help with your hermies (and some dog types). I AM THE HERMIE MASTER ↓
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Why do people keep hermit crabs?
How many types of hermit crab are there?
What kind of environment do they require?
What do they eat?
What kind of tank-mates will they tolerate, if any? ↑ |
Land Hermit Crabs (Coenobita clypeatus)
Food: Hermit crabs in their native environment live inland away from any salt water. Their diet consists of leaf litter, fruits, and vegetation. They also have a preference for decaying wood (with the exception of conifers such as pine and cedar). In captivity it is recommended that they be fed a good quality commercial food. Treats such as coconut, romaine lettuce, apple, white bread, plain popcorn (or with sea salt), etc.,...can be fed on alternate days. Oyster shell, egg shell, or cuttlebone is recommended for calcium. Uneaten food should be removed daily to avoid spoilage.
Water: In humid climates, it is important to bathe your hermit crab twice weekly. In dry climates or in low humidity (such as houses heated in the winter by hot forced air) bathing every other day is important. Daily misting your crab outside his enclosure, although not necessary, is desirable. Fresh water should always be available. Use a non-metallic shallow dish with a sponge placed in the center to prevent drowning. The water provided must be the same quality that is used for tropical fish. Hard water with iron is not desirable.
Housing: An aquarium with 2-3 inches of gravel or sand is ideal. Optimum temperature is 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit. In cooler areas it may be necessary to purchase a heater to provide these temperatures. Do NOT use heat lamps, full-spectrum lamps, or corn-cob bedding as these act as desiccants and dehydrate the crabs.
General: Hermit crabs are generally non-aggressive and can be handled. Avoid giving the large purple pincher claw any part of you to grab though. Holding your palm out flat is one way to avoid this. If you are unfortunate enough to get pinched, hold the contact point under medium hot water. This will normally make the crab release. The smaller claw is the feeding claw and is used to pass both food and water to the crabs mouth. The name "hermit" is untrue as these animals do very well in groups. They communicate with each other by making various sounds. Disputes between individuals are usually over shells. They are good climbers and are often quick to explore new objects placed in their enclosure. Some have lived as long as 15 years in captivity.
Land hermit crabs cannot reproduce in captivity. Reproduction is the only time they require the sea. Like other crustaceans, hermit crabs grow by shedding their exoskeleton. During this time they need to be kept extra moist and in a medium they can burrow into. It may be necessary to isolate them from any other crabs at this time as they are most vulnerable. As crabs grow they require larger shells to live in. Provide various spare shells as they need one that feels just right. Never remove a crab from its shell as it will sometimes allow itself to be torn apart rather than leave the safety of its shell.
they are quite cute and they are easish to keep which i think is what appeals to people i no at the petshop near me they have had this hemit crab in there for 6 months and everytime i go in there i have to force myself not to buy it :( he just looks so lonely in there on his own !!!!! ↑ |
people keep hermitcrabs as pets. just like a dog or cat.
there are alot of types. there are 2 major land hermie types. i dont exactally remember their names.
they require tempurature and humididty. ok u need more info go to petco.com they have it there. ↑ |
Atomic here is a great site for info on hermit crabs. There are many diffrent hermit crab species.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermit_crab ↑ |
I never knew it was possible to keep these things as pets! *LOL*
The only type of hermit crabs that I've ever seen as the ones on the beach. ↑ |
yea thos are wild though. u shoulnt take those from the beach. they will die. ↑ |
We saw some in Florida, on the beach. But why can't they live in a tank like my other hermits do? ↑ |
well its like taking you from your home and bringing you to africal and all u can eat is cow testicles or pig brains. and there is alot of stress on them when they are taken from their homes. ↑ |
I would never take an animal from its natural home. Unless it was injured and in need of veterinary attention. ↑ |
Thats where the pet stores get them from. They are scooped from the ocean and trucked to the stored or venders. Many die before they arive and others die there after, due to stress and poor care! ↑ |
I know someone who has some and she took the lid off their tank and it stunk to high heaven. Why did it stink so much? ↑ |
This some one you know doesnt have them totally submerged in a tank of water does she/he? The smell may be that it or one is dead! If there is a vile smell comming from their tank it usually meand one is dead! ↑ |
yea if they are always in water they will die. the cage stinks if u use sand. its just the way it is. at least its not as bad as a ferret ↑ |
Oh, that's horrible :-(
People should make the effort to keep these critters in a suitable environment if they're gonna keep them at all. ↑ |
I just got a Hermit Crab and i dont think he's eating ↑ |
no you are not the hermie master, tupac is ↑ |
atomic snowflake your a fag
:P ↑ |
if hermit crabs were bigger, i would have sex with them ↑ |
can you force a hermit crab to mate ↑ |
Crab PEOPLE CRAB PEOPLE CRAB PEOPLE! ↑ |
My Purple Pincher HErmit Crab has been acting strange lately. She was always in her hut, but now I only see her sitting in the corner. Do you think she is sick or getting ready to molt? ↑ |
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