs who like smaller shells enjoy the extra moisture that the tightness offers.

Never try to pull a crab out of its shell.

Hermit crabs will leave their shells only voluntarily, and only to switch to another shell. It will more likely allow you to pull itself apart in half or "throw" a limb before it allow itself to be vulnerably taken out and give up the shell. The best way to get a hermit crab to switch is to put it in isolation (so it feels more comfortable leaving itself vulnerable and coming out), put several shells with it (along with food, water, bedding substrate, and a sponge of course), moisten the shells a little to make them attractive, and leave them alone for a night or two.

If You think It Is Stuck

This rarely happens, very rarely, but will happen. If you think it is stuck in it's shell, you are probably wrong. Some crabs like a very tight fit because it traps extra moisture so be sure it really IS stuck in it's shell. Give it a good bath, so it has extra moisture to help it slide out. Then put it in isolation for a night or two so that it isn't scared to leave it's shell exposing it's vulnerable back end. Be sure to put in many (at least 3 the same size and 3 more 1/4 to 1/3 larger) shells with it. Use turbo shells lined with mother of pearl because it may be picky. Then moisten the shells to attract them to the shells. And lastly, leave the crab alone to switch shells. Never try to pull a hermit crab out of it's shell, it would most likely rather be torn in half than be dragged out. If this doesn't work contact FMR.

Information: The Shell

17

Hermit Crabs only have a exo-skeleton (a skeleton on the outside) on the front half of their body, so the back half of their body is very delicate and vulnerable. This means that the crabs need to protect that area. For this, the crabs grab their faithful shell to help them out. The shell protects the back end (the vulnerable end) from harm. Here are some tips for shells and your crabs.
* Keep extra shells in your cage. In case your crab outgrows his present shell, or is just tired of it, this gives him something to switch to. These shells should be bigger than the one your crab has now. * A study has shown that crabs like dark shells better than light shells. Although this has not been proven, take that into consideration when you buy or collect your shells. * If you get your shells from a beach, disinfect them before putting them in your crab's cage. They might have bacteria that is harmful to your crab. To disinfect them easily, boil them in warm water for approx. 10 minutes. This crab is too big for his shell. Be sure to have shells around your cage for your crabs to change into.

The Hermit Crab's Home

Hermit crabs come from the warm tropics of the Caribbean and South and Central America. They need a home similar to this if they are going to thrive. Don't cramp you hermits! You want to get one as big as you can afford or have room for in the house. They like to have lots of room to move and a big cage is necessary when you have several crabs, so the bigger, the better and more happier they will be. FMR's basic rule of thumb is, "two crabs per one-gallon tank", this becomes less valid as the size gets smaller than 5 gallons though. It also depends on the size of your hermit crabs too, larger ones will need more space. Anything smaller than 3 gallons (or 14" W X 10" L) will probably be very cramped after putting everything in. Anything less than five gallons should not be used for more than 3 hermit crabs. It should hold proper humidity and a stable temperature. Wash and dry the tank before putting the hermit crabs in it to get rid of any residue left in it from making it. There are 2 acceptable containers you can use to hold your Hermit Crabs in: 1) A Glass Aquarium- Is probably the best thing you could use. It keeps a good, stable temperature and humidity, which is important to hermit crabs. The downside is that it is expensive, breaks when dropped, and heavy (which makes cleaning and other things more difficult) (A leaky aquarium works just as good) 2) A Plastic Critter Keeper/Aquarium- Plastic tanks are fairly cheap and lighter and more portable and child-safe, but size is usually limited. Is almost as good as an aquarium and in some ways better, but the sides aren't as thick, allowing for a little more fluctuating of the temperature possibly causing a little stress. If you cannot afford or find a glass tank then a kritter keeper is a suitable alternative. are also The Hermit Hideaway pictured above (courtesy of PetDiscounters) is a basic start-up kit. It has gravel, sponge, plant, booklet and it is a great mobile tank or is-unit for the more advanced hermit crab owner. The vented lids are too draughty in the winter. What this means is that the temperature is lost and you are left with an uneven level of humidity and temperature. To help with the draughts I would cover the tank in the coldest periods and invest in an undertank heater made especially for use with plastic tanks, such as those carried by FMR. Do not use wire mesh cages. They are good for show and provide plenty of climbing exercise, but temperature will fluctuate(especially in the winter months), humidity levels will not be high enough, their legs might get caught in the mesh wire, and if they are small enough they might be able to get out. They are not too expensive and portable (depending on size). There have been reports of hermit crab legs (peripods) becoming caught in the wire mesh. You also usually can't put rocks or sand on the bottom of a wire cage, which makes the molting process very difficult and dangerous. Also do not use wooden hutches that will dry them out, rabbit or rodent cages, goldfish bowls(too small), and other things like these. If you do use a wire cage (such as a bird cage) make sure the crab (not including the shell) is not small enough to fit between the bars. Be careful because a hermit crab would be willing to leave its shell in order to escape. Try to change their environment frequently. Hermit crabs are predatory in the wild and may harm other pets, or conversely may be intimidated by larger roommates. NOTE: In some parts of my carepages I refer to a Crabaarium. This is a pet name for a hermit crab's home. Another pet name is a Crabitat or Crabitank.

Preparation
It is important that any item you introduce to your crabarium can not harm your hermit crab. Chemical residue could be fatal to these gentle creatures so it is recommended that you rinse, wash or boil the following items: crabarium (tank) - wash and dry it - suggested cleaning agent is weak vinegar and water solution substrate - wash, drain and dry - most experienced hermie owners wash new substrate and then set it to dry in the sun or bake it to dry and sterilise it sponge - rinse in dechlorinated water and squeeze dry. Then soak in dechlorinated and squeeze dry a second time before lowering the sponge into the waterdish . Carefully cover with dechlorinated water for drinking shells - wash or boil and dry - before introducing new shells climbing toys - wash and dry in the sun (or bake if practical) Water and Food Dishes - rinse and dry thoroughly

Lid On Top Of The Tank

No matter what cage you use, a tight lid is necessary, since they are master escape artists. You want a lid that you could adjust to different levels of ventilation to adjust humidity levels and temperature. The "glass tank top" or "folding glass top" works well and is referred to by several different names by the different aquarium makers/ manufacturers. Perfecto calls theirs a "glass canopy" others refer to them as "folding glass covers." If you use a screen top or platic critter keeper with a ventilated lid, you can wrap plastic or towels around about 2/3 of the top to retain a 50-50% humidity.

Placement, Very Important

Placement of the cage should also be considered. Keep the tank out of direct sunlight or places of extreme temperature like vents, heater units, or air conditioning units. You could fry, dry out, sunburn, suffocate, bake, etc. your crabs. In nature they hide in the shade during the day with a good breeze coming from the shores and dig below for cooler temperatures. Try to avoid excessive light fluctuations or excessive noise too.

Environment
* Hermit crabs are social and omniverous; in the wild, they can be seen combing beaches en masse for remains of fish and vegetable matter. * They have fairly rudimentary lungs and cannot survive long away from water, so they are well-suited to the rocky shores and tidepools they call home. * They often live in symbiotic relationships with other denizens of the coast such as coral polyps, anemones, and sponges, which live on their shells and provide protection and camouflage in return for free meals gleaned from the crab's foraging.

Lighting
Hermit crabs are basically night creatures in the wild. They don't often come out during the day. A low watt flourescent light, like the type used for a tropical fish tank, can be turned a few hours each day to help warm the tank and simulate daylight or dusk. A nice blue or purple flourescent bulb gives a nice soft light. ALSO SEE MOONGLOW BULB IN THE TEMPERATURE section A 15 watt 'moonglo' bulb which is a 'heat' bulb that radiates a little heat, but casts a wonderful glow simulating the moon within the tank. These are on 24/7... This 'light' does not seem to bother the guys and you can watch them go about their nightly romps without disturbing them! There are several brands of these bulbs out there... if you can locate one, I highly recommend the one distributed by ESU (Energy Savers Unlimited) this brand might run slightly higher in cost, but it lasts much longer and the performance is superior to the other brands I have used. They are sold in the reptile section of most pet stores. Look for a Reptile 18

"NIGHTLIGHT", a 15 watt incandescent Nocturnal Black Heat Lamp...... it is in a gray box and states: "Coated with Rare Earth Black Phosphors... to stimulate the natural glow of the moon... " After three years of use, I fully endorse this product along with the FMR brand of heater. Both are excellent products. I do know, the FMR heater can be purchased online at PETDISCOUNTERS.COM. at a pretty good price of $12.99... The do carry a "NIGHT CYCLE" brand moonglo bulb for around $5.99 and some change... This is another highly recommended brand... These bulbs usually run around seven dollars in the retail stores...

Natural Seasponge for Hermit Crabs

A natural seasponge is a needed part of your hermit crab's environment. It provides a water source and help raise humidity. They can also climb on top of them of moisten themselves if needed. Hermit crabs will sometimes (very rarely) eat it and it provides good trace minerals and coral that are good for their health. Be sure to keep it clean and moisten it once a day.

Make Sure the Sponge Is Natural

Do not use dish sponges or other man made sponges. Dish sponges contain chemicals harmful to hermit crabs, harbor more bacteria, and they dry out much faster. FMR carries their own brand of natural sponges for hermit crabs that hopefully you pet store carries or you can order online. You can also get natural sponges at the hardware stores in the paint section for cheaper, they are usually sold for sponge painting, make sure it isn't chemical coated or have any chemicals added to it though. Natural sponges can also be found in the cosmetic areas, but they are often chemically treated and much more expensive than what you can find in a crafts section.

Keep It Clean and Moisten It Every Day

Once a day, squeeze out all of the old water and soak in new fresh dechloronated water, you may want to repeat. A good way to keep as much bacteria from growing on them is to have 2 or 3 natural sponges and rotate them. When the sponge dries out, anything growing or living in it will die out. Another method is to put it in the microwave and "nuke" it to kill all of the germs. Do not boil natural sponges. My 'personal' manner of rinsing them out is: I 'soak' them <until the water cools enough to 'handle' them> in some very hot water with a tbls. or so of baking soda... rinse them thoroughly with tap water <until the water runs clear ... squeezing them along the way>. I 'squeeze all the water out and and then place them in a container of dechlorinized water for a 'final' soak...<min of at least ten minutes> Squeeze out as much of the water as possible and allow to air dry until ready to use again... Been using this 'procedure' for several years now and haver *never* had any bacterial problems!

Keep Your natural Sponges In A Clam Shell When In the Tank

Don't place the natural sponge(s) directly on the bedding substrate, this will allow bacteria to grow and cause your crabs to smell, be stressed, possibly sick, lose limbs, and die. Instead, place them just above a clam shell (the clam shell will leak calcium into the water in the sponge) to catch the water or in a large water pool so your small crabs won't drown.

Do Not Use A Scissors To Cut Natural Sponges Or Boil Them

Don't use a scissors to cut natural sponges because it destroys the natural fibers that holds the natural sponges together. Just tear it into pieces if it is too big. If you boil a natural sponge, the fibers that hold it together will be destroyed and the sponge will fall apart in the pan.

Information: Environment
The hermit crab's environment is very crucial to their lives. If their environment is not right, they will have a hard time surviving. Back in nature, hermit crabs live in hot and humid places around the Caribbean. Your cage for them is very different from the different nooks and crannies they live in a few miles off the beach, so you have to meet their needs. Some of the things you will have to do are...
* Get them a nice cage. You will have to recreate their heat, and the best cage to trap heat is a glass or plastic cage. Although, a mesh wire cage lets the crabs have lots of exercise, because it lets them climb around a lot. If you do get a glass or plastic cage, you can allow the crabs to climb around by putting things in for them to climb around on like choya wood (dried cactus skeleton) mesh wire, coral, rough rocks (need to be able to have a grip), and anything else that is climbable. Choya wood is my favorite. The crabs can climb inside of it for safety, and shade. Here is one of my crabs on a small piece of choya wood. Choya wood is good, and also comes in larger sizes, some big enough for crabs to crawl inside of. * Get the right size cage. You can never get a cage too big. The size depends on the size of your hermit crab(s) and the number of them you have. The more room you have the better. I would not keep too many crabs in one cage though, they tend to gang up one each other, and it can result in injuries. My suggestion to you (if you have many crabs) is to have multiple average size cages with 3-5 crabs in each. I keep up to 6 in a 10 gallon aquarium. * As I said earlier, you have to recreate the heat. The best way to recreate the heat is to put a stick-on heating pad underneath the tank. A heat lamp may be OK for reptiles, who don't have sensitive gills. But for crabs, an undertank heater is best. Even better, a water dish with a sponge in it placed over the undertank heater will pump life-giving humidity into the crabs' air. Nothing else humidifies the air like that. According to FMR, the recommended temperature is 74 degrees. Below 70 and the crabs go dormant, above 80 and they overheat. This is why you don't see crabs during the day in the Caribbean, they sleep during the hottest parts of the day and emerge only at night, becoming the most active around 8PM and diminishing in activity until the sun comes up. The ONLY FMR-sanctioned overheat lighting is a moon-glow bulb of 15 watts (no more). * Keep their cage moist. You will want to keep a lot of water in the cage, and trap the moist air it gives up. Once the air is trapped, the humidity will go up, making it more like home for them. You will need to keep the water dish full at all times to provide humidity. You will also want to keep a sponge in to let the crabs moisten themselves when they want. More info is in the Food section. * You will have to cover the bottom of your cage with something like sand. The crabs need something that is warmer that the original surface, and has better traction. They sell sand at pet stores, and they also sell small rocks. Those both work very well. DO NOT GET the big rocks (gravel) that are used in fish tanks. It is hard for the crabs to crawl around on these rocks, and they do not like it very much. You can also take sand from a local beach (if there is one near you). Make sure you take the sand that is dry, and clean. You may want to boil it in water for 10 minutes to sterilize it. Be sure to dry the sand well after boiling it. The wet sand may contain stuff that is bad for them. I like to use sand called "Natural Sand" from the pet store. It is called sand, but is very very small rocks. It drains well and does not stick to them as much as sand. Also, you might want to put in a little dolomite (a white mineral that looks like small pebbles). This is very good for your crabs, and they will be healthier when they eat it. * You should keep many new shells in the cage that are bigger than the ones they already have. As they grow, they will need a bigger shell. For more information about this go to The Shell section.

Creating A Suitable Habitat

Making a good home for your crab is key to a long life and happiness. When making a home, you should try to recreate their tropical paradise as much as possible. They will thrive in their home if their needs are met. The first place to start when making a "hermit haven" is choosing what kind of cage to use. There are 3 basic kinds of cages suitable for crabs: A fish aqaurium, a plastic cage, or a wire mesh cage. When choosing cages, the saying, "The bigger the better", applies perfectly. Hermit crabs like lots of room to move, so a big cage is nice, and a big cage is neccesary when you have sevral crabs. The different cages also have their advantages. An aqaurium supplies lots of room for up to 6 crabs (in a 10 gallon aquarium), and various toys. The plastic ones are portable, and come in various sizes. The lid is nice for keeping humidity in but still letting air flow through. The wire mesh cage is the best exersize wise, but I wouldn't recomend it as a permanent home, becasue you can't put rocks or sand on the bottom, which would make the molting process more difficult. No matter what cage you buy, a lid is ABSOLUTLEY neccesary, since crabs are master escape artists. After you have chosen your cage, its time to start filling it. The bottom should be covered with 2-3 inches of sand or gravel. You should buy special crab gravel when choosing gravel. Crab gravel is specially formulated with dolomite, a chemical that combats odors. You should NEVER buy fish tank gravel for your crab, because after a couple of days of the gravel getting full of rotting food and poop, it makes your whole house smell like a just-used-bathroom. So if you ask me-dolomite gravel is the way to go. Sand is also an OK choice. Before putting the sand in the cage-you should boil it for 10 minutes to make sure its clean. (With sand from a clean beach, this shouldn't be neccesary since this is the crabs natural enviornment.) Then let it dry before putting it in the cage. Wire mesh cages don't require a bottom cover like other cages-which is why it does not make a good permenant home. Crabs 19

need to borrow when molting. I once saw an aqaurium full of crabs at a pet store with astroturf for a bottom cover. Whether or not astroturf works, I don't know. The only thing you should NEVER put in your crabs cage are wood chips commonly found in hamster cages. Wood chips dry out the crab, resulting in death. A crab's cage should always be kept moist. This should be done by keeping a shallow water bowl in the cage, and a wet sponge. The best water bowls are half a clam shell, because not only do they look nice, but the calcium in the shell mixes with the water, providing nutrients for the crab. The shell should be pressed level with the bottom cover in the cage so the crab can wade in and out of it. The sponge is another way to provide humidity for the cage, and I consider it a must. The crab can crawl on the sponge and stay moist. Sea sponges can be bought where they sell crabs. Along with a water dish, a food dish should also be put in the cage-again, a half clam shell works well. To avoid fat, lazy crabs, you must put some sort of exersize "equipment" in the crab's cage. If you have a wire-mesh cage, then this is taken care of. But otherwise you will need something like a piece of choya wood, a rock, or coral. Choya wood is the cheapest and most recomended. It is the dried up skeleton of a cactus (with no sharp needles). I can tell you from my experience from crabs, never put something to climb on in the cage withough a lid! If you don't I promise your crabs may turn up missing at some point.

Substrate For Your Hermit Crab

Do not leave the bottom bare, they need a type of bedding substrate for molting, digging, walking, and protection; basically they need it to survive. Everybody seems to have their own preference on what substrate to use and what types their hermit crabs like best. There are a few things that are universal, however. Most often a hermit crab is most comfortable with the substrate they had in the pet shop or crab farm they grew up on. Substrate level and and depth should be twice as deep as your largest crab. So if your largest crab is in a shell two inches high, then four inches of substrate is suggested. (this needed for molting). Dolomite is an additive that is particularly helpful in that it will keep the smell down, should there be any. You should make sure that the substrate particles are not so big that they won't be able to dig or will hurt their claws. Never get the substrate wet. Never mist inside the tank. Wet substrate will smell bad and cause stress and sickness resulting in lost limbs and/or death. If mold, excessive bacteria, fungus, etc grows out of the substrate it will soon grow in their damp, warm, and dark shell; and soon grow on the hermit crabs themselves making them sick. Just like in nature, the ground should be dry and the air should be moist. The substrate should be cleaned or replaced once a month.

Types of Acceptable Substrate

There are many different kinds of hermit crab bedding sold in pet stores. Below are substrates that I have used and prefer.

Beach or Play Sand- probably the most commonly used.

A favourite with hermit crab owners. Hermit crabs love tunneling down in sand. Smaller crabs will need sand because it is softer and better on it's more fragile claws. Sand is attractive to look at, especially after some heavy hermit crab traffic, with their little marks in the sand. Beach sand is cheap and re-usable. Cleaning and drying sand can be messy. The only downside is that when the crabs are wet the sand sticks to their claws for about 10 minutes which many of them seem to find irritating. Allow them to dry outside the tank after bathing or misting and this will be less of a problem. You must be careful that you do not mist your hermit crabs inside the tank or the sand will become damp and may harbour bacteria. This would lead to weakened and stressed hermies and can mean possible death.You can also use sand from the beach (much like their natural habitat, make sure it is legal) or regular playsand (this is much cheaper, but usually comes in sacks of 50-100 lbs), just be sure to clean and disinfect beach or playsand by boiling/rinsing and baking it (300 degrees) first or they might get sick (from micro-organisms) or infected by mites. I like to use salt water beach sand. Go to the beach, it doesnt matter what season it is, and scoop up a pail full of sand, dont get sand that is wet, and dont get sand that is too high to be reached by the tide. Sand near the water line is the best. Take this sand, and bake it in the oven at 350 degrees F. You will need to bake it for 30 to 45 minutes, or until there is no moisture left in it. Stir periodically while its baking. Let the sand cool for 2 hours. You will need to change their sand about every 3 weeks. If you don't live near a salt water beach, use sand sold at the pet store. Crush up some shells from a saltwater beach to give them the required calcium. While at the beach, get your hermit crab some shells, they dont have to be snail shells, they like clam shells and muscle shells to "snack on" for calcium.

Calci-Sand - Calcium sand for reptiles and hermit crabs.

Probably the best type of sand to use is called Calci-Sand from T-Rex. Calci sand can be expensive but if you can afford it, I believe calci sand is worth it. Itcomes in many nice colors and is made of pure calcium carbonate. You can re-use calci sand by rinsing and drying it. It is a "100% digestible extensive calcium delivery system, made from a fine granular calciferous sand specially prepared to be the ideal reptile cage substrate for snakes, lizards, tortoises and turtles [and hermit crabs!]. They can eat and digest calci-sand (and they sometimes do) which is good because they need a lot of calcium and supposedly absorb some calcium through their skin. It is also safe for use in direct contact with heat and being a pure mineral, calci-sand also has some bonus properties like less smell and bacteria (not much of anything can live on a pure mineral unless it is wet of course), not harbouring mites nor the growth of mould or funguses, it can retain, conduct, and distribute heat better(from an under tank heater), makes spot cleaning a breeze, as it readily clumps wet waste material, drying it and preventing it from being spread, and other things. 2.25 kg Bags. Available in Natural, White, Red-Rock, Blue, Green and Black. If you wanted to you could simulate a desert atmosphere using the orange-red calcisand with some choya wood and plastic cactus ornaments. Add a desert background and you have a stunning display for your hermies. Experiment with colours to make your crabarium a hermit crab dream house.

Gravel- a good substrate.

Some hermit crabs (mostly larger ones) prefer gravel. Gravel can be re-used and is easier to clean than sand. There are many different types of gravel but I have always chosen the smallest, smoothest gravel available. Gravel is a little more difficult for them to dig. I do not suggest you chose gravel that is too heavy for your hermit crabs to bury themselves under as they sometimes like to hide beneath the substrate as they molt or hibernate in colder weather.It is also a little louder than sand when they walk and dig on it. Make sure the grade of the particles are small(just a little larger than sand) and as smooth as possible(no sharp edges). Large particles are hard on the claws and make it so they can't dig. Larger or sharp gravel can also get inside the shell and hurt the soft parts allowing infections. The best kind of gravel is FMR brand.

Very Small River Pebbles - easy to clean and less messy than sand.
Make sure they are smooth and just a little larger than sand, no larger than small gravel. Small river pebbles are much like gravel, but smoother which many hermit crabs prefer. This substrate is hard to find. If you are able to locate these at your local pet store I would suggest their use. They are small enough for your hermit crabs to bury themselves beneath yet large enough that they do not stick to a hermit crab that has crawled out of their waterdish like sand. They should be very small and smooth to the touch.

Reef Sand/Gravel and Crushed Coral - good alternatives

The people who have tried this usually really like it. It is easy to dig in (if the grade isn't too high), doesn't stick to their legs as much as sand, highly resembles their natural habitat, and is high in calcium and other trace minerals, crabs love it. (they sometimes eat it too). The downside are that since it is white, poop shows up better (with 10 or more crabs it becomes noticeable), it tends to be a little dusty (washing it and shaking it out in a strainer before adding it to the tank cuts dust down drastically) and since coral is porous, it takes a long time to dry once wet. Just as with gravel, it is a little louder than sand when they walk and dig on it. Nature's Ocean makes a good crushed coral substrate. Reef sand & gravel are often very dusty so you have to rinse & dry before use of shake it out well (I used to use a strainer outside to shake out excess dust) It is very porous and holds water so when washed it takes FOREVER to dry. Also much of it washes away when you rinse it, it does not hold up well for repeated washings." ( Jenn B of Hermies eGroups).

What Not to Use, Important

20

Don't use wood chips, bark, soil, pellets, ground walnut, newspaper, corn shavings, dirt or soil, carpet, or any other type of substrate that may dry out and harm your crabs. Never, ever use corn shavings or cedar as a substrate. This dries out the hermit crabs excessively and has resulted in death. Also, do not use any substrate with large particles that will be difficult to dig in and hard on their claws. Damp moss should also be avoided as it has a strong smell and tends to promote bacterial growth and has been known to attract mites and other bugs. Some sands and gravels you purchase outside of the recommended "aquarium safe" ones at the pet store do have some additives that can cause some harm hermit crabs. They are usually used for commercial use (making concrete, building material, etc.) and can contain minerals harmful to our little guys... Caution: If you see any mould or mites in your tank clean it out straight away. Your substrate should be clean and pest-free at all times.

Combining Substrates
If you have enough room in the tank, the best thing to do is fill part of the tank bottom with a finer softer substrate (like sand), and the other part with a coarser substrate for strong claws(either crushed coral, gravel, or very small river pebbles). This gives your hermit crabs the best of both worlds and a more enjoyable environment. Each type holds it's own physical properties like temperature dispersion and humidity, and most crabs will enjoy a variety. When it is hot, they may like it in the gravel while when it is cold they may like it in the sand. You can have one side covered with one substrate and the other side covered with another substrate (then maybe a piece of plastic [not cardboard, it draws bugs] separating the two) or a thin layer of one substrate on top of another. Do some experimenting, but once you find out what they like best, keep it that way. A major change in environment can cause stress in some hermit crabs.

Changing Substrate
In order to keep the substrate clean and stop bacterial (and other such as mites and molds) infestations as well as control odor, you must either clean and disinfect the substrate at least once a month, or put in new substrate once a month. If you want to cut down on costs and use the same substrate, you can boil it in water, then drain the water out and bake it at 300 degrees until mostly dry, then leave it in the sun to cool and dry. This is a lot of work and sometimes isn't easy as substrate will sometimes float to the top when boiling and other things. If the substrate is coated (such as some gravels) boiling and baking is NOT a good idea. It is much easier to replace the substrate. Be careful if you have a lot of crabs though, some people have accidentally thrown away a hermit crab dug under the substrate that is molting.

Colored Substrate Myth

Some people think that all colored or tinted substrate is harmful or toxic. While some are harmful, any substrate you purchase at the pet stores are aquarium safe and non toxic. Many colored sands are NATURAL... not all sand (and gravel) is a neutral tint... If you follow the instructions on the package you should have no problem whatsoever... no matter what color of substrate you choose! Many of the dyes that they use for sand tinting is actually a rinse made of a Koolaid solution ...unsweetened of course. (Interesting note: some distributors use this solution to tint natural shells...)

Humidity
"Of equal importance is humidity control. In order to breathe, your hermit crab's lungs (modified gills) must be kept moist to exchange carbon dioxide for his much needed oxygen. Unlike human or mammal lungs, his lungs do not expand to take in air, but rather extract oxygen along the external surfaces of their breathing apparatus. Therefore, if his atmosphere becomes too dry he will suffocate. Always keep plenty of water in his bowl. This will assure him of an adequate level of humidity for proper breathing... If the air in his house[or tank] is allowed to become too cold or too dry, he will become inactive, and if not corrected after a period of time, he will die!" (Merv Cooper's Crazy Crab Handbook) The ideal humidity level within your Crabarium is 50-60% exact humidity level (76-82% relative humidity, sometimes a gauge will measure in relative but most of the time they measure exact). If the air is too dry their gills will dry out and they will slowly suffocate. Their gills need to be moist for them to breathe properly, this one reason why lightly misting them once a day is encouraged and why humidity is so important. Be sure to keep the humidity from fluctuating as well because this may cause stress. You can get a humidity gauge or strip at your petshop or online. To be able to monitor the humidity within the tank, I suggest you invest in a Humidity Strip. The humidity strip should be attached as outlined on the pack instructions, but most are affixed to the back wall of the tank and some have both humidity and temperature indicators. Humidity Indicator & High Range Thermometer- "This combo is ideal for the beginner reptile hobbyist. Accurately measures the humidity level and temperature in the tank. Temperature is clearly displayed in degrees both Farenheit and Celcius."

Raising and Lowering Humidity

If the humidity creeps higher than 60% you may need to prop up the lid to allow for some airflow. If the air is too moist your crabs will have a hard time breathing. A good way of knowing this if you don't have a humidity gauge is if there is condensation on the sides. Bacteria, molds, and other harmful stuff will grow in the tank as well causing sickness and stress. If you witness a build up of condensation in the tank you know that the tank needs to aired. You will notice a stale, damp smell to the substrate and the condensation cools the air within the tank and after a while the condensation cools and beads of water trickle down the side and onto the substrate, which can lead to bacteria and food spoilage problems. A good way to lift the level of humidity within your tank is to keep a natural seasponge in the waterdish. You will need to rinse out the sponge on a daily basis just like you would do with the waterdish to remove any of the scum that builds up over time. CrabLoverDon kept two seasponges and alternated them within the crabarium. Thie main concern is that the sponges must be cleaned regularly or bacteria will develop in the sponge. This could be harmful to your crabs and could cause a weakening of their condition. Keeping a large sponge in a dish with water in it, over the undertank heater is good for raising humidity. The water (warmed by the undertank heater) is drawn into the sponge which helps 'disperse' the humidity into the air a little better, by providing a larger surface from which the water evaporates. You can order under the tank heaters that heat tanks up to 60 gallons as well as FMR's brand online at petdiscounters.com if your local pet store doesn't have one. You should use a sliding or foldin glass top, or wrap plastic or towels around about 2/3 of a screen top to retain humidity. If the tank has too much humidity, you may want to allow more ventilation in your tank until it reaches 50-60%

Temperature
The comfort zone for hermit crabs is 72 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit; that is when they are most active and healthy. The temperature in your hermit crab's cage should be between 70o F (21oCelsius) and 80oF (27oC) The IDEAL temperature to hover about is 75oF (24oCe). Remember that this is the temp that you are trying to achieve at the substrate level.... after all, isn't this the level that they spend most of their time!!?? Be sure to keep your thermometer at substrate level, since that is where they spend all their time and heat rises so true temperature would be difficult to obtain from a thermometer placed in the upper tank region. If the temperature drops to between 50 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit, dormancy and hibernation will occur. A long hibernation may permanently affect the hermit crab. When you lower household temperatures with air-conditioning or energy-saving winter thermostat settings, heat the hermit crabs' habitat with a light or a special heater that warms the bottom medium. If it is too cold for too long they can develop what they call Crab Stress. Temperature within your crabarium should be monitored on an ongoing basis. I suggest you purchase an adhesive temperature strip (see heating ) which should be placed along the bottom of the crabarium, parallel with the bottom of the tank as it is important to guage the heat at substrate level. If the temperature falls below 21 degrees frequently, you may need to purchase a under-tank heatpad (See heating) but be careful that you do not overheat your crab. If the temperature rises above 27 degrees (80oF) add more substrate (sand or gravel, etc) and experiment until you have the crabarium temperature falling within the hermie-friendly range of temperatures. A 24 hr timer is also a good investment as it will turn the heater on and off throughout the day. Keeping it on during the cold hours and turning it off when you set it to. Try not to let your crab's home fall below 70 degrees for very long or your crab will become inactive and may perish. They don't actually die unless the temp gets REALLY low (below 50 degrees F) If it is winter or below 21 degrees in your home and you do not have an undertank heater or other heat source an alternative action is to take your hermit crabs out of their crabarium for some play time and find a warm spot for your crab's tank to spend time during the day, such as a window sill or a sunny area outside. Remember to bring it in in once it starts to get cold. Return your hermit crabs to their crabarium and the sand should be just warm and a lid should be placed to help trap the warmth in. 21

If your crab overheats you may see a brown discharge. This means that your crabitat enviornment needs to be re-assessed (see below) and email FMR as the discharge is an indicator of overheating. Christa Wilkin says, "Getting over 80 degrees is playing with fire." They may also hang out of it's shell, be inactive, spend extra time in the water dish, or dig a lot to find cooler temperatures. Be sure to keep the temperature from fluctuating as this may cause stress. Sometimes they will croak or squeal if the temperature gets too high or low.

Heating
To keep your hermit crabs healthy and happy their environment should be kept in optimum temperature and humidity levels. If you are not able to keep the environment stable then your crabs will weaken and become stressed. Sources of heating I recommend as suitable for crabariums are:

Under-tank heaters
There are many types of under-tank heaters used with reptiles but you need to make sure your crabs do not overheat. The best kind are those that keep the temperature stable between 72 and 85 degrees F (22-30oC) . If your temperature falls below 72oF on a frequent basis you need a reliable and safe under tank heater. FMR makes one for tanks under 5 gallons that meets all specifications for Hermit Crabs and this 4 X 6 inch heater can be used on both a plastic 'critter keeper' and glass aquariums. You can order it online at petdiscounters.com here if your pet store doesn't have it. Other companies manufacture them in larger sizes and temp ranges, which. You can find one here that heats tanks from 5 to 60 gallons and are made so economical it costs pennies a day to operate. Make sure it will not heat your tank over 80 degrees F. You want to allow for some warmer and cooler areas on the tank, so it is not a good idea to buy a heater to cover the entire bottom of the tank. Unless you go into a really high quality product, you probably will not find a heater that can be regulated via a thermostat and many will raise the tank 10 degrees above whatever the original temperature was. Adjusting substrate depth is the best way to regulate the temps. Be sure to keep your water pool and natural sponges directly above the heater because this will help ensure proper humidity levels and will discourage your crabs from digging way down to the heater and overheating.

The FMR Mini Strip Heater

Designed especially for land hermit crabs. It comes in different sizes and because it uses a solid state nichrome heating elelment and low wattage it is suitable for most plastic habitats. Ue of a mini-strip heater will rasie the termperature some 10 degrees F. One mini-strip heater, for example, can be enough to heat a plastic habitat 5 Gallons or less. The FMR heater keeps the crabarium nice and comfy without drying your hermit crabs out. You will need to use some substrate for the tank to work and vary the level before you will find the ideal temperature-depth solution for your crabarium. Make sure there is one section of your tank that is cooler than the other so that the crabs can cool off if they need to. A must have for the hermit crab owner, especially in winter.

Moonglow Bulb
A 15 watt or less bulb is the only thing FMR), anything more will dry your crab and your tank out and could easily "bake" your crabs. Some strong bulbs have also been known to cause sunburn on hermit crabs. Do not use a full spectrum light. An incandescent nocturnal black light bulb coated with rare earth element to stimulate the natural glow of the moon is preferred. You can find one here. They can see a little better at night and you can see them a little better. They tend to like the extra atmosphere might be a little more active; they will even often bask in the glow at night. Turning the moonglow bulb on and off CAN create temperature changes that might cause stress to your crabs so keep it on all the time. Moonglow bulbs are not recommended as a primary source of heating and are best used in conjunction with... See Lighting Section for recommended brands.

What Not to Use for Heating

Don't use a heating rock as these are generally made for lizards and get too hot. The crabs may also climb on top of them causing great harm and the heat is too centralized. Also do not use a heating pad as they are not designed for this particular use. They need air ventilation and circulation that properly designed undertank heaters have and regular heating pads don't. Heating pads will melt plastic and bake crabs. Also, don't use any full spectrum heating lamps or any bulb over 15 watts or you will end up with dried out and baked crabs. Concerning the safety of a heating pad: Personally, I would not attempt to use a heating pad UNDER a tank. These things need air circulation to work properly. I would be afraid that it would overheat. The undertank heaters come with warnings/ instructions not to place the 'tank' on carpet or other 'soft' surfaces...while the heater is on...and they come with little 'stick on risers' to elevate the bottom of the tank so 'air' can circulate between the surfaces.

Emergency Heat
Might let everyone in on a little secret! This fits somewhat into Pat's question of "what if".... Well, here is the plan we have in place at Kritterland... Never had to use it yet... *knock wood*... really hope we won't have to... We refer to the plan as "Project Warm and Toasty"... Here goes: You know those little "heat warmer' things that you can 'crush' and they can keep your hands warm? (Most sporting goods stores carry them... we bought some at an Army Surplus store.) Well... we keep some around just incase... We have used them in the past to transport guys on very cold days... Place a 'critter carrier' inside of a larger styrofoam or softsided insulated cooler... put one of these 'heaters' inside the 'cooler' and your little guys will do pretty well... You can get the heaters in different ranges... (the length of time they will stay active) Read the instructions and note that oxygen is needed for them to work correctly. You can punch a few holes in the styrofoam cooler or leave the zipper unzipped for the air flow... Do NOT try putting one of these into their regular tank as the concentrated heat they give off could harm your guys. Especially, if a little crabbie decided investigate and sit on it... Direct contact might be dangerous if one of the little guys would decide to investigate and break the bag open... You really wouldn't want to present any danger to the little ones... Basically, this is what FMR does in shipping out orders of crabs during the cooler periods. I have actually been at the pet stores when an order of crabs has come in from FMR... I noticed how active the little guys seemed to be in that shipping box... The guys were safe in their 'gunny' sack with one of those 'heaters' packed inside of the insulated shipping box. Have discussed the situation with Kathy... I figured that if this would work for shipping crabs that I could apply it to keeping my guys warm as a short time solution incase we lost power... INCASE (hopefully, not!)*knock wood* I don't really want to have to go through this, but if it does happen, we are prepared...!!!! So for all you past G.S. and B.S., Brownies and Cubs, out there...do your thing! You might want to be prepared and think about this... Just INCASE! ...just another 'tip' from the guys at Kritterland... Let's hope no one has to do any EMERGENCY housing... but just incase, there is an alternative! I love Pat's suggestion, but don't think my bed is big enough for all my guys and me! We might be getting some of the 'white stuff' later in the week! Hope all can keep warm and toasty without loss of heat!

Cooling
Keep a thermometer in the cage and be sure to turn off any heating equipment when the substrate gets too hot. If it is the summer time and your house is very hot you can keep the tank on the floor(hot air rises), invest in an air conditioner, keep them in the shade and out of direct light, keep windows open, give them a misting, provide drinking water that is a bit cooler than usual, etc.

Keep the Bedding Substrate Dry

22

Do NOT raise the humidity level by misting/spraying inside of the tank or by keeping the bedding substrate moist/wet, they will be at great risk to bacteria and other infections as well as stress usually resulting in sickness, lost limbs, and death. If mold, excessive bacteria, fungus, etc grows out of the substrate it will soon grow in their damp, warm, and dark shell; and soon grow on the hermit crabs themselves. Hermit crabs are not rainforest creatures. Just as in their natural habitat, you want to keep the ground dry and the air moist.

CLD
Most of the information on this page is from CLD. It is best to do as Crablover Don did and leave a moonglow bulb and heater on twenty-four hours and regulate your tank humidity by using a piece of cardboard, spool of thread, or something to prop open your glass top (you can place plastic wrap or towels over 2/3 of a screen top) and keeping your water pool and natural sponges above the heater. He regulated the temperature by increasing the depth of the substrate OVER the undertank heater. He was also able to maintain a constant and consistant temperature by placing foam on 3 sides of the tank.

Foam Boards to Stabilize Temperature

I am going to add a little to an earlier post. I wanted to back up what Jenn posted about using the foam board as an insulator. It has been a staple at Kritterland from the beginning! My first crabs were adopted in the middle of the winter in February of '97. They were in a medium sized plastic 'kritter carrier'... I was very concerned about taking them out in the cool air, knowing that they shouldn't get chilled.... We were at an indoors Arts and Crafts show....and as we were looking I saw the ideal remedy....Someone was selling those soft-sided insulated lunch/beverage coolers. SO........... my new guys came home warm and happy that night. The 'six-pack' size worked for that medium carrier! We now have several sizes of carriers and coolers just 'incase'... the first one stays in the car just incase we go to a pet store.... Works great in the summer too to keep the sun from baking them...another serves as a back-up 'iso area' Now, the problem of warmth after getting them here...was another concern! Being a former art teacher, I had some foam board sitting around so I got out the old exacto knife and we created an insulated 'box' to go around the carrier... This was adapted to work with each upgrade to larger tanks...with the foamboard around the back and sides of the tank... (one sheet of foamboard takes care of a ten gallon tank.) It was cheap and worked well. Since then I have suggested it to many folks as an alternative. I used this while doing my studies with the undertank heaters and nocturnal light bulbs. I found that I could MAINTAIN a much better and consistant temperature level with the three-sided insulation than without it. I have passed along this suggestion to many others and it works quite well in a school setting....allowing the kids to change the backgrounds with their art work.... I do have 'front covers of foam board to use in case of an emergency .... I have used other colors but prefer the white foamboard... and using clear or white tape to make the hinged 'corners'... have used velcro to secure the pieces also... So since then we still use the insulation idea... plus, the crabs can see their reflections better and their activies at that are very entertaining! I like the fact Jenn gave this 'thing' a name.... "Crab-gloo" is much more catchy than 'the box'... Have fun with this and let your imagination go wild. One school here had a contest to see which class had the best 'backdrops' for their crabs... some changed the background weekly....it was great fun and a good project for both art and science lessons.... with the little hermies benefitting from all the fun 'environments' created just for them. As Jenn pointed out this is a fairly cheap way to go until you can get alternative heating!

Plants
Though people have placed live plants in the crabarium one needs to be warned that this can really put your crabs in jeopardy due to the attraction of mites and other critters and not to mention the possiblity of pesticides having been used on the plants....a slow and certain death for your crabs.

"ClimbingWall"
"I observed that the crabs really liked crawling over the hardware screen that had pieces of sponge, coral and driftwood tied to it." What you saw was probably one of the FMR inserts that they sell for critter carriers and tanks... A creative, attractive product which which enhances the the starter sets. It allows the pet to have more surface room to roam, and an area to climb and frolic. The background consists of colored wire on which is placed natural sponges for moisture, colored coral, and painted shells.

Food and Water

It is surprising to see that even many of the pet stores don't know what exactly to feed Hermit Crabs. While it is true that hermit crabs are scavengers and will eat just about anything, many things are not good for them, some things are bad for them, and some hermit crabs in captivity are choosy. However, they do have a strong sense of smell which is an important thing to remember when you are selecting food for your hermit crabs.

How To feed Hermit Crabs

Put the food in a food dish (an empty clam shell is best because of calcium in it and being natural) and change it every day to every other or few days depending on what type of food it is. It is very important to change the food or it will spoil and rot which could make your hermit crabs sick. If you are worried about wasting food, reduce the amount you feed them. It is probably best to change the food just as they wake up at night so it is fresh throughout the night. If you have many crabs, you may need more than one food dish so the larger ones don't prevent the smaller ones from getting food. Make sure they can't tip the food dish over. I cut down a small medicine cup and burried it in the sand so it is easy to get to. Crabs eat very slowly so it must be easy to remove and change the food supply, so it doesn't go bad. We grind all the commercial food in a food processor to make it easier for my guys to handle...

What To Feed Hermit Crabs

You can feed your hermit crab commercial hermit crab food from your pet store, but you should also supplement its diet with a variety of other foods. If you are unable to purchase commercial H.C. Food, I would make sure to provide some goldfish flakes or pellets. The best thing to feed them is FMR brand commercial hermit crab food. This food is made by the professionals to have everything they need in it. FMR is probably the best brand nutritionally and definitely the best brand as far as the hermit crab's taste preference is concerned. Other brands even make ME nauseated just smelling it. If you don't have a place nearby to buy it you can contact FMR to find a distributor or you can order it online. You should also supply them with a variety of fresh fruits and veggies for treats and to supplement their diet as well as a calcium source. You can feed them fish flakes in a pinch if you don't have hermit crab food.

Treats and Supplements

Fmr makes a commercial treat food for alternate days. One study showed that hermit crabs prefer to eat foods they haven't recently eaten, which is believed to allow a more balanced diet. So be sure to feed them a variety. They like fatty foods as well as foods with a nutty odor. Fruits and Veggies should be removed the next day since they are perishable You can also feed them things such as: romaine lettuce (they like green much more than white, iceberg lettuce) coconut mango pawpaw driedbanana chips dried coconut 23

dried apricot dried sultanas raisins dried mixed peel apples peeled grapes dry cereals crackers cooked rice pears oranges bananas blueberry shred of carrot. broccoli spinach peanut butter (especially E's) Salted pretzels or bacon bits can give them the salt they need. FMR Treat Corn Flakes Oats Rice Bubbles Freshly air-popped popcorn (natural style) lots of fun to watch them munch. Watch it dissapear right before your eyes! Allow the popcorn to cool before giving to your hermit crabs. Once your crab's popcorn has cooled, add a teaspoon of peanut butter to a handful of popped popcorn kernels and place in the crabarium on a large flat shell or dish. They also may eat: pre-killed crickets and mealworms coated with calcium, sold in pet stores. A Little of the following foods: Meat - Chicken bone once in a while as a treat (no meat left on it) Fish - small amount of fish (fresh) to be taken out the next morning. Cake - Try a small amount of banana or carrot cake

Good combinations for hermit crab meals Fresh Treat :

Ingredients: 1 leaf of lettuce 1 slice of apple 1 tspn peanut butter and a sprinkling of shredded coconut.

Dried food mix :

Ingredients: handful of cooked and dried popcorn uncoooked oats fish food to some dried fruit (apple, banana chips, mango, raisin, pawpaw, etc)

Calcium
Because of their hard, calcified armor (the exoskeleton), they need a lot of calcium. It is crucial to provide them a source of calcium. This increases their survival rate of the molting process and their general healthiness. The best thing you could get for them is cuttlebone. Cuttlebone is the shell of cuttlefish which is a type of sea mollusk found in the ocean high in calcium. It is popularly found in the pet store made for birds mainly to sharpen their beaks on but is good for hermit crabs too. You can order it here too. You can break off pieces or grate it or grind it. You can add it to their food or water too (some crabs don't like cuttlebone in their water though and if you do put it in, be sure to change the water everyday or it will get sour). Some other things you could use are crushed oyster shells (found in pet stores offered to birds, very high n calcium) and Crushed, dried hen egg shell (if you don't have cuttlebone or crushed oyster shells), grated, crushed, in pieces or whole cheese added to food or in separate container. Add a scallop or clam shell of shell grit to your tank to offer some calcium to your hermit crabs via crushed seashells. Some use shell grit as a substrate. A quick and simple way to 'prepare' the cuttlebone... to powder my cuttlebone and add it to the food.... I have a small 'wire strainer' that I turn over and run the cuttlebone over... and presto! Powdered cuttlebone... (approx. a teaspoon per oz. of food) Putting into the water will not hurt your guys... but you NEED to make sure that you change out the water DAILY as the cuttlebone will start to 'sour' and give off a rather unpleasant odor.

