How to Choose A Hermit Crab

You have decided to get a new pet hermit crab. You need to know how to find one that will live a long happy life.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• a clean, reputable pet store.
• a desire to add a new pet to your busy life.
• the means to care for a hermit crab and all of its needs

1. Make sure that you choose a clean, reputable pet store to get your hermit crab from. It should not smell of the animals, the cages should be clean and the food and water containers full.
   
   The hermit crab cages should be set up for the long term. Avoid stores where the crabs seem to be a fad. These are real animals with real needs.

2. Check out the cage to see if the store is providing the crabs with the proper heat (80 degrees) and humidity (75%- 80%)levels. If they aren't you will be getting a crab with issues that may not live long once you get it home.

3. Make sure there are no crab 'parts' in the tank. It is not uncommon for hermit crabs to lose their claws in times of stress. While it is a normal occurrence for the crabs to regrow during molting ... this is highly unlikely at home when they start out with this high of a stress level at the store.

4. Make sure the store is providing a large number of empty shells for the crabs, should they be needed. This will also help to alleviate the stress that is felt by the crabs.

5. Finally, have the pet store staff let you see the crab move around. This is easiest done by lightly spraying the crab with water. This will entice the crab to come out and walk around.
   This is an important step to avoid the purchase of a dead crab...which I learned the hard way.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose a healthy crab that is in a natural shell. This is cheaper and is generally preferred by the crab.
• Do not buy your crab from a dirty store ... even if it is cheaper. It will only cause you problems later.

[ramblin62]

on 10/26/2009 Great tips for choosing a hermit crab. Would never have thought a pet store would sell a dead crab to someone, so thanks for the warnings!

[monaliesa]

on 10/22/2009 Good advice!

[mastersinmath]

on 9/30/2009 so sorry to hear of your dead crab purchase. But thank you for helping others avoid the same problem.

[erinwebb]

on 9/26/2009 Great article...my boys want one of these things so bad...thanks for the tips.. 5* and a recommend

[michaelmulvania]

on 9/9/2009 Very interesting read, thanks.