Any hermit crab enthusiasts here?

[fishbone]

I realize I'm pushing it off-topic here I'll try to keep this short and sweet because I have a tendency to write on and on and on.
I kinda want to try something new and expand my experience and knowledge. I love fiddler and red claw crabs so naturally hermits would be the next best thing I have a 75g crabitat that I am wondering if I can use as it is for hermits and if not, just looking for general guidance on how to best start it. For those that haven't seen it yet, here are some pics
http://picasaweb.google.com/fishbon3/Crabitat

Essentially, the 75g is divided in half: sand beach and brackish water. The sand I have used is pool filter sand. Ambient temp is never below 72*F and usually hangs around 75-76*F or so. Brackish gravity is around 1.004-1.006. Humidity is around 75%. I can easily raise both humidity and ambