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There is actually a lot more involved in hermit crab care than most
are led to believe. Most pet stores are totally inadequate as far as in
store care and knowledge of the care these little guys need. Below is a
list I have made up to cover the basics of hermit crab care.
- General Care - Hermit crabs are like any other pet in
that they need general care. They must have food and clean water(both
salt and fresh), and an environment that is set to their needs. These
are tropical pets, so they must have tropical conditions. Their temp
should be kept between 75-82, and their relative humidity should be
between 75-85%. They need to be able to bury to destress and to molt.
- Molting - In order for hermit crabs to grow,
they must molt. This is where they shed their old exoskeleton, and
replace it with a new one. If they are missing any legs or pinchers,
these will grow back at this time. When they get ready for their molt,
you will notice certain symptoms. Digging down alot, being lethargic,
sitting in the water pools more (especially the salt water), gorging on
food, cloudy eyes, and a pale exo. Now, just because you notice some of
these symptoms does not mean for sure that they are premolt. These are
just some things that could give you a clue. Once they decide that they
are going to molt, most will bury and stay down until they have done
the deed. Hermit crabs can be down anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 months
depending on the size and the crab. After they shed their exoskeleton,
they will rest up (this is alot of hard work) and then they will eat
the old exo. It provides calcium and nutrients the crab needs to form
his new exoskeleton. Once he has completely recovered, he will come up
and act like his old self again. Once in a while a crab will do a
surface molt. This is where the crab molts on top of the substrate
instead of digging down. One reason they might do this is because the
substrate is not suitable for digging. When this happens, the old exo
will look exactly like the crab. Many people mistake this for a dead
crab. Dont make this mistake! When a hermie is molting, he needs to be
left alone. Any handling or disturbances could be deadly. I leave most
of my crabs in the main tank when they molt. However, the smell of a
molting crab can be irristable to another crab, and could be attacked,
so I recommend moving any crabs that surface molt to an isolation tank
in order to keep them safe. Crabs need lots of calcium during this
time, so keep some cuttlebone or calci-sand in a dish nearby for him.
- Bathing - There is quite a bit of contreversy on
bathing. Many believe that bathing causes undo stress on the crab.
Provide a fresh and salt water dish deep enough for the hermies to
bathe themselves and you wont need to worry about it. The only time my
crabbies get baths is when they first come home from the pet store.
This is to get the tetracycaline off of them (petco bathes them in it)
and to check for any kind of mites. It also makes them smell like the
other crabbies so there are no fights.
- Destressing and PPS - Crabbies are a very easily
stressed creature and when you first bring them home you will notice
that they will check out their new home, do lots of climbing and
exploring, then they will dig down or hide for quite awhile. This is
called destressing. They will do this to acclimate them to their new
home and to get comfortable in a new environment. They could be down
for just one day, or as long as a couple of months. A few will not
destress at all and will be right at home from the start, but this is
rare. As long as all of the crabitat conditions are good, the majority
of the crabs that die will die from PPS or Post Purchase Stress. This
is the stress brought on by being plucked off of the beach, shipped to
warehouses, shipped to stores and then kept in undesirable conditions.
If they are in painted shells, chances are they were somehow forced
into them and that adds even more stress. This is why it is so
important to let your crabs have plenty of time to destress and get
used to their new home without any disturbances.
- Hands on or hands off - It is my belief that
crabs are more of a hands off type of pet. If you are wanting a pet
that you can play with and cuddle, its best to get a puppy or a kitten.
My crabs fare much better when left alone. I dont take them out for
exercise or to play with them. They get plenty of exercise in thier
crabitat. If you are the type of person that can relax just sitting
back watching a fish tank, then hermit crabs might be for you. They can
be very entertaining to watch, and as you get to know them, you will
note that they each have distinct personalities!
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