Things You'll Need:
- 10 gallon aquarium
- A bag of children's play sand or fine aquarium gravel to be used as a substrate for the bottom of the aquarium
- A few rocks and/or clean, untreated tree branches
- Several plastic aquarium plants
- A thermometer and a humidity gauge
- Two shallow dishes to be used for water and food
- A natural sponge for placement in the water dish
- Commercial hermit crab food
- Several empty shells of a size that is slightly larger than the one the crab is presently occupying
-
Step 1
A 10 gallon aquarium (or an easy to clean container around the same size) is a suitable home for one or two hermit crabs. Whatever you choose to house your crab in, it must have a lid, as these little creatures can be escape artists. In the bottom, place the sand or gravel. These two choices are the most natural for hermit crabs. Make sure the substrate is at least 3 to 4 inches deep. Hermit crabs like to bury themselves in the sand, especially when they are actively molting.
-
Step 2
Arrange the rocks, plants and branches in the aquarium in a way that suits you. These are necessary items, and not just for decoration. Your hermit crab will use these to climb on for exercise, and also as a place to hide.
-
Step 3
Your pet shop should have a thermometer and a humidity gauge suitable for use in your hermit crab's habitat. Hermit crabs need high humidity in order to prevent them from drying out or having problems with molting. They also need a constant temperature of 75 to 80 degrees. The use of these two aids is not optional, but quite necessary in order to keep your hermit crab healthy. Neglecting either the temperature or the humidity can lead to death.
-
Step 4
Fresh water should be supplied to your hermit crab daily. A shallow dish is required, as hermit crabs love to get into the dish, and could drown if the water is much over one inch. A small natural sponge placed in the water dish helps to make sure your hermit crab drinks enough, as it is easier for them to draw water out of the sponge than to drink directly from the dish.
-
Step 5
Feed your hermit crab a good brand of commercial hermit crab food each day, in the amount recommended on the package. Overfeeding can kill hermit crabs! Remove any uneaten food, as spoiled or moldy food can make your pet very sick. Small amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables can be given as a treat, but do not leave them in the aquarium too long, or they will spoil.
-
Step 6
Several shells in different sizes should be scattered in the bottom of the aquarium. When a hermit crab molts, he changes shells, and it is your responsibility to make sure he has a few to choose from. Since it is hard to tell exactly when a crab might molt, it is best to have the shells available at all times. If the hermit crab should molt and there is no suitable shell available, he could die.
Comments
naomik said
on 8/17/2009 And I give 5*
naomik said
on 8/17/2009 Thank you for this info. we just came back from the beach and brought some shells back,well needless to say, we had a tag a long... so we need to care for it, until we can re-home it!
Daethian said
on 12/25/2007 Hermit crabs of different size will not just begin eating each other for no reason. Hermit crabs that resort to canniblism have typically been deprived of protein in the their diet. When they do attack another hermit crab it is when the crab is molting and soft or has died. In the case of death, the hermit crab is displaying it's typical scavenger behaviour.
Hermit crabs do not ALWAYS change shells after a molt. If their current shell is roomy enough they may not change.
Hermit crabs require ocean water, it is necessary to their molt process.
Fresh foods are a better diet than commercial and should be fed regularly and varied day to day.
Some hermit crabs, especially C. perlatus and C. compressus enjoy completely submerging themselves in water. So long as you provide them a way out of the dish, they will not drown in water deeper than one inch.