Hermit Crab Escape Artist

[Synirr]

My hermit crab habitat has a regular aquarium lid, and as such there is a space at the back for a filter. Now I know Ecuadorian crabs like mine can climb the silicon at the edges of aquariums to escape, but I never thought they could actually get to the gap in my hood... apparently I was wrong!! I heard a crinkling sound beside me a moment ago, looked down, and saw some kind of alien creature crawling around under the edge of the bag in my wicker garbage can. At first I thought it was some kind of large beetle or something, but when I lifted the bag to investigate it was my fave hermit crab! I guess he wanted to take a walk
Looks like I'll be putting back their old wire lid that doesn't have any escape holes.

Edit: Pictures!

The escape artist

The shy one

The blue guy

Their home -- coconut fiber substrate, green terrarium moss, fresh and saltwater dishes. They love to move stuff around.. ntoice they've covered their food shell on the left with moss

 

[Naughtygirlrlw]

Thank goodness you didn't accidentally step on him! Naughty little hermit crab!

 

[Angel Lady]

I love hermet crabs they are awsome... Good thing your were there Synirr although I bet your hermet crab thinks a little different. That mean old lady put me back in the cage..

 

[Mr.September15]

I keep one of my bettas in a hermit crab box thing. It holds 1gallon of water. I had sand with it but wasnt sure if it was real safe to use it with my bettas. Is it?

 

[soritan]

I've really been into hermit crabs, lately. I thought of getting one to put into my 5g tank (before I rehomed my male betta into the tank), but a little research showed they like 10g tanks.

Are they as awesome as my imagination deems them to be? I read that they like to be in groups, which would make the 10g tank make sense. The single hermit crab they keep at my LPS calls to me sometimes. He looks like a hand of bananas.

 

[Synirr]

I keep one of my bettas in a hermit crab box thing. It holds 1gallon of water. I had sand with it but wasnt sure if it was real safe to use it with my bettas. Is it?

The sand is safe unless it is calcisand (and it very well may be, since this is good for crabs), in which case the calcium in it can mess with pH. I wouldn't use it, just incase... besides, it would get stirred up in that small of a tank every time you did a water change and be a pain in the butt.

I've really been into hermit crabs, lately. I thought of getting one to put into my 5g tank (before I rehomed my male betta into the tank), but a little research showed they like 10g tanks.

Are they as awesome as my imagination deems them to be? I read that they like to be in groups, which would make the 10g tank make sense. The single hermit crab they keep at my LPS calls to me sometimes. He looks like ak hand of bananas.

A couple of small crabs could live in a 5 gallon for a while, depending on the species. They don't grow all that quickly, so it would be enough room for several months for less active crabs like purple pinchers, but probably not for Ecuadorians like mine who are real busy bodies.

Yes, they are totally awesome. I highly recommend some Ecuadorians if you have room for a 10 gallon and can find them, they are very busy and can actually make a chirping noise! Mine only do this when fighting over food or if they are being irritated by a tankmate. They sound like crickets . I think some other species can do this as well, but Ecuadorians are the only ones I've actually heard myself. They're really interesting low maintenance little critters. Here's a good site about them.

 

[soritan]

Yup, I found that one already, and the hermit-crab-lady site, as well, and the about.com site (about.com is a great site, especially if you use firefox to kill all those popups).

I like reading, especially about future pets. I was bummed when I realized that a 5g was too small for them -- naturally, the harder it is for me to have one, the more I want it. I toyed with a lot of ideas for my 5gal, before I plunked my boy betta in it.

I can't stop staring at those hermit crabs, though. I don't have room for another tank, otherwise I'd totally spring for one (tank, I mean). I keep poking my face at the lone hermit crab at the store and chastising myself.


I found your thread using 'search' on this forum, I don't even know how I missed it as a page one thread. Sometimes, it seems like the more likely it is a pet wants to escape, the more enjoyable it is to have one.

 

[Synirr]

Aw come on, you can always stack a new 10 gallon on top of another tank, haha!!
Take a lesson from Europe -- when you run out of horizontal space, it's time to start building up!

 

[Lil]

Cute hermit crabs are they very hard to keep?

 

[wuvmybetta]

I didn't know you had hermies too, Synnir!!
We love ours, we got them back in June and they're just darling
We have two purple claws and one ecuadorian, the ecuadorian is the friendliest and most active of all.
Very cute crabs

By the way, I use a huge sheet of craft canvas as a lid (with a book to hold it in place) and they like climbing along the top since they can grip it.
Here's our (technically Tuesday's but I do all of the work!) hermie tank of disarray..

And one of the purple claws..

 

[lljdma06]

And what's going into their stockings for Christmas, Wuv? Have they been good little crabs and will they leave milk and cookies for Santa Claus?

I've always liked them, they have a certain charm. I have too many pets now, but would consider one when I move back to FL or possibly next semester. I can always sneek it home in May.

Can never have too many pets, that's what I always say. Reptiles are next, but I have to wait on that. My mom can't stand them, though I love them, especially snakes.

 

[Synirr]

LOL Wuv, those stockings are too cute!!!
I like your purple pincher's shell. Nice choice on his part . I've never had very good luck with the purples for some reason, they always die on me. I had one not long ago who molted, then started going naked and died in a couple of days, so it's just the three Ecuadorians now. They're doing much better for me than purples ever have.

Lil -- I don't think they're that hard, they just have special requirements you need to know about, like having both salt and freshwater handy and keeping their food very fresh

 

[wuvmybetta]

He won't leave it. We bought several new shells the other day which were supposed to be stocking stuffers (lljdma ) but I wound up giving them to them early in hopes that one would get rid of that long shell. No, he likes it and has completely disregarded the new shells. It seems a pain to get around with,to me, but they've all played dress up with that shell at one time or another. This ones not forking it over though He's been sporting it for a few weeks now.

 

[big mick]

I didnt realise you could keep hermit crabs out of water!.....I love them when I see them in marine tanks, (I know these must be a different type obviousley) thats cool....Ive never seen them in any shops.

.....I think know what I can use my 2 foot tank for now. Any special requirements?

Ive kept variouse reptiles in the past but never even seen these before.

 

[wuvmybetta]

I think a two foot tank full of crabs would be awesome myself. When we first got ours we fell head over heels in love with them and talked about an extremely long, grossly overstocked crab tank someday. They enjoy each others company so I would imagine yopu can pack them in there provided they all have enough space to be alone, if they wanted. IME they just go under a rock or burrow if they want some alone time.

They're awesome and they'll eat tons of stuff. I handfed mine some steak last night They're fascinating to watch.
I have a six year old and she loves to hold the ecuadorian crab (the others make her nervous as their claws are quite large), it's very friendly abnd crawls all over her, she loves it. I think they're the perfect pet!

Not really many special requirements. They just like to be warm and moist with lots of climbing room and a wide variety of food. Mine like meats, fruits and sometimes veggies.,raisins,popcorn etc. I've had a hard time finding a staple food as mine don't care for any of the "hermit" foods that I've tried. They eat fish pellets as a staple though, they love the color bits *(frontosa food)