Hermit crabs

[Arirang]

Yes, yes, I know. Wimpy "beginner" pet. I kibda go overboard on mine. I got four- Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel. Anyone else here look beyond the stereotype of them being a boring pet for kids?

Attached is my terrarium.

 

[Arachnoclown]

Here's my hermit crab

She always sits like this for weeks at a time...I named her hermit.

 

[Arirang]

Haha cuuute. Reminds me of how I introduce people to pictures of my spooders. "Hey, wanna see my small fluffers? They've got big buck teeth, they're soft and fuzzy, and cute little eyes. About the size of a hamster. See?" -internal screaming commences-

 

[Sage Exotics]

Hermit crabs are adorable! I have three myself, Lucia, Murdoch, and Carcinos. They’re interesting little creatures, and I’m planning a big natural Caribbean tank for them, since they’re wild caught it’s the least I could do for them. I actually wouldn’t recommend them for kids, they’re care is a lot more complicated then pet stores tell you. I think they’re neat little pets, not boring at all, and more people should be educated on their care, so that the poor things stop suffering, they’re waaay too exploited by pet stores, though.

 

[Arirang]

I agree. I always stress to my customers how they're not throw-away pets. I show them my setup and pass on my knowledge. Doesn't always work, but I try. I even refuse to sell crabs sometimes when they don't have everything they need.

 

[Whitelightning777]

They are complex to keep alive. I wish there were more decent caresheets on them. Many pet stores aren't selling them anymore simply for reasons of animal cruelty and because captive breeding is utterly impossible.

 

[Sage Exotics]

They are complex to keep alive. I wish there were more decent caresheets on them. Many pet stores aren't selling them anymore simply for reasons of animal cruelty and because captive breeding is utterly impossible.

There are supposedly captive breeders out there, but I’m very sceptical. The zoea are fully aquatic and feed on a variety of micro organisms and algae that live in the ocean, they’re very delicate and vulnerable during this stage so many die off. If doubt you could recreate the ocean with all the micro organisms they need to eat, I’ve tried figuring out what exactly they eat but it appears nobody even knows. I’d say captive bred hermies are a scam. But yes they’re probably the hardest animal to keep that I keep, but I still enjoy them. I think people should try to give them more complex habitats, too, since they’re wild caught, I think it would be very beneficial to give them a large natural tank.

 

[Whitelightning777]

They go into the ocean to spawn and the young basically go through a stage as plankton. How anyone can simulate that for any reasonable amount of money is beyond me.

 

[Arirang]

Three of my guys are currently burrowed, leaving Fred (the boring one, of course) on top. Their habitat is so boring right now lol. I know Lucy was ready to molt- Ricky and Ethel are just being dumb lol. Can't even do a bedding change right now because of all that. I can't even do saltwater on a regular basis because of Fred- he ALWAYS tracks substrate into it to soak it up. Always saltwater. He sits in it and scoops substrate in by the clawful.

As a side note, I've been getting that weird white gauzy mold stuff in there. I clean it out daily, but it regrows. Any tips? It's hard, since they need such high humidity.

 

[Sage Exotics]

soak the substrate in salt water. They natural come from a salty environment so it’s ok, not for other creatures though. The salt keeps mold and bacteria at bay, and has even gotten rid of mites for me, but it also eliminates a clean up crew if you want or have one. It’s worked like a charm for me, my crabs love to drag their food around. Including raw fish. So I used to get mold a lot, but now I never see it, and I check under the hides where they love to tear apart and scatter their food around.

 

[Arirang]

soak the substrate in salt water. They natural come from a salty environment so it’s ok, not for other creatures though. The salt keeps mold and bacteria at bay, and has even gotten rid of mites for me, but it also eliminates a clean up crew if you want or have one. It’s worked like a charm for me, my crabs love to drag their food around. Including raw fish. So I used to get mold a lot, but now I never see it, and I check under the hides where they love to tear apart and scatter their food around.

I love you forever. Thank you so much!

 

[Sage Exotics]

I love you forever. Thank you so much!

Aw no problem!

 

[Arirang]

Once my little hard-hat miners return to the surface, I will do a bedding change and soak it in saltwater. I'll keep you posted!

 

[Sage Exotics]

I’ve always just dumped saltwater into it and added some dry stuff so it doesn’t get water logged but your method is probably better haha