Hermit Crab Assistance

[Ajax]

This thread is killing me I didn't even know what hermit crabs were!

[numbers123]

This thread is killing me I didn't even know what hermit crabs were!

or that hermits could get crabs.

[OlieRow]

So I've been reading up, and I've read in a few places where hermit crabs that molt need to be separated or it will be eaten alive by the others (in my case other). So it's been recommended to have an isolation tank handy.

Have people had issues with this where the crabs needed to be separated so as not to cannibalize each other?

Is this why my hermit crabs never successfully changed shells?!


And I'll second the request for pictures of the LSD Crabitat!

[Theatregirl1122]

Add me to the ones thinking now about getting a hermit crab....(and I wonder what the kitties would think?)

My cat almost never noticed the hermit crab.

My one warning is that hermit crabs have a tendency to appear dead. Usually if they are holding themselves in their shells, they are probably not dead. They get out of their shells to move shells or to molt. I had a crab that was determined to live in this tacky rainbow shell. Didn't matter what else I put in there. He was going to live in that rainbow shell.

[silverstars]

I think that their lifespans can vary quite a bit. One of mine lasted more than a year, another a few months, and then the last one sadly did not survive the trip home from the pet store (I clearly remember crying as my dad dug a grave for Spikey).

Also, it's when they're hanging out of their shells for a long period of time that you should worry if they're not alive (they seem to almost always be entirely in their shells). I remember one of mine was sort of halfway out of its shell for about a week before I made my parents take a look at it and realized that it was dead . That one took awhile to get over...

Come to think of it, my hermit crab experience was probably slightly traumatizing for both me and the crabs.

[Cyn]

My sole experience with Hermit Crabs was back in '87, when I was 20. While I was at the beach with my best friend and her family (all 22 of them - in two beach houses), her 15 year-old sister decided to get some (4 fairly small, but not too small, ones).

My friend and I left a two days early to come home, and her sister asked us to take them (in their cute little crabitat) home with us as their van was going to be packed to the rafters. She, unfortunately, hadn't fastened the top very well, and the little buggers got out.

About four hours into the drive, one of them crawled on my friends foot, which was on the gas pedal. She damn near wrecked the car (and I nearly went deaf) from the resulting freak-out and case of the willies when that happened.

It was at that time I decided that I would never have hermit crabs as a pet .

[bobalina77]

I didn't know hermit crabs were this popular

[gkelly]

I didn't know hermit crabs were this popular

They may be introverts, but they've got personality?

[agalisgv]

Does anyone know how to keep the humidity level up inside the crabitat? We've been pouring dechlorinated water inside every few hours, and the humidity goes up for a bit. But then it goes right back down .

We don't want them to suffocate

I'm thinking there must be a better way to do this

[SmallFairy]

this must be the best thread ever, what fun, and I've learned so much!! I didn't know it was common to keep hermit crabs as pets, in Norway I don't know anyone who does. You can't buy them from the pet store or anything...

Yesterday, I was at a new mall in one of our suburbs, they had a huuuuuge salt water tank, with all kinds of beautiful fishes, and it was supposed to have hermit crabs as well, but I couldn't spot them, maybe they were hiding?

Best of luck with your new crabs**

[danceronice]

O.o You can dump them in a marine tank? I've never heard of anyone doing that.

Now, I've always wanted FIDDLER crabs (which do require both sand/dry land and brackish water) but I don't have the space and time to set up a tank.