Hermit Crabs

[Night61]

well i was sitting at my desk at work bored today, when a little girl came in with her grandparents, now my new job is at a hotel where i am a desk clerk. she showed me these two little hermit crabs, and i got excited, i have always wanted one. She was equally excited, the gradmother said the little girl had been happy since she bought the little guys.
i have a old 10 gallon tank at home could i make a decent home for a hermit crab with that if i decided to bring one home? what else would i need if i decided to take a little hermit crab in?

 

[Torchwood~Mindfreak]

When I had mine I didn't have acess to that big a tank, they sure will enjoy it. Make sure to get atleast two because they are social creatures (If I remember right, been a while) Have a little cocohnut hut or something of the like for them to go in. They also like to bury in sand so make it deep (Though you might not see them for a while) They like climbing on wood and things. I used comercial bought shells(specifically for this) for my food and water(With a sponge) though my friend just had little lizard dishes or something(looks like rocks). Extra shells are a must. Mine never switched shells but if they want to they need to be able to. The shells should be slightly bigger then the current ones. My friend mists the sand daily (not sure if required) Anyway I'm deffinatly no expert but thats my input good luck and post pics when you get some

 

[seffieuk]

PM Donya, she is our resident expert and may not see this thread

What sort of hermits are we talking about?

Seffie x

 

[Truck]

I kept these a couple of years ago, I take it you're referring to Land hermits night? purple Caribbeans seem to be the most popular.

You'll want a sandy substrate and lots of shells of varying sizes, 2 water bowls, one with fresh water and one with salt water, varying foods (pellets, veg, mine at corn flakes too!) and a place for them to hide, you may need a heat mat depending on where you are.

an old ice cream tub with some sand that is moist makes a good place for them to hide, and it helps them when they shed their skin.

As a previous poster has stated, they're sociable creatures, so keep two or three together, they do sometimes fight though.

The vivarium needs to be kept moist, so daily misting is required, and a cuttle bone can aid their calcium uptake.

 

[Night61]

i have a friend who says they can be little escape artiest, is that true.

 

[Truck]

Yes, just make sure there is nothing they can climb onto to get out of the tank.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

I kept these a couple of years ago, I take it you're referring to Land hermits night? purple Caribbeans seem to be the most popular.

You'll want a sandy substrate and lots of shells of varying sizes, 2 water bowls, one with fresh water and one with salt water, varying foods (pellets, veg, mine at corn flakes too!) and a place for them to hide, you may need a heat mat depending on where you are.

an old ice cream tub with some sand that is moist makes a good place for them to hide, and it helps them when they shed their skin.

As a previous poster has stated, they're sociable creatures, so keep two or three together, they do sometimes fight though.

The vivarium needs to be kept moist, so daily misting is required, and a cuttle bone can aid their calcium uptake.

Thanks for that info Truck!... it is very interresting to all of us (I'm sure)....

 

[Night61]

it was very intresting.

 

[miatiny]

You can check out www.landhermitcrabs.com and www.hermitcrabassociation.com. They are wonderful forums that will provide you with lots of info on land hermit crabs. I am addicted, I have a 65 gallons tank with 11 land hermit crabs(5 purple pincers and 6 compressus) I have a glass lid on it which keeps them and the humidity in. They will climb on anything even the sealant of the aquarium. Good luck