What Not To Feed Hermit Crabs

Don't feed them bread or anything else with yeast on it, the yeast expands which harms hermit crabs (yeast especially expands in their gills which could potentially cause suffocation). Also, don't feed them anything with pesticides, fertilizers, or other chemicals on it, like grass from the back yard or by the side of the road and be sure to rinse and fruits or veggies good with water before serving them to your crabs. Don't feed them spices and flavoring that might be bad for them. And don't feed them meat, it rots and spoils very quickly which could make your crabs sick. Avoid giving them any extremely sugary or salty foods.

Your Crab's Required Diet

Crabs are like people in many ways. Especially in how they will pretty much eat anything you put in front of them. Their food pyramid is about the same as ours. Their favorite treats are peanut butter and peeled grapes. You should feed your crab a commercial diet, like fortified crab pellets. But you should also include these foods as treats: Bread Group: crackers, bread bits, cooked rice, peices of dry cereal, popped popcorn, cooked pasta, and dry oatmeal. Fruit Group: grapes, (peeled), pears, apples, coconut, oranges, bananas, ect. (all cut very small) Vegetable Group: lettuce, cooked beans, broccli, spinach Meat group: cooked bacon, peanut butter, fish, cooked hamburger meat, ect. (crabs enjoy these but they should be fed sparingly) The important thing to remember is hermit crabs eat very little, and uneaton food in the cage starts to rot and smell. Thats why fresh food should be provided every day. Water should be put in half a clam shell. The calcium in the shell enriches the water, making it better for crabs. Metal water containers are a big no-no.

Information: Food
24

Crabs will eat almost anything you put in front of them, but not everything is good for them. This page will tell you what is good for your crab to eat.
* As I said, crabs will eat almost anything, but what you should feed them is basically what most people should eat. They should eat a basic food pyramid minus a few things. Be careful what you feed them, because you can cause malnutrition in them, and starve them if you only give them stuff they don't eat. * The best food for crabs is the food you can buy for them at the store you got them from. This food contains all the nutrition they need to survive. But this isn't always enough. Crabs sometimes get tired of the food you give them, so they might want something else. Here are some things that are good for them, and they like. * Cereal (without the milk), oatmeal, and any kind of healthy bread or crackers. They also like almost all kinds of vegetables and fruits (especially lettuce). Their favorites though are fish, meat, and peanut butter. I hope this will help you feed your crab better. Remember that when you give them these, cut them up into small pieces that are edible for them. Also do not add any flavoring, spices, etc. to them, it could harm the crab.

Proper Water Quality for Hermit Crabs

Land hermit crabs are instinctive and will access moisture from dew drops found on leaves of plants. They are able to go without food for a time if necessary and store water in their shells for drinking later . A very important aspect in taking care of your hermit crabs is the water quality. Chlorine and other heavy metals such as iron generally present in tap water can cause blisters and ulcer on their gills leading to irritation, difficulty breathing, sickness, and death. Hermit crabs spend the first part of their life as a type of fish (larvae), when they become land dwelling creatures they still maintain many of the biological properties of tropical fish including gills. FMR's main rule of thumb is, "if the water is suitable for tropical fish, then you can use it for Hermit Crabs." This means that you'll probably need to remove the chlorine and other harmful chemicals from the water prior to giving it to your crab. Bottled and filtered water are also acceptable, but usually more expensive. Plus there is no way of guaranteeing that during processing (with bottled water) that the chlorine was adequately removed or (with filtered water) that the filter you're using wasn't clogged or contaminated. I'd go with the method below, regardless of the type of water you use. For bathing and misting hermit crabs only, you are best off using Stresscoat to treat the water. For drinking water, you have two options: 1. If your tap water from the faucet is NOT high in heavy metals like iron, you can use a dechloronizing solution to treat the water. You can leave the water out in the open and a lot of the chlorine will evaporate within 24 hrs, but some will still be there in the form of chloromines. You can buy a dechloronizing solution (or tap water conditioner) at your pet store or online here. It is usually used for fish aquarium water. It's relatively inexpensive and usually comes in a dropper-style bottle. You do not need to buy a large amount of it (in fact, you shouldn't, because the drops may gradually lose the ability to dechloronate the water if stored for a long period of time). Try to get a brand with instructions on how to mix only ONE GALLON of dechlorinated water, otherwise you'll have to do some calculating as to how many drops per quart, etc. then follow the directions on the label. You might want to let it set overnight to be sure all the chemicals are neutralized. Local pet stores are usually aware of the local water and what is needed to treat it. 2. If you live in an area where your drinking water is harsh and high in heavy metals, you are better off with bottled distilled water. Do not use bottled spring water or other types because they may be naturally high in chlorine. Distilled water is the only type with all of the impurifications taken out. This is the same type you use in your steam iron so that minerals don't clog it.

Sea Water
Ecuadorians are rare, but they will need a little bit of saline (marine or sea salt) in their drinking water. If you bought your hermit crabs in Australia they will need a tad of saline in their drinking and bathing water too. Read the Ecuadorian crab page and species page for more. Although it isn't absolutely needed for the other species, it is a good idea to provide all types of hermit crabs with both one dish of fresh water, and another dish of slightly brackish water though to keep proper ion balance. Use approx. an eighth of a teaspoon of Instant Ocean (marine salt) to a quart of dechlorinized water to make the saline solution... then add about a teaspoon of this 'solution' to some dechlorinized water for their 'drinking' water. Make a fresh batch every week.... Do not use table salt. You can get marine salt at a pet or aquarium store for use with tropical fish that need salt water in their aquariums. Instant Ocean makes a good brand of seasalt. Do not bathe E's or PP's in seasalt water, it may hurt their gills and cause respiratory problems. It is best to bathe E's and PP's in Stresscoat laced water. Only bathe Australian bought hermit crabs in salt water, and only bathe them once a month in seasalt water, 3 out of the four weeks Australian hermit crabs should be bathed in stresscoat laced water. If they consistantly stay away from the brackish water, it will usually mean it is too salty, then try reducing the amount of salinity(amount of seasalt) in the solution. Saltwater will evaporate faster than fresh water. * Saline Solution Drinking water: about 1/8th of a teaspoon of aquarium salt (Instant Ocean or Doc Fishwell are the best) to a quart of dechloronized water. Then add a teaspoon of this solution to their drinking water.

What To Use To Serve It To Them

Hermit crabs like to drag themselves (shell and all) into the water dish and just sit there sometimes. They may be replenishing their 'shell water' or they may be cleaning out their shells. It's important you check the water dish daily, and make sure that it is clean and full of water. Give your crabs their water in a small nonmetallic(they are extremely sensitive to metal), non-porous container. It is important that your water dish is not so deep your smaller crabs will drown in it, drowning is very common in deep dishes. (As a rule of thumb, I have at least one small shell water dish for each crab in the cage). Wash and dry any new dishes before adding to the tank so they don't still have any residue on them. If you have large crabs and small crabs together, put a natural sea sponge in the large crabs dish so a stray small crab will have an "island" to sit on in case it stumbles into the large dish or you can fill the dish with rocks or a piece of driftwood to help the crab climb out.Smaller water dishes and jar lids don't need a sponge in them, but a sponge is critical if you're using a large clam shell, which may be very deep toward the middle-back areas. If the water seems deeper than your smallest crabs, don't take the risk. Put a sponge into the dish.A good thing to use it an empty clam shell. Calcium leaks from the shell into the water. Hermit crabs need a lot of calcium because of their hard, protective, calcified armor (the exoskeleton). Other people use lids of containers or water pools that FMR and other companies make. If your hermit crabs tip over the water dish a lot wetting the substrate, you are best off with an FMR water pool made specifically for crabs to be deep enough to bath, easy to crawl out, and not too deep that they would drown. The FMR water pool is too big to tip over. Serve fresh water daily to keep them from getting sick. The best water dishes I have seen are molded plastic or cement reptile-type dishes that look like rock, sea shells (which are good because a small amount of calcium leaches into the water and this is beneficial for the crabs), plastic jar lids and individual-serving size small pyrex casserole dishes. To clean the water dish, run it under the tap and dry it well with a dishcloth

Changing Water
Change the water once every 24 hrs. so that it doesn't get old or stale and make your hermit crabs sick.

Scum
If there is scum in the water dish there is no need for alarm. Hermit crabs excrete an oil that helps lubricate and protect their exoskeleton, and that scum is probably a residue of this oil, combined with food particles and other items the crabs drag into the dish along with them. It is no cause for alarm. Just scrub out the scum (do NOT use any chemicals, a damp paper towel works perfectly). It is probably the residue from the (traces of) oil that is used in many of the commercial crab foods. This oil is used since our guys need a bit of it in their diet...This DOES NOT mean to feed them extra oil....THAT could kill them! The oil also enhances the flavor of these foods. This is why it is most/very important to clean out those water dishes and change out the old "drinking" water for fresh, clean water on a daily basis. Those little legs can 'pick up' lots of stuff from that food dish... then, they 'wade' through the water.

Easywater or Artificial water

Now to answer the question about EASY WATER! This product is being touted as a 'good thing' for hermit crabs... After doing some research and investigating I would NEVER use it! In my own opinion, it would do more harm than good. Hermit Crabs need dechlorinated water of the same standard as one would use in a fish tank. Due to their delicate respiratory system and gill function the dechlorinized water (free of minerals) is what is required for bathing and as a water source. The artificial source may retain moisture, but 25

it cannot replace the need of the actual water. Crabs need to be able to get into their water source to drink and to bathe... this does not mean that misting and weekly baths are not necessary... but only that they need these elements for good health to stay hydrated.

Hermit Crabs and Molting

Moulting is when an animal sheds its old skin and then grows a new skin. The body skeleton of a hermit crab is much different from that of mammals, reptiles, birds and fish. Their skeleton is on the exterior. It is called the exoskeleton. The exoskeleton is made of a material called chitin. It protects the crabs' organs from damage. The exoskeleton holds 90% of a hermit crabs calcium. While the hermit crab will grow all of it's life, their hard outer skin called the exoskeleton doesn't. Because of this they must shed and regrow its protective exoskeleton every now and then, as the hermit crab grows and gets too big for it's exoskeleton. They will completely loose their outer shell and shed it and grow a new skin which hardens to a shell. Much like a snake sheds it's skin. This is the process called molting. Vanessa says, "Imagine a pair of tight-fitting shoes. When your feet grow, your shoes do not. You need to go and get some new shoes which will fit." The most critical part of a Hermit Crab's life is just before, during, and just after the molting process. Molting is very strenuous for the crab, and death is known to most commonly occur at this time. Molting is a growth period, as well as a regenerating period. If they deformed or missing limbs, claws, or even eyes they will fully or at least partially regrow them back during this period(sometimes it will take 2 or 3 molts to fully regenerate a limb depending on size). While smaller (dime sized) crabs will molt several times a year(they grow more and they grow faster), larger (softball sized) crabs may only molt once every 18 months. There are no set/exact time tables or time lines for the molting process. Substrate should be twice as high as your largest crab so that they can bury themselves to molt. Proper temperature and humidity is also very important for this period. .Those Stresscoat baths, extra calcium... and plenty of fresh dechlorinated drinking water you give them in regular care, prepare and "set them up" for a better and easier molt.

Signs Your Hermit Crab Is About To Molt

Just before molting, hermit crabs will drink a lot more water than usual. This will increase their body weight by 25%. Each week at bathtime, give each crab a thorough once-over checking for molting signs. Just before a hermit crab molts, they will usually be less active. Look for cloudy eyes(like cataracts), sluggish behavior, less and slower antennae/feeler activity, and ESPECIALLY a crab that has crawled into another shell face-first. They seem to like to molt with their 'faces' in another shell. Prior to a molt, crabs store extra water within their shells to help with that extra hydration needed for them to break, shed, and slip out of their old exoskeleton in the molt process, so you might see it spending a lot of time in the water dish. It may also do a lot of digging. They might leave their shell and dig themselves under the substrate OR dig themselves under the substrate with their shell on. If you see them burrowing down into the sand or sometimes under a piece of wood, and then not coming back up for a few days (or even a few weeks), don't be alarmed. They won't die from suffocation (unless you drown them). Normally, they will make a little den under the sand while they molt , they are protecting themselves from predators when they become soft. Contrary to popular myth though, MOST hermit crabs do NOT molt OUTSIDE of their shell and many do not go under the substrate to molt. Sometimes they will even molt high up on a piece of coral or choya wood. If you have several "diggers" at one time, it is possible that they are looking for a more desirable temperature.... and are NOT yet ready to molt. Their crabitat may be too warm or cool. Keep in mind though, that no molting signs are definite. They seem to grow lethargic and sleepy, they eventually have difficulty moving and should be left alone. (This is why a lot of hermit crab owners think their crab is dying/dead.) They burrow into the sand, dont dig them out. Some hermit crabs go on an eating craze before a molt. Just let them eat, but remove all food when they molt.

What to do
If you have a crab with these symptoms, you should isolate it so that they aren't bothered by the other hermit crabs. Sometimes even a non-aggressive crab will bother a molting crab and any stress during this fragile period can result in lost limbs, deformed limbs, or even death. They will need extra moisture but not TOO MUCH moisture. Many people lose their molters do to too much moisture. The problem lies in the fact that people tend to do TOO MUCH after the molt begins. The most important thing to know is not to bother your crab while molting, leave it alone in isolation. No baths and no misting. By nature, a crab will store extra moisture/water inside of their shell PRIOR to their molt... in order to expand and explode the exoskeleton and slip out. Usually enough moisture is retained to allow their new exo to harden... too much moisture can cause their newly developing limbs to actually become too hydrated and in some cases fall off. The best thing you can do is put it in isolation (optionally you can separate it from its companions by installing a divider in the habitat) with plenty of dry bedding substrate(so they can burrow under), food, cuttlebone, water, and plenty of shells (this is the most common time for them to grow into a bigger shell, have at least 3 about 1/4 to 1/3 larger than it's current as well as some the same size) and stick a moist natural sea sponge right next to it in case it wants extra moisture(above a clam shell so it doesn't drip into the bedding substrate), then leave it alone. You can put several molters in the same isolation unit, they seem to respect each others situation and leave each other alone. The worst thing you can do it start wetting the sand around him! Wet sand will bring in bacteria causing stress and potential sickness during this fragile period. Nature normally takes over and most of the time all goes very well. They do need a quiet, isolated place to be left undisturbed and free from outside stress for some time until THEY are done and ready to take on the world! Try to bother them as little as possible, it is not a good thing to go digging up those guys who are UNDER the substrate... more than often people want to do this, but more harm is done than good. It is best to leave it alone and allow nature to take its course. Some people will get the strange, devastating idea of taking it out of it's crabitat home and putting it in a sink or wet paper towel, DON'T do this. The added stress of being handled too much will most likely kill it. Quite often a molted crab is mistaken for dead and thrown out, be very careful.

The Process Begins

When they have to molt, the have to molt. Molting is triggered by a buildup of fluid just under their exoskeleton which they cannot control. Sacs called Pericardial sacs fill with a mucus like substance that swells and splits the exoskeleton. The extra water is used by the hermit crabs circulatory system to increase the their body size (legs & claws) enabling them to regenerate any missing appendages. The hermit crab will then stretch, twist, and turn until the exoskeleton "bursts" and splits right around the abdomen. The crab then will "shimmy" right out of the old exoskeleton. Some crabs cannot do this in one piece, so you may see legs and claws strewn about. I have read and been told that there is a 'natural' secretion produced during this time that enables the fellas to shed their old exoskeleton more easily... leave it to nature! Just before a female hermit crab molts her egg sac will swell. If she hasnt successfully mated she will shed the egg sac along with her exoskeleton. If your hermit crabs all live in one aquarium and you are not familiar with the signs of a hermit crab that is about to molt, your hermit crab can be in a lot of danger because of its vulnerable state.

The Old Exoskeleton (exo)

Hermit crabs need two things to successfully molt and increase their size, water and calcium. Calcium is present in the shells and sand they eat. Since they lose 90% of their calcium when they shed their exoskeleton, they will eat their exoskeleton to regain it. Once your crab is free of the exoskeleton, you will be able to see the old one and it will look just like another hermit crab(just the front half, without the abdomen and tail). Some people are fooled into thinking it is a dead hermit crab or their crab had reproduced(if it was small). Don't toss out the shell, as they can sometimes pack themselves very tightly back into the shell, and even close observation often barely reveals that a crab is, in fact, inside. Don't throw away the shedded exoskeleton either, they need to eat it. The next stage of the process is where they start to regrow their limbs and exoskeleton, as well as harden the exoskeleton. A dab or clump of gel coming from a missing leg is the start of regeneration process for that limb. It might sound weird or gross, but this stage requires a lot of the nutrients that the old exoskeleton has in it(especially calcium and the important skin-hardening agent chitin), it is completely natural and good for them to eat it. After all, what better to eat that will help them regrow an exoskeleton, than their old exoskeleton. Don't allow other hermit crabs to eat the exoskeleton of the molting crab, this may disturb the molting crab, causing it problems. The larger the Hermit Crab is, the longer it will take to eat it's exoskeleton. Sometimes it will take more than 2 weeks. Some of the bigger molters, will actually leave some of the exo uneaten... especially the large claw which seems to be stronger and probably less tasty than the other parts. If you've already thrown away the exo, what you have to do is supply an immediate source of calcium. Hopefully you already have some cuttlebone in there, if you don't you will need to get some right away. Do not save the old exoskeletons from other old or dead crabs to feed to your current crabs. They are too dried out and decayed. As far as losing legs during (or right after) a molt... It is not what I would call 'normal', but it often happens. There are probably many reasons for this additional loss... but many times, it appears that the little fella could not shed that 'one little piece' of their old exoskeleton... and they will damage leg or claw trying to get off completely...

End of the Molt and Recovery Period

26

After the Crab is free of the constricting old exoskeleton, it's new exoskeleton will usually be pale and pink in color, smaller, and very soft, making it very vulnerable. It will usually stay under ground or hide and be very inactive, resting and regaining strength, until the new exoskeleton hardens. It may look dead under these conditions, when it is still alive. A combination of the accumulated fluid in the molter and the surrounding air will cause the body to swell, forcing it to grow larger and harder within a few days time. They probably won't switch into a bigger shell until their new exo has grown and hardened. You may notice after they molt they come up to eat and drink to gain strength and then enlarge themselves and harden to their new shell. Still do not touch. They need to be left alone. A dab or clump of gel coming from a missing leg is the start of regeneration process for that limb. This resting period is very important and they should still remain undisturbed. If it molted underground it will usually stay under ground for some time. For some smaller guys who molt more often, they are usually less stressed... but the larger guys who might be a year or two between molts and have more of an exoskeleton to shed, often have a rougher time. Of course, there are those many exceptions... the best advice is to allow nature to take its course at that point and leave it alone in isolation with food, water, a wet natural sponge in a clam shell, and plenty of extra shells. If a crab had a good "storage" of moisture already within his shell, and the exo to munch on, then he might not be moving around too much. A jumbo Ecuadorian type crab has been known to take 6 to 8 weeks to recover! On an average a couple of weeks can be expected for a medium/large guy for a "normal" molt... but that is a "ballpark figure." Some smaller, teeny crabs will be "ready to rumble" in a couple of days, and others a week or so... it really does depend on the individual conditions and demeanor of your fella. Again each crab does bounce back at their own rate of speed and nothing is written in stone. The basic rule of thumb though is about a week to ten days after the molt... Crabs don't always change shells after a molt and it seems to take them quite awhile to go back to their original pre-molt color. This has to do with with the time it takes to rebuild their exo. Sometimes their color doesn't come right back to what was before ... this seems especially true if they lost a limb or are in the process of regrowing a limb. I have noticed some of my crabs get very hungry after they have molted. It is a good idea to give them some food.

Jumbo and Ecuadorian Crabs

The molting process is especially critical to these guys as with ecuadorians it is a little more complex and Jumbos have a larger exoskeleton thus a tougher job to do. Molting is an even more strenuous job for them and the survival rate is a lot lower. Stresscoat baths in regular care have been shown to make the survival rate a little higher. It is said that the two biggest challenges crab owners face are going through jumbo and Ecuadorian.

SPECIAL ADDITION FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE CRABS WHO ARE MOLTING!
Molting: Hermit crabs have hard exoskeletons (skin). Their exoskeleton does not grow as the crab grows, so it must periodically shed its skin. When a hermit crab molts, it leaves it's shell, sheds it's exoskeleton, and then buries itself in the sand until the new skin hardens. Then it will select a new larger shell to live it. It is important to keep several extra shells that are larger than the shells your hermit crabs are already living in so they can pick the one that best suits them.

Information: Molting and Health

Here are a few points I have found over the year about Molting & Health...
* Hermit crabs do not get sick from any know diseases. They can get parasites, but we do not know of any diseases they can get. There are probably diseases among crabs that we will learn of when they are studied more but right now we do not know what diseases they get. They can die from a number of things. One of the leading causes of death is from dehydration. If you don't keep them wet, they will die (go the the Environment section for information on how to keep them wet). * Also, crabs can die easily if you use aerosol, or other chemical solutions around them (such as air freshener, bug spray, hair spray, table cleaner, etc.) Most crabs die of old age if you treat them right, but they can also die of parasites, which all you can do to stop them is clean the cage a lot, but that doesn't always keep them away. Another way they can die is if you don't have big enough shells for them to change into, they then will die. * Crabs are most likely to die during molting. Molting is when crabs "shed their exoskeleton." Small crabs will molt quite frequently, but older crabs will only molt a few times a year. Although crabs dig when they molt, it is still of hard to tell if your hermit crabs are molting. Sometimes the crabs just dig into the sand if they get too cold or too hot. Sometimes they dig in just for the heck of it! One day I called Kathy at FMR for a definite molting 'sign' and she said there is none. Some people look for 'cloudy eyes' but a lady I know who's had her crabs for 23 years says her crabs never get cloudy eyes. * Molting is a time for crabs to grow back missing legs (if the legs are completely off, it will take a few molts to grow back), and to grow. Their exoskeleton doesn't allow them to grow, so they must shed it, grow, then make a new exoskeleton. * During the molt, crabs will stay in their shell because they are very vulnerable. Be sure to spray them, because it is very easy for them to dehydrate when they are not walking around, plus, put some food by them, they might starve. Crabs do not eat much when they are molting. * After the crab is done molting, the old skeleton will still be there. Do not remove it from the cage. The crab will eat it for calcium (which they need lots of).

Isolation
I've noticed CLD talk about a 5 gallon ISO tank. How does one "move" a moulting crab to ISO? Do you wait until the crab actually starts acting funny, but prior to the actual moult? My understanding was you have to create an ISO inside the present tank or move the other nonmoulting crabs. I think some do move the hermies when they start acting different. Other move them once they have noticed the molt. From what I gather they just pick them up shell and all and move them to the ISO. I would think it would be less stressful to just make an ISO in the tank it is already in. Each bath day, I play with and 'check out' EACH of my babies! I look for various signs of molt or other possible problems. IF a fellow is sluggish or shows some indication of a molt, then he will be placed in one of the several heated iso tanks for closer observation. But, many of these fellas have surprised me and 'up and molted' without warning! With these fellows I use dividers to build an area around then for a little protection. It is best not to disturb a molter... and if you must it should be kept to a minimum of time. Most of my guys have molted above the substrate... and a couple of times it was necessary for me to transport a fella to a separate iso unit.... I used a regular spoon and gently lifted the guy, exo and all, at one time...and gently placed him in the iso tank. I prefer to use a dividing area in the main tanks for this, but there are those times... and I always have at least one of the iso tanks set up, properly heated and with acceptable humidity... as a big fluctuation of temps might do more harm than good. If the main tank is already consistant heat wise you are far better off in using dividers for your fella (also, some great suggestions in the archives on this too!)

Care
Bathing
Bathing is necessary. It hydrates the crabs and helps keep their shells cleaner and free of possible irritants. It also helps keep bacteria, fungus, molds, etc from growing inside the moist, warm, and dark shells; and from growing on the hermit crabs themselves, helping to keep them from getting sick. Only use water that is free of chlorine and chloramine and if the water in your local area is deemed as unsuitable for keeping fish (eg. heavy metals, chlorine or chloramines) then it is not suitable for your hermit crabs. Bathing is usually done once a week, and you only need about a cup of water that is room temperature for bathing (depending on the number of crabs and depth of bathing vessell) so you could use bottled distilled water or spring water for this task if you do not have a water filter. If possible, it is advisable that you use Stress Coat water conditioner by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals. The small amount of (StressCoat-laced) water they may consume during a bath is fine. They will bathe themselves if you provide them with dechloronated water and a water pool but it is a good idea to bathe them yourselves once a week as well to make sure their shells get rinsed out and clean. To bathe your crabs fill a small, clean, nonmetallic (they are VERY sensitive to metals), non-porous bowl (deep ceramic or plastic bowls have slippery sides so they cannot escape) about an inch or two deep with barely warm, tepid, room-temperature(not warm or lukewarm), dechlorinated water. If the water gets too warm it could cause irreversible damage. Chlorine (which is in tap water) is bad for crabs, it may blister and ulcerate their gills. You could add a drop or two of stress coat if you would like, it helps keeps the exoskeleton healthy. Then gently dunk it under water a few times, not more than a couple of seconds under water. You can tip the shell upside down if you like and rinse the inside of the shell out with water too. This helps rinse out any sand, molds, fungus, bacteria, etc that may be in the moist, warm, dark shell or on the crab. One good technique is to lay the crab upside down on the bottom of the bowl and let it turn itself over, then drain out all of the water in 27

the shell and repeat. Be sure to drain all stresscoat laced water out of it's shell real good so they don't drink it later. Then let them dry OUTSIDE of the crabitat before you let it back in (to reduce the possibility of sand or bedding to stick to the legs and shell of your hermit crab causing irritation) making it more comfortable, and keep the substrate from getting wet. Supervision is key so that they don't escape or drown. Lower your crabs into the bathing water and allow them to wade about for a few minutes. This gives them some time to do some serious 'leg kicking' and dislodge built up wastes and bits of foodstuffs within their shells. To allow for some traction within their bath, you could add some glass pebbles like CLD or some river rock so that they can move about easily in the water. I always supervise the baths and if my crabs seem a little spooked, I put my hand in the water and let them wander over my hand to calm them down. I replace the water a few times during bathing the crabs to make sure they are squeaky clean. If you have a fine substrate I recommend you allow them to dry off a bit before putting them back in the tank. My hermit crabs usually dry off in a clean plastic bowl with a hand towel or a little substrate in the bottom of it for traction, Otherwise, your hermies will be slip-sliding all over the place! Only do this once a week as bathing too much can deplete your crabs of essential oils on their exoskeleton and dry them out. You shouldn't bathe them for more than 20-30 seconds either. You should wait until they wake up and move around themselves before bathing them to prevent shocking and stressing them. While it may seem LIKE a great idea to bathe your guys each day or two, this is not necessary and can be harmful to their health. Too much bathing can strip away the natural'slime coating' that is necessary for the healthy gill functioning of your crab. Hermit crabs are usually very active after a bath so get out that camera or spend some quality handling time with them. I often feed my hermies before a bath or you are pretty much defeating the purpose! This is also a great time to introduce some clean and dry shells to your hermies, giving them some potential homes to investigate as they clamber over them. A tip is to put the shells openings-upward, which is an invitation to the hermies that they check the opening to see if it is the correct size. If you bought your hermit crabs in Australia, you will probably need to bathe them in saltwater once a onth or so. Read the species page for more info. For more information on water and bathing, visit the FMR website.

Stresscoat
The following information was taken from the archives of messages on the Hermies Onelist site. It was compiled by Christa M. who made up a file of frequently asked questions about Stress Coat , with the answers to these questions supplied by Crablover Don, who is a moderator of the Onelist hermies community. We hope this file is useful to you in understanding what Stress Coat is, and how it should be used. If you have further questions about stress coat, please email Don or Myself personally, or join the Hermies Onelist community and send a message to the group with the topic of "Stress coat - need further information" STRESS COAT is a water conditioner to remove bad minerals and chlorine from tap water... the stress coat part of it comes from the addition of aloe vera. . Aloe Vera promotes healthier exoskeletons in our little ones.Stresscoat is generally sold for aquarium water and is very popularly used to help repair damaged tissue in fish as well as replace their protective slime coating, but can also be good for hermies. Most of the info was learned from learned about Stresscoat from CLD (Crablover Don) whom, under supervision by Florida marine Research(FMR) experimented using Stresscoat. .

Why Use Stresscoat(s.c.)?

Hermit crabs spend the first part of their life as a type of fish (larvae), when they become land dwelling creatures they still maintain many of the biological properties of fish including gills. Hermit Crabs do not require Stresscoat, but it is beneficial to them. The Aloe Vera and other ingredients in Stresscoat promote a healthier exoskeleton and gills in Hermit Crabs. It has also been shown that hermit crabs being given regular stresscoat baths have a much higher survival rate of the molting process. In some recent studies it is thought that excess bathing can lead to depletion of some essential oils (actually a natural "coating," almost like a fish's slime coating) needed to maintain a healthier exoskeleton. The "stress coat" additive (s.c. is NOT a medicine, but does contain aloe vera which is natural and botanical, with no known side effect) is believed to be beneficial and useful in maintaining the 'cuticle' (exo) by restoring its natural protectant. Sound familiar? (think about your skin...) Also, it helps to protect the loss of essential electrolytes through a "protective coating." It also works for their respiratory system as it is good for maintaining the health of their gill function.... by healing any possible damages and maintaining health. After a few weeks of bathing with stresscoat, their exoskeletons usually become more shiny and of a deeper, brighter, richer color.

How to Use Stresscoat

You can purchase Stresscoat at fish/aquarium/pet stores and online at petdiscounters.com or other places and is fairly inexpensive. If there are several types of stresscoat/aquarium conditioners, any type labeled Stresscoat that has Aloe Vera in it is fine. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals is a popular and good brand. Make sure the expiration date has not passed. Follow the directions for use. Only use Stresscoat laced water for bathing or misting. Generally, one to three drops per gallon of water for bathing or misting water is fine... a small bottle lasts for a very long time. Yes, you can make up smaller 'batches' of it... a drop or two per quart of water works fine... I don't 'save' the leftover amounts for more than a day or so... so a drop of stress coat per a pint of water... a couple drops per quart, will work too! The nicest thing about it you can add it to warm tap water for bathing your guys...and don't have to warm up any bottled water. Don't overdo it on Stresscoat either, I would not tempt fate by overdosing a crab on stresscoat. No more than a couple of drops. Bathe or mist them like you normally would. Stresscoat is only recommended for for bathing or misting the EXOSKELETON of land hermit crabs. It is NOT recommended as drinking water. Drinking Stresscoat would probably make them sick. Do not leave ANY Stress Coatlaced water ANYWHERE INSIDE the crab tank. Only allow your hermit crabs to drink dechloronized tap water or distilled bottled water. Compiled by CLD and Christa. The best place to learn more about stresscoat is the hermies onelist egroup.

Misting
Misting is a method of keeping your hermit crabs moist between bathing. A gentle misting is also a way to ease out a shy hermit crab.. Only mist them once a day, don't overmist them. You can use the mister trainer made by FMR or any other clean spray bottle (except old hair spray bottles or any other bottles that used to contain harmful chemicals). FMR (Florida Marine Research) sells a mister that can be used when training a pet hermit crab to be more active They suggest a light misting to coax a shy hermit crab out to play. Be sure to use the proper kind of water and have it at room temperature. As in the case of bathing, only use water that is free of chlorine and chloramine and if the water in your local water is deemed as not suitable for keeping fish in (eg. heavy metals, chlorine or chloramines) then it is not suitable for your hermit crabs . For more information on water quality see the FMR crab care site.You could add a drop or two or stress coat if you'd like. Lightly mist your crabs OUTSIDE of the crabarium. Misting inside the tank can cause the food to moisten and spoil, and the wood toys and substrate to become soggy. You don't want the substrate to be wet because it will harbor deadly bacteria, mold, mites, etc. causing sickness, stress, lost limbs, and death. You shouldn't mist them so they are dripping wet because this just makes a mess and is hard on your crabs. Let them dry outside of the tank so substrate doesn't stick to their legs and irritate them. Hermit crabs are usually very active after being misted or bathed so I usually do it just as they wake up and they'll be very active all night. Try not to disturb them or stress them during the day while they sleep, this just causes stress. You should wait until they wake up and move around themselves before misting them. If the temperature rises and you are worried your hermit crabs will dry out, give them a light misting outside the crabarium and wait until they dry before putting them back inside the tank. Misting once every day or so is beneficial to your crab but not compulsory. Use common sense and provide the extra moisture when your crab needs it.

More Detailed Care ...

COMMUNITY:Being community creatures, crabs tend to congregate in a "shell pyramid" in corners and in hiding places. They will pick the place and there is very little that you can do about it; not that you need to do anyhting about it! They will gather mostly for warmth and "protection". However, it is fun to "wake everyone up" from time to time and play with them. Also, hermit crabs make noise called CROAKING, when they are with other crabs. There is great debate about whether or not this noise is associated with hostility. In personal experience, about the only time that a great amount of craoking occurs is during "bathtime". All the crabs in the sink will seem to 'discuss' their predicament.

28

ROCKS:For the habitat most rocks are just fine. Examples are: lava, slate, smooth lava glass, sandstone, limestone, etc. * A word of warning: Do not leave rocks near the water bowl, you don't want it wet (some rocks crumble when wet) or soaking up water. PLANTS:Having a real plant in a crab tank is a wonderful idea, however there are some things to consider. Tropical plants have to be kept moist and could be a breeding ground for germs. Desert plants, on the other hand, are just as likely to be uprooted and have someone crawl to the bottom of the pot as they are to be ignored. Experience leads the authors to suggest that other than air plants, plastic plants are the way to go. Double-stick foam tape works terrifically for adhering tall plant's plastic anchors to the top of your tank. Make sure your lid is on tight !!! Not many crabs stay at the top of these "hanging gardens"; but in a ground corner, they love to hide from the daylight, usually in their "shell pyramid". CALCIUM sources are: coral and cuttlebones (keep these away from the water) and also shells. Calcium is one of the required minerals needed by crabs for a strong exoskeleton. Crabs need a source of calcium in the habitat. Sources of calcium are coral, cuttlebone pieces, and shell or shell pieces. When a crab moults, it will usually eat the exoskeleton to regain that lost calcium. Coral is found in the aquarium section of the pet store. It is the remains of the living sea coral. It is decorative and beautiful in a habitat set up, and comes in a range of sizes and shapes. Cuttlebone is an item found in the pet store with the bird toys and foods. It is in large pieces and has a metal fastener used to attach it to the side of a bird cage. You don't need the fastner, and you can use pieces of it. ***When the crabs eat the cuttlebone, there may be some white flakes left in spots in the habitat. This is okay, it is the part of the cuttlebone that they don't eat. (Just looks bad/funny.) Shells (flat) are usually used as food and water bowls. Calcium is absorbed from the water. You can add small shells to a large water bowl in the habitat to accomplish the same goal. The humidity is also higher in a habitat with more water. SALT:Crabs will not live long or survive a moulting without salt and minerals.* Evaporate an amount of sea/salt water (from a pet store or beach) in the sand or gravel. This will allow the crabs to consume the minerals just as they would in the wild, by absorption. tip: Feed the crab a salted, plain tortilla chip once a week or two. This gives the crabs some of their salt. The little nibbles that they leave are so cute! MOULTING:This is how a crab grows and rejuvenates lost limbs. A crab builds up water inside the exoskeleton. This water force is what splits the exoskeleton and this is when a hermit crab sheds its outer layer. (this is just like when a balloon gets too full of water, it pops) The shed skin will be hollow. On smaller crabs, this can be hard to see. If you suspect that you have a dead crab, check to see if it is hollow. Or, if there is no "tail" on the dead crab, then it is not dead, it is molting. It is still in the shell. Leave it be. This is the most dangerous time in a crab's life. In the wild, there are predators waiting to nibble on a soft crab. In the habitat, there is the danger of infection from germs and bacteria. It is a good practice to always wash your hands before and after handling crabs, but you must do so when you have a "fresh moult". The crab needs extra love, protection, water, and warmth. Continue with Isolation tank... ISOLATION TANK:Whenever there is a sick, injured, or moulting crab, it should be isolated from the rest of the community. Sometimes crabs will attack each other when one of them is soft. (I have never personally had this occur, but I have heard it happen before.) In addition to adequate heat, an isolation tank has four requirements. First, a dozen extra shells. Second, fresh water with a pinch of salt in it. Third, a hiding area and plenty of sand. Fourth, a teeny bit of fresh food. Put a towel over the top of the tank and you are done. Check in on him/her once a day and after 10 days, there should be a great improvement in color. During this time, there will probably be a new shell or two everyday until one "fits". Hermit crabs need several things to survive:

HEAT (65' @ nighttime to 85' @ daytime)The lid needs to retain heat and moisture as well as the climbing crab himself.
WATER (if the crab cannot absorb water, it will dry out and die of SUFFOCATION ! !)The water container needs to be deep enough that the crab can nearly submerse himself if it should decide to take a bath. TIP: If you provide no other location of salt, add a pinch of salt to the water every other time you clean out the water bowl, to provide the needed salt. HUMIDITY is included in the water section, as part of the breathing ability. A crab can't breathe with its gills if it is dry ! ! ! ! The crab requires a dry, but humid environment. This means that the sand should be dry, but there should be some humidity. This can be evaporating water from the water bowl or light spray misting of water on the sides of the habitat every day. FOOD (commercially purchased crab food will supplement their diet)Hermit crabs are not big eaters. They do not eat very much food at all. Food should also be replaced daily with fresh.NOTE: Hermit crabs are scavengers in the wild, and as such they should also be fed some of the following from time to time: fruits or veggies (NO starches or citrus); meat -cooked or not (NO seasonings); peanut butter (no flavors); PLAIN salted corn tortilla chips (white or yellow); PLAIN popcorn; PLAIN salted crackers BATHS The crab has to be bathed at least once a week. Lukewarm running tap water is fine; unless your area's water is not so good OR if it contains chlorine. Then use warmed (microwaved), filtered / treated water in a bowl or in a tub for a perfect bath (you can add salt, if you want). BATHS ARE NEVER TO BE GIVEN INSIDE THE HABITAT . . .To give a crab a running water bath. Just hold the crab under the water stream for several seconds and then set him down in the sink. Repeat several times. The crab may come out of his shell most of the way in an attempt to escape the water. They are slippery!!! use care. . . The necessity of baths and bathing should be taken into consideration when setting up a habitat. SHELLS (crabs need an assortment of other shells to move into when they choose to: different sizes, shapes, and colors) TIP: steralize the shells in boiling water for a few minutes before putting them in a habitat, you never know who was in there last! LOVE (the crab will learn to trust you with time, and will come out to see you more often) l ack of MITES: To check the crab for mites, look at him as he comes out of the shell. Are there white or brown "grain"-looking bits on it? (that are not anything to do with the crab's coloring) Or, are there mites or maggots in the tank, on the food? These need to be gotten rid of !!! Crabs live in a "colony" in the wild. As many as 100 will roam together, and as few as 20 will form loose communities. Crabs are a community creature and this should be taken into consideration when choosing crab's size and in setting up the habitat. Land Tree Hermit CrabsThe name means that they dwell on land (terrestrial), after hatched. It means that they climb and spend time off the ground. Also, that they borrow the shell that they are in. Finally, that they are a crustacean. more... A hermit crab is also known as "soldier crab" in some of its native areas. This gets confusing, because there is another crab with the name soldier crab in other tropical areas. A terrestrial hermit crab's full name is "land tree hermit crab". Hermit means a couple of things. Mostly it refers to the crab's similarity to some religious cloister brothers, in that they are seperate individuals but united in their faith and in their habitation. It also refers to the fact that the crabs borrow the shell that they are in; that they have no real "home" of their own, they are hermits.

Hermit Crab Care

The best advice given was one of a person posting his last post on a hermit crab message board, "Put yourself in their shell." Proper care is crucial to your hermit crabs' health, happiness, and life. Like most other creatures, they respond to gentle care and learn to trust their keeper.

Care Timeline Chart

29

Daily
* * * * * * Remove yesterday's uneaten (fresh) food from food dish(es) Add new food to the dish(es) Change water in water dish(es) Lightly Mist hermit crabs Moisten the sponge(s) Check to make sure that the temperature and humidity levels are good, and that there are no problems in the crabitat

Weekly
* * * Check for and remove any buried food and or other stuff buried in the bedding substrate Bathe hermit crabs Clean water dish(es) out real good to get rid of any slime coating it

At Least Once A Month

* * Clean the tank thoroughly Replace or clean and disinfect old bedding substrate

Everday Care
Hermit crabs need care everyday. These are things that need to be done daily. THEY NEED HUMIDITY!!! They come form the warm humid tropics of Central and South America. Spray their habitat with bottled water. Tap water contains chlorine, that prevents them from absorbing calcium that is vital to successfully molting and their survival. They need any old food removed from their habitat. This prevents mold and bugs, particularly ants from invading their home. Ants can kill hermit crabs. They get into their shell and eat the soft part of their abdomen. Change their water daily to prevent bacteria growth. Wipe the bottom of the bowl periodically with a paper towel. NEVER USE SOAP!!!!! This can KILL your crab. You should feed them every other day. Would you want to eat the same thing everyday? Try to vary their diet. Hermit crabs love fruit. Mine love grapes and blueberries. DO NOT GIVE THEM ORANGES!!! Hermit crabs can not tolerate them!!! You also should give them store bought hermit crab food. This contains proteins and nutrients that are essential to their health. SOCIAL LIFE- Hermit Crabs need to be talked to. Take them out, put them on a table (keep a close eye on them, watch that they dont fall off). Make something for them to climb on. You can use any kind of building blocks.

How to Care for Your Land Hermit Crab

Hermit crabs in their native environment live near the water and the beach. Their diet consists of leaf litter, fruits and vegetation. They also enjoy chewing and eating bark and have a special preference for decaying wood (except pine or cedar.) When they have been domesticated it is recommended that they be fed a good commercial food and they may be fed treats such as coconut, romaine lettuce, apple, wheat bread, peanut butter, etc. Land hermit crabs eat very slowly and very little so all uneaten food should be removed each day to avoid spoilage. Fresh drinking water must be kept in a non-metal container for the crabs at all times, and it is necessary to put an oyster shell or Calcium spa bath in the water for a calcium source. A clam shell makes a nice water bowl. The water should be shallow (preferably non-chlorinated and low in iron) so the crabs can climb out of the water -- they will drown if submerged for more than a few minutes. Land hermit crabs should be kept in an aquarium with a 2- to 3-inch base of sand. The temperature should be above 70 degrees and preferably around 80 degrees. This is easy to do if you use a heater under your aquarium and put a wet sponge in the home to supply the needed humidity. Land hermit crabs do not like a wet, sloppy home. We no not recommend using a FULL SPECTRUM LIGHT OR HEAT LAMPS on the aquarium or the use of corn cob or cedar shavings or gravel instead of sand. They tend to dry out the hermit crabs. It is a good idea to bathe your crabs once a week, as well as giving them an occasional misting OUTSIDE the tank. NEVER attempt to remove a crab from its seashell because it will allow itself to be torn apart rather than give up its protective home. Hermit crabs are not aggressive like many of the sea crabs and can be handled (they can climb on the outstretched palm of your hand without difficulty), but it is well to avoid the large purple pincher claw which is used for defense and for holding onto limbs for climbing and for balancing. The smaller claw is used to pass food and water to the mouth. The name "HERMIT" is misapplied for in the wild state, hermit crabs live and travel in colonies of a few dozen to more than 100. It is recommended that in captivity they be kept in the company of other crabs for their own contentment. They communicate by sound and it is not uncommon to hear them "talking" to each other. They seldom fight except occasionally over a shell dispute. They are clean and odorless and may be released in the home for exercise and for observation of their comical antics if desired. They are good climbers and will enjoy coral or any type of non-resinous wood placed in their aquarium to exercise on. Like most other creatures, they respond to gentle care and learn to trust their keeper. It is known that some crabs have been kept in the home as pets for as long as 15 years. Land hermit crabs cannot reproduce in captivity. Their eggs must hatch in the sea. Like other crabs they grow by shedding their outer ex-skeleton. This is the most important step toward growth a small crab will make. During this time they shed all their skin (which looks like an empty skeleton of a crab.) They need to be kept extra moist and in a medium into which they can burrow themselves. It also may be necessary to isolate the crab for a couple of days because they are very soft, vulnerable and inactive. However, this is an important stage of development for it is in this period that any missing legs, etc., are regenerated by the crabs. Older crabs molt less frequently but require the same care. As the crabs grow they will need spare shells to grow into and they also seem to enjoy moving into empty shells to select the home that feels best.

Continued Care for Your Crab

Temperature: Hermit crabs like to live in a warm cage where the temperature is between 71 and 93 degrees Farenheit. Remember they come from Florida. If you like to keep your house cool, or if the cage is in a drafty area, you can use a light on the tank to keep it warm. This will also draw attention to the cage when friends come to visit and they can check out your new pet. Moisture: Hermit crabs need plenty of water in their cage. They do not have fully developed lungs so they need a moist atmosphere so they can breathe. The bottom layer of sand in the cage should be damp, but not real wet. If there is too much moisture in the cage, it can cause deadly bacteria to breed. Make sure you keep water in their water dish at all times. As a special treat, my crabs seem to love to be sprayed periodically with a spray bottle to keep them moist. Food: Hermit crabs are scavengers. They will eath anything they find. The best food to feed them is specially prepared food that can be purchased at most pet stores. This food comes in at least two varities, wet canned and dry powder. Each seems to be equally nutritious, but the wet food must be changed on a daily basis. I prefer the dry variety because it only has to be changed every week or two. 30

Treats: In addition to the commercial foods, crabs love fruits and veggies to supplement the dry food. My crabs especially like grapes cut in half. Check out the cool links below for some other suggestions on what people like to feed their crabs. Remember to remove fresh food daily in order to keep the tank fresh and clean. Handling: Remember your crabs are pets and not toys. They should be handled with care. If you hold them in your hand, be sure to hold your hand flat and steady. If the crab thinks he will fall, he just might try to grab on to you, and pinch you. This might make you fling that poor little hermit crab to his death. Just remember to be careful. Exercise: Your crab needs exercise just like everyone else. I suggest you take them out of the cage and put them on newspaper and let them run. They seem to enjoy this. Just remember, crabs are quick creatures and you better keep an eye on them so they don't sneek away.

Information: Caring For Crabs

Caring for your crab can be very hard, because there are a lot of steps that you must take to make sure your crab is being cared for right. Every day there are many things you should do. Here is a list of what you should do. For more information of how to do the things below, check the Environment section.

Daily Care...
1. Mist your crabs (with a water spray bottle) with lukewarm water, and or dunk your crabs in lukewarm water for a few seconds. I mist into the shell of the crab. 2. Check the food in your crab's food dish. Take out the uneaten food, and replace it with new food. Also, check the cage for any uneaten food that the crabs have moved. 3. Change the water in the water dish, and wet the sponge.

Monthly Care...
1. Change the sand in your cage. Either buy new sand to put in the cage, or reuse the present sand by boiling it in hot water (to clean it) after you rinse it out well. Then dry the sand. 2. Clean out their cage. Wipe it out with water (DO NOT use glass cleaner it is bad to their health if it gets on them). 3. Put new shells in if the crabs do not seem to like the shells that are presently in the cage. If you go on vacation, or aren't going to be home for a while, the crabs can live a few days without their daily care, but before you leave make sure that their conditions are great. Plus, if your are going to be gone for a while, be sure to make arrangements for their care while you are gone.

How to Keep Your Hermit Crab Happy!

This page is designed to help new Hermit Crab owners learn how to take care of them so you don't make the same mistake I did. I bought two hermit crabs, Shelly and Sheldon, and then began the search of how to care for my new pets. I found a few websites and searched the pet stores to try and find the proper food. Everything went well until Sheldon decided to molt. I made the unfortunate mistake of thinking that Sheldon had committed "Hermicide". That is, I thought he had drowned in the water pool. To Sheldon's misfortune, I disposed of him, not knowing that he was using the water to help remove his old shell. Poor Sheldon! I now have three Hermit Crabs named Herman, Shelly, and Rockie to which I dedicate this page. I will make every effort to keep this page updated as I continue to learn more and more about these tiny creatures. Why Buy a Hermit Crab?: Hermit crabs are very cheap and low maintenance, and yet they are exotic pets. They are also small, not messy, and they don't smell bad. Including the cost of housing, pet, and food, hermit crabs only cost about $20-$35 to purchase and maintain.

Continued Care for Your Crab

Temperature: Hermit crabs like to live in a warm cage where the temperature is between 71 and 93 degrees Farenheit. Remember they come from Florida. If you like to keep your house cool, or if the cage is in a drafty area, you can use a light on the tank to keep it warm. This will also draw attention to the cage when friends come to visit and they can check out your new pet. Moisture: Hermit crabs need plenty of water in their cage. They do not have fully developed lungs so they need a moist atmosphere so they can breathe. The bottom layer of sand in the cage should be damp, but not real wet. If there is too much moisture in the cage, it can cause deadly bacteria to breed. Make sure you keep water in their water dish at all times. As a special treat, my crabs seem to love to be sprayed periodically with a spray bottle to keep them moist. Food: Hermit crabs are scavengers. They will eath anything they find. The best food to feed them is specially prepared food that can be purchased at most pet stores. This food comes in at least two varities, wet canned and dry powder. Each seems to be equally nutritious, but the wet food must be changed on a daily basis. I prefer the dry variety because it only has to be changed every week or two. Treats: In addition to the commercial foods, crabs love fruits and veggies to supplement the dry food. My crabs especially like grapes cut in half. Check out the cool links below for some other suggestions on what people like to feed their crabs. Remember to remove fresh food daily in order to keep the tank fresh and clean. Handling: Remember your crabs are pets and not toys. They should be handled with care. If you hold them in your hand, be sure to hold your hand flat and steady. If the crab thinks he will fall, he just might try to grab on to you, and pinch you. This might make you fling that poor little hermit crab to his death. Just remember to be careful. Exercise: Your crab needs exercise just like everyone else. I suggest you take them out of the cage and put them on newspaper and let them run. They seem to enjoy this. Just remember, crabs are quick creatures and you better keep an eye on them so they don't sneek away.

How to Care for Your Land Hermit Crab

Hermit crabs in their native environment live near the water and the beach. Their diet consists of leaf litter, fruits and vegetation. They also enjoy chewing and eating bark and have a special preference for decaying wood (except pine or cedar.) When they have been domesticated it is recommended that they be fed a good commercial food (such as that produced by FMR) and on alternate days they may be fed treats such as coconut, romaine lettuce, apple, wheat bread, peanut butter, etc. Land hermit crabs eat very slowly and very little so all uneaten food should be removed each day to avoid spoilage. Fresh drinking water must be kept in a non-metal container for the crabs at all times, and it is necessary to put an oyster shell or a cuttlebone in the water for a calcium source. A clam shell makes a nice water bowl. The water should be shallow (preferably non-chlorinated and low in iron) so the crabs can climb out of the water -- they will drown if submerged for more than a few minutes. Land hermit crabs should be kept in an aquarium with a 2- to 3-inch base of gravel or sand. The temperature should be above 70 degrees and preferably around 80 degrees. This is easy to do if you use a heater under your aquarium and put a wet sponge in the home to supply the needed humidity. Land hermit crabs do not like a wet, sloppy home. We no not recommend using a FULL SPECTRUM LIGHT OR HEAT LAMPS on the aquarium or the use of corn cob or cedar shavings instead of gravel or sand. They tend to dry out the hermit crabs. It is a good idea to bathe your crabs once a week, as well as giving them an occasional misting OUTSIDE the tank. NEVER attempt to remove a crab from its sea shell because it will allow itself to be torn apart rather than give up its protective home. Hermit crabs are not aggressive like many of the sea crabs and can be handled (they can climb on the outstretched palm of your hand without difficulty), but it is well to avoid the large purple pincher claw which is used for defense and for holding onto limbs for climbing and for balancing. The smaller claw is used to pass food and water to the mouth. The name "HERMIT" is misapplied for in the wild state, hermit crabs live and travel in colonies of a few dozen to more than 100. It is recommended that in captivity they be kept in the company of other crabs for their own contentment.

31

They communicate by sound and it is not uncommon to hear them "talking" to each other. They seldom fight except occasionally over a shell dispute. They are clean and odorless and may be released in the home for exercise and for observation of their comical antics if desired. They are good climbers and will enjoy coral or any type of non-resinous wood placed in their aquarium to exercise on. Like most other creatures, they respond to gentle care and learn to trust their keeper. It is known that some crabs have been kept in the home as pets for as long as 15 years. Land hermit crabs cannot reproduce in captivity. Their eggs must hatch in the sea. Like other crabs they grow by shedding their outer ex-skeleton. This is the most important step toward growth a small crab will make. During this time they shed all their skin (which looks like an empty skeleton of a crab.) They need to be kept extra moist and in a medium into which they can burrow themselves. It also may be necessary to isolate the crab for a couple of days because they are very soft, vulnerable and inactive. However, this is an important stage of development for it is in this period that any missing legs, etc., are regenerated by the crabs. Older crabs molt less frequently but require the same care. As the crabs grow they will need spare shells to grow into and they also seem to enjoy moving into empty shells to select the home that feels best.

Copyright 1996-2000 Sea Shell City

How to care for Hermit Crabs in your shop

STOP! All Re-Sellers Please Read this! When the crabs arrive place them in a basin or bucket filled with lukewarm water (cool in summer). Leave them submerged for one minute or two and then let them drip dry before you place them in your tank. We recommend removing your crabs twice a week from the tank and placing them in a tub or basin so they can not crawl out. After you do this you may feed and water them. Place the food on a plastic lid. And a dish of water in there for them to drink. They are nocturnal so they will eat and drink all night. In the morning you should bath them by submerging them in tepid temperature water for only one minute or two and when they are dry you may put them back in the tank. This will help make sure that your crabs are healthy and active. It is beneficial to do this the nights before your busiest days. Make sure they have a dish of fresh water in their tank at all times, and that they are not receiving any direct sunlight. They like to be in temperatures of 70 to 80 degrees and temperatures below 60 degrees will cause them to become dormant. Clean your tank or cage once a month by washing out the gravel and any ornamentation you provide for them, When the gravel is dry you may return the crabs to the tank. These simple suggestions should help keep the crabs very healthy and result in satisfied customers. If your crabs are not as active as you would like it helps to keep a large sponge in the tank. This will result in a higher humidity which crabs thrive on. But please make sure the bottom of the tank stays dry at all times. Do not mist your crabs in the tank this creates a build up of moisture in the bottom of the tank which can cause bacteria to start growing which in turn can cause your crabs to get sick & die with a bacterial infection. This can be treated if caught in time. Their diet should consist of FMR Crab Food and Treat as well as snacks such as apple, mango or coconut may be provided. It is a good idea to include Calcium in their diet by giving them oyster shells or egg shells. This ensures that the crabs will have no problems molting. NO NO'S we believe are keeping the crabs in cedar or corn cob. Both of these mediums will cause the crabs to dry out too much. Also for the same reason we do not recommend any type of ultra violet lighting.

Hermit Crab Checklists Hermit Crab Cage Accessory Checklist (the bare essentials)
___ Crabarium ___ aquarium cover-(preferably sliding glass) to prevent escapes and retain moisture ___ climbing branch/coral for the crabs' exercise and amusement ___ extra shells to allow crabs to change shells at will ___ substrate -cage lining ___ heat pad ___ sea shell dishes (min. 2) to hold food and water, calcium source ___ piece of natural sponge extra moisture and possible calcium source ___ humidity and temperature strip guages ___ dechloriniser Also make sure to have ___ at least 2 crabs (similar sized) for the crabs' happiness; hermies are social creatures ___ misting bottle to prevent suffocation-moisture is a must! ___ extra, smaller cage (isolation unit)to hold hermit crabs when cleaning cage, going on vacation, quarantining during molting, etc. ___ extra shells ___ toys ___ any other accessories

Molting Checklist...This is a strenuous time for your crab--Here are a few tips
___ you can separate molting crab from other crabs as a safety measure ___ keep crab extra moist ___ make sure crab is in something he will be able to bury himself (sand) ___ plenty of extra shells are available (there should be at all times anyway) ___ keep food and water near the crab ___ when molting is complete, don't discard old exoskeleton

Hermit Crab Care Schedule Daily

___ Remove yesterday's uneaten (fresh) food from food dishes ___ Add new food and water to the dishes ___ Change water in water dishes ___ Mist hermit crabs with lukewarm water outside of the cage ___ Give the sponge a thorough rinsing until it smells clean. Squeeze all the water out and soak in chlorine and chloramine free water and return to tank ___ Spend some time looking over the tank and make sure the substrate is clean and dry, 32

___ Monitor temperature and humidity levels + adjust accordingly ___ Try to handle your hermit crabs every day or so, especially when they getting to know you

Weekly
___ Wipe aquarium inside and out with a moist paper towel ___ Check for and remove any buried food and dirt in the sand ___ Bathe your crab. ___ Check the condition of the substrate ___ Rotate the shells within the crabarium.

At least once a month

___ Clean the aquarium thoroughly (including accessories),vinegar is about the only cleaning product I would recommend if you have to use anything. ___ Replace the old substrate ___ If necessary, sterilize any hermit crab accessories (i.e. branches)

Handling Hermit Crabs

While it is fascinating to watch their antics, it is equally exciting to gently handle hermit crabs and eventually have them respond to you. Just like other pets, hermit crabs become familiar with their owner's voice and touch. They have been known to eat out of their owner's palms, ride on their shoulders and come out of their shell when called. Shy crabs have been trained with frequent misting, daily contact and talking. Each day they come out looking for their showers and for you. Hermit crabs do have different personalities and will learn to adjust to yours. Whether your hermit crabs like to be handled a lot will depend on the nature of the crab's personality, previous experience with handling and whether it trusts you or not. Handling hermit crabs will allow them to trust you and feel more at home with less fear. It also allows for exercise and enjoyment. Whether your hermit crabs like to be handled a lot will depend on the nature of the crab's personality, previous experience with handling and whether it trusts you or not. It is through their sense of smell that they can recognize you as their source of food, warmth and happiness. With enough patience, even the meanest of crabs can become tame Be sure to show any friends how to properly handle hermit crabs before allowing them to handle them.

When Not To Handle Hermit Crabs

Don't disturb a crab when it is isn't molting, sleeping, stressed, dug under the substrate, or sick.

How To Handle Hermit Crabs

Holding your hermit crabs frequently. Let them gain confidence in you by showing them you will not harm them. Handle the hermit crab sitting down in a comfortable position close to the ground, that way if he does fall, it won't be far with a plastic container or 'play pen' nearby. This container becomes very handy if you are called away from your hermit crabs but are not ready to put them back in the crabarium. Their sence of sesnory (depth) perception (being able to judge distances and height) is poor and they will often step out into thin air with more courage than daredevils. Hermit crabs have been known to die from a fall of only a few feet. Be careful to not let them fall off the edge of a table or anywhere. They do fall on purpose out off trees to save themselves from walking down. You want them to make the jump and not just fall off. They will not trust you if you let them fall. Let them decide so they do not become frightened of you. They'll need to trust you. We have seen them actually let go from a fruit tree in the islands. They curl up inside and just sort of fall off the tree. It saves them walking time. If the fall doesn't severely hurt or kill it, they will most definitely be stressed and start to distrust humans and dislike handling(you would too if you were dropped on your head). Don't leave it on tables or anything with a huge drop off. It is best to handle hermit crabs individually for many reasons. Hold the hermit crab with fingers on both sides of the shell behind it's back legs. While holding here, their big claw can not get you. Lay your hand flat and stretch your palm out with no loose skin for them to grab on to and gently lower them on to your palm. He is not reaching out to pinch you he is just merely holding on, but it still hurts. Be careful when playing with him to not have any loose skin available for him to grab on your hand or body. He will hold on just as if it is a hand rail as he does not want to fall. Once he gets to know you he will walk all over you safely. He'll become accustom to you and trust you. This is important.Crabs cannot bite, but they can pinch. If a hermit crab does pinch you, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is a mean crab. They are usually afraid of foreign and unfamiliar things holding them being a predator or dropping them. Sometimes they will pinch skin to balance itself or keep itself from falling. You would do well to avoid the big pincer, especially on a jumbo crab (which can really hurt!), but even a small crab pinch can sting if it is in a tender spot. If it does pinch you, the shock of the pinch might shake your hand flinging them to their death, so be careful! If you do get pinched, run warm (or cool) water over it and your hand, the crab will quickly let go. If at first he hides in his shell when you get near, don't give up. He is shy and needs your attention. Take him out often. Hold sweet food in your hand when handling him. He'll come sooner and try the food. He will get over being shy. Remember they depend on you so take good care of him and keep food and water and extra shells available at all times. He'll love you for it. Once your hermit crab is tame and used to you, you should seldom have to worry about being pinched. Never attempt to take a hermit crab out of its shell. A hermit crab would rather be torn apart than be seperated from its shell.

Eagles Eye Watch

Always keep an eagles eye watch on them while out of the cage because once you turn your back, a hermit crab can scurry off quickly and hide, it will be difficult to retrieve it. They do get lost quite often.

Never Try To Take Your Crab Out Of It's Shell

Most hermit crabs would rather lose limbs or be torn in half than be taken out of it's shell.

Keep Hermit Crabs Away From The Carpet

Most carpet is treated with chemicals and definitely cleaned with chemicals that can harm your hermit crab's health. The lint, fluff, and wool in your carpet can hurt your crab, drying him out and irritating your crab with the dust mites and other things hidden in carpet, including insecticides and carpet sprinkle which you might put down before vacuuming. Also, hermit crabs tend to grip everything and it can be hard to get them to release their grip on your carpet if it is thick. Sometimes they would rather be torn in half than let go. Their legs might get caught in the carpeting too, it may break a leg off if it struggles. It is better to release them on tile or wooden floor (one not cleaned with harsh chemicals) or lay a clean sheet or old, clean table cloth out for them. You can also use an upside down laundry bin to keep them in one spot, they can climb up and down it too.

Taking Your Hermit Crab Outside

When it is nice outside you may want to play with it outside. Just remember to keep it in the shade and out of chemically treated grass. Most grass that is cared for has fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, and other chemical treatments bad (especially pesticides) for your crabs. And, be careful of your crabs digging down into the roots of the grass and not letting go, this can be a pain to get them out of. Also (especially outside) don't take your eyes off them for a second or it might be living in your backyard. This does happen too. 33

Keep Them Away From Other Pets

The other animal may get pinched or the crab might become a meal. A dog might pounce on the other crab, a rat may attack it, or a large bird might snatch it right out of it's shell.

Lost Hermit Crab

If you don't watch your hermit crab at every second while out of it's cage, or there is any sort of a way for them to escape their crabitat (whether you realize it or not) there is a good chance that you will lose a hermit crab. Hopefully you will lose it in the house with no opening to outside of the house. If it gets lost outside the house or has a way to get outside of the house you will probably never see it again, you might want to check the trees and grass (in the shaded nooks and crannies). They like to find a good place to hide with shade during the daytime and camouflage. If it is inside the house look in all the dark and tight hiding spots you can think of. Remember that a crab will try to find a spot to hide that is warm, dark, and humid. That is the conditions they prefer. It might help to pretend you are a hermit crab, and think about what you would do if you were it. Be sure to check any of the potted plants in the house (especially on the floor, or in baskets) because they like to dig into the soil. Look for anything they can climb up on to as well. If the search fails, put some of it's favorite food out in the open(under tin foil so you can hear them get to it) and some water dishes around with sponges, then just wait until nighttime when they come out of hiding. The best thing you can do is just sit very still and quiet and find a spot where you can hear the whole house. An ideal temperature and humidity in the house will allow for more activity with your crab. Hopefully sooner or later you will hear the sound of scurrying or scratchy legs, most likely inside a tight spot such as a stereo set, cabinet, between the walls, under the refridgerator in a condensate pan, etc. Then you can grab some of your tools, if you need to, and retrieve your lost crab. It may be a pain to search for it, but don't give up. You never know when it may fall into your lap or come rolling down the stairs. You can also lay pieces of tin foil around the house so you can hear them better (especially on the soft carpet where you aren't likely to hear them) and/or put many Tupperware lids filled with substrate around the house, mostly along the walls because they are less likely to go out in the open. They like to dig in the substrate (loud gravel may lead you to it) and you can usually get a general idea of which direction they headed (especially with sand).

Frequently Asked Questions About Hermit Crabs

Q. Can Treecrabs pinch or bite? A. They are usually very passive, but if teased or held in a closed hand they can pinch with their large claw. If they do pinch, hold crab under running water and they will usually let go. Q. How many Treecrabs can fit into any setting? A. Since Treecrabs live in mass communities, there is no real answer. But a 10 gallon aquarium will hold 100 small crabs Q. Do Treecrabs breed in captivity? A. No- and it is very hard to tell between the sexes Q. How long do Treecrabs live? A. The average is 5 years, but can live up to 40 years or more if well cared for. Q. How large do Treecrabs get? A. They can grow as large as your fist or larger if shells are available. Q. Can Treecrabs transmit any diseases? A. No, unlike baby pond turtles, Treecrabs are safe, clean and easy to care for. Q. When do Treecrabs become inactive? A. When the tempeature drops below 50* and during their molting period. Also they are more active at night. Q. How much do Treecrabs eat? A. They eat very little and can go 10 days or more without any food. Approximately1/4"- 1/2" of food every 2-3 days is more than enough. After a short time you will learn how much food your crab will need. Q. What do Treecrabs eat? A. They will eat any type af fruits , veggies , dry-unsweetened cereal, Crab Chow, and love to munch on soft or rotting wood.

Information: Frequently Asked Questions

How long will my crab live? Crabs can live up to 30 years in the wild, but do not live that long in captivity. Crabs are very clean animals, and do not get many diseases, but if they get a disease it will could spread fast among all your crabs. If you treat your crab(s) right, they can live up to 10 or 15 years, but it is most likely for them to live 2-9 years. A good tip to help their health is to not use aerosols around them because aerosols are very bad for their health. Is my crab a boy, or a girl? There is no way to tell if your crab is a boy or a girl while it is in the shell, and the crab will most likely die before it lets you take it out of it's shell. Besides, it doesn't matter, crabs cannot reproduce in captivity. Why can't they reproduce in captivity? In the wild, crabs lay their eggs, and the eggs are taken out to sea. While out at sea, the eggs develop with the help of the ocean. Without the ocean, the crabs can't reproduce. What do I do if my crabs get parasites? Sometimes, parasites will attack your crab. If this happens, be sure to clean the cage very well. This means, replace the gravel, boil the objects (such as shells, dishes, etc.) in the cage, rinse out the cage, and bathe the crab. This does not always work, but it is the only remedy we have for helping get the parasites out of the cage. My hermit crab does not move much, what can I do? First of all, if you want a active crab, make sure that you buy one that is healthy. If you already have bought the crab, be sure to spray or dunk the crab often. Also have things for them to play on (see Cage Decorations for ideas). Why is my hermit crab losing his legs and claws? There are a few things that could be causing this. One, another crab could have attacked it. Two, it could be suffering from physical stress. And three, your cage could be too dry. All of these can cause your crab to lose limbs, but do not worry, they will grow back during it's next molt.

Playing
There are many things you can do when playing with your crab. Why not set up an obstacle course of driftwood, rocks or plastic tubing? Hermit crabs just love to climb and exhibit their acrobatic skills. In the wild some hermit crabs live in trees, so it is a good idea to have something for them to climb on! Not only can you hold them and watch them climb, but after some quality time with your pet they will actually come when you call them. Each time you handle them give them a little bit of food and talk softly to them, in a soothing manner.

34

Hermie Race
All you need to do is to take a hoola hoop and lower it onto a clean surface (I use a clean bedsheet because I have carpet) and then place your hermies in the center of it. Sit back and watch them scamper to the hoola hoop finish line. Your have your own hermit crab race!

Hermie Climb
Another good hermie game is to make a little tower out of chicken wire or gutter guard. Make sure it is not too high up because you don't want your hermies to get hurt if they fall. To make sure they are safe you could have pillows about the base. Put your two hermies on the top and watch them climb down. Or they could start at the base and watch them climb up. They are experts at climbing and so fun to watch them hanging upside down or teetering on the edge. An alternative to the chicken wire is a driftwood tree or piece of grapevine.

Hermit Crabs Love To Walk On A Leash

By the Sea Shell Shop in Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach www.seashellshop.com Yes hermit crabs are not only friendly critters and have personalities but they love to walk. They roam the shores, trees and beaches looking for a bigger shell and food. That is their entire life. If you provide several shells for them at all times and food in their cage they are happy critters. When they are happy they will perform for you, walk with you on a leash slowly and even talk to you once they know you. Taking your hermit down to the ocean waters edge on a leash gives your hermit that extra Cali cum from the water. They love the ocean washed sand and the feel of the salt water on their outer shell. This gives his inner shell extra protection and makes him smile. If you can not get down to the oceans edge you can give him a weekly hermit spa bath in Araaraga Might Mineralizer. You can reuse the calcium rocks over 6 dozen times for you hermit. Hermits have been known to escape during the night or while you turn away when playing with them. They will roam your house, climb your curtains and inside your furniture. If you have a leash on your hermit he will be easier to find. It does not hurt him and is removable. One hint is to always look where water is, pet bowls, hot water heaters, kitchen floor, and bath rooms. They can smell water and go right to it. They can live a month without food and water as long as the temperature is not to cold or to hot. They store extra water inside the opening of their shell for just such occasions. The more you take your hermit out of the cage a walk him or play with him the more he will trust you and get to know you. They are nocturnal but that can be changed if you keep him awake during the day walking. So take your hermit for a walk today and make him happy. Happy Walking

Toys For A Hermit Crab's Tank

Toys are a necessary part of a hermit crab's environment. Toys promote exercise and discourage boredom which promotes good health and happiness. Be sure to wash and dry anything before putting it in the cage and get rid of any residues on it. The recently deceased Crablover Don has a picture gallery up of a really nice setup here.

Types Of Acceptable Toys For A Happy Environment:

Other Things For Sale at petdiscounters.com- check these out, there is a variety of good acceptable stuff.

Choya Wood
Your hermit crab will have a great time crawling all over these quality FMR choya wood logs! Available in two different sizes to match the size of your pet's home. Probably the best thing you could add to your hermit crab's tank. It is actually the 'skeleton' of a dried out cactus plant. Choya wood has holes in it so hermies can easily climb on it and is dried out so it bacteria, molds, fungus, and other things won't grow on it as easily. Sometimes hermit crabs will chew on choya wood too. Choya wood is distributed by FMR and other companies, you can buy it online or at a crab selling shop.

Coral
Crabs love to climb all over coral and it is found in many places.

Tropical Treasures Tree Coral

Tropical Treasures are the environmentally responsible choice to bring the delights of the ocean to the aquarium or terrarium. These lifelike reproductions are nontoxic, nonabrasive, and can be used in freshwater, saltwater or terrestrial habitats. Easy to clean and maintain.

Cholla Trees
Made from a piece of dried cholla cactus. Helps create a natural habitat for your pet that will help to promote good health and happiness.

Drift Wood
This simulated driftwood is disease free and cannot rot. Virtually unbreakable.

Flexible Branches
Bend these natural looking branches into any shape that you desire! Your pet will love climbing, exploring, and relaxing on these branches.

Crabarium Centerpieces
Made from coral, shells and grape vine attached to a broad shell base. A great addition to your crabarium and the shell water bowls are a great source of calcium for your hermies.FMR makes a clam dish, coral, and grapewood decoration for hermit crab feeding and climbing. This is good to use for feeding because hermit cabs can't tip it over.

Hermit Crab Hideouts

Made by FMR, allows a great place for them to hide and rest during the day, very much like the rocky shores in their natural habitat. These realistic looking caves are designed specifically for use with hermit crabs. Made from lightweight, non-toxic, foam-like material.Available in two sizes.

Grapevine Wood
Natural grapevine wood for your crabarium which creates a natural habitat for your pet that will help to promote good health and happiness. I am sure they will spend many hours of happy play exploring this play item.

35

Mirrors
Hermit crabs love mirrors, just as birds do. They will often sit in front of the mirror and croak at it. While some people believe they are vain creatures, others doubt that they have a sense of self and see the crab in the mirror as just another crab in the mirror and enjoy the company.

Reptile Ladder
Allows them to climb up and down like a wire cage, petdiscounters sells them

Small Prefabricated Waterfall

Made for reptile and amphibian cages may be used in a hermit crab environment if the tank is large enough, it may add essential humidity too. Make sure it isn't too deep they drown and uses good water quality.

Being Creative and Making Your Own Toys

Palm tree plants, hiding logs, rocks, vines, coral, plastic aquarium plants, and wood pieces are excellent items to look at for habitat use. You can use wire and non-toxic epoxy with natural sponges, coral, and other stuff to make enjoyable accessories. You can also use empty and clean butter dishes or other stuff to make hideouts.

Things To Be Careful With

Be careful with any driftwood or anything else you find outside, since it could harbor mites and other pests. You are better off purchasing fake, non-resinous wood or you could bake it in the oven at 300 degrees. Also, the Hermit Crab Backgrounds by FMR take up more space than you would probably want. Loofa Logs harbor mold very easily. Only use nontoxic epoxy for making your own toys or attaching things to the tank. Also, be careful with anything metal, metal will probably be bad for your crabs as they are sensitive to it. Be careful with any cardboard or milk cartons because they attract mites. Don't put anything in there that might be toxic or otherwise hurt your crabs. Damp moss should also be avoided as it has a strong smell and tends to promote bacterial growth and has been known to attract mites and other bugs. Take extra precaution over anything that might tip over onto your crabs, you might want to glue it down with non-toxic epoxy or aquarium sealer. Do not place live plants in the tank as they attract mites and other critters, live plants also would get uprooted and eaten shortly and would need soil as a substrate, which isn't recommended. Live plants from nurserys may may toxic residues and fertilizers on them as well. If any toys or accessories start growing stuff on it you can boil it or bake it at 300 degrees. Use common sense.

Cleaning Your Hermit Crabs Tank

About once a month you should give your hermit crabs' tank a thorough cleaning (no chemicals). This keeps the tank from smelling and keeps your hermit crabs from getting sick.

How
First, you should take out the crabs and put them in a different container. Then take out any other objects in the tank and give them a good cleaning, boil them if needed. Clean and disinfect or exchange the bedding substrate. Take out the toys, water/food dishes, and other accessories and rinse them off good or boil (or bake) them if needed. Then wipe out the tank completely. Some use a weak solution of white vinegar and water. Set it in the sun to dry. After this is all done you can put everything back in the tank and lastly put the crabs back in the tank.

Sources
Sea Shell City at: http://www.seashellcity.com/ Kathy at FMR and give her your zip code and she can give you some names of stores around you that carry FMR products! Their number is 1-800-535-2722. They are there from 9-5 EST M-F. If you would rather check via the mail, their mailing address is: fmrpets@gte.net . FMR does have a website at: http://www.fmrpets.com where you can go and view the items that are available. FMR does not sell to the public, but at least you can make a 'wish list'. In the book HERMIT CRABS A Complete Pet Owner's Manual by Sue Fox she describes the grooming process of our little guys in a 'behavior' section. This is the latest book out on crab care and well worth obtaining! She also addresses the Ecuadorians which has previously not been done in care books. I do not know if it is in the 'stores' yet, but it is being sold on-line at Amazon.com and Barnes and Nobles for under the $6.95 shelf price... Something like $5.56 plus s/h. Enjoy those "E's! Sherman's Lagoon Comic Strip http://www.slagoon.com/charactr/charactr.html or: http://www.slagoon.com/charactr/charactr.html Here's a nice pic of the cast - The hermit crab's name is Hawthorne..... Check out "MILO" at this address: http://www.comicstrips-milo.com He, too, is a cartoon character of his own fame Here are several more places that you might check online in a quest for interesting shells. http://www.seashellshop.com/ http://www.sharksandshells.com/shells1.htm http://www.seashellcity.com/seashells/seashells.html http://www.shellhorizons.com/ http://www.perthshelldistributors.com.au/index.html http://www.naturesgems.com.au/ http://www.seashellshop.com/hermitcrabs.html http://www.mailorderpetsupply.com/worldwidepet/aqsup-gravel-nature-s-ocean.html http://www.seashellcity.com/crabs/crabshells1.html

References Tools to Help You & Your Hermit

"Hermit Crabs" by Neal Pronek, T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Copy Right 1982 Check the websites below, your local pet store, library, and Encyclopedia for other reference Materials Links to other sites on the Web Halleck's Picture-less Hermit Crab Page Biology of Anomurans

36