FAQs on Terrestrial/Freshwater Hermit Crabs
Selection
Related Articles: Terrestrial Hermit Crabs, Freshwater Crustaceans, Invertebrates for Freshwater Aquariums by
Neale Monks,
Related FAQs: Terrestrial Hermit Crabs 1,
Terrestrial Hermit Crabs 2,
& FAQs on Terrestrial Hermits: Terr. Hermit ID, Terr. Hermit Behavior, Terr. Hermit Compatibility, Terr. Hermit Systems, Terr. Hermit Feeding, Terr. Hermit Disease, Terr. Hermit Reproduction.
& FAQs on Marine/SW:
SW Hermit ID, SW Hermit Behavior, SW Hermit Compatibility, SW Hermit Selection, SW Hermit Systems, SW Hermit Feeding, SW Hermit Disease/Health,
SW Hermit
Reproduction, &
FW Crustaceans
1, FW Crustaceans
2,
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Hermit questions How much are hermit crabs and there
cages? Do they make good pets? What do they eat < Hermit crabs seem
to be all over the place now. I have seen them in malls and pet shops.
The cost of the hermit crab depends on the size of the crab and how
attractive the shell is. Usually under ten dollars with 5 dollars being
the cost for an average sized crab. They really don't require too
large a cage so a ten to twenty gallon aquarium would be plenty of
room. They need humidity of at least 70% so they need a good source of
water to keep them moist. The only real drawback is that they are most
active at night. If they in a bed room then they are often heard
walking around with their shells tapping the glass every once in a
while. There are commercially available hermit crab foods available at
the shops where you buy the crabs. ZooMed has a lot of products for
hermit crabs so you may want to check out their web site at
Zoomed.com.-Chuck>
My daughters Hermit Crab needs a friend,
sel. 8/12/07 We purchased a hermit crab for my daughter
at an outdoor fair a few months ago and we read that they do better
with other Hermit Crabs. We have since moved to Monterey and today we
noticed hundreds of them in little tide pools at the beach. Is it safe
to snag one of those little guys to give Shabby a Friend? Thanks.
<No, this won't work. The tide pool hermits are aquatic and
marine; the hermit crabs you have as a pet is almost certainly a
terrestrial freshwater or brackish water species. In other words, one
wants to stay underwater in a marine tank, the other on more or less
dry land with fresh or brackish water for the occasional bath. They
have nothing in common requirements-wise, and can't be kept
together. While hermit crabs may all look the same to the untrained
eye, they're really a very diverse group. So, best to stick with
finding others of the same species as you already have. Shouldn't
be difficult, since these are quite widely sold in pet stores. Do be
sure and read up on them though: like goldfish, people often end up
with these animals without actually having learned anything about their
quite demanding needs. Cheers, Neale>
Land Hermits
7.24.05 Good Morning Guys! I would like to start a small Crabitat
with a few land hermits. I have scoured your site. Very informative.
What a sense of humor you all have! My questions, then are : what type
should I look for, what to avoid? I'd like some
"friendly" types (although I understand they all have
personalities) which are more likely to be peaceful? Also, what should
I look for when choosing a crab at a store? I'd like to have maybe
3 or 4...(in a 50 gal tank). Aside: I once had two as a child. one died
after a year and the other carried the corpse around until I could pry
it away for a proper burial. The remaining lasted a few more months. Is
the corpse carrying behavior normal? I was always curious. Thanks, b.
<Hmm. . . well as far as what type to get, I have to admit I do not
know Land Hermits that well, I would go with the standard pet store
variety. From I understand they are very social animals, in
a 50 gallon tank I would go for a least 6 or so. Provide a
lot of areas for climbing and a deep moist sand bed for
burrowing. These animals are peaceful toward each other
until they leave their shell, once they leave their shell to mold it is
fair game and they become cannibalistic. The corpse carrying
behavior was probably related to the cannibalism. For more
detailed information on hermit crabs I like
www.hermit-crab.com. Best Regards, Gage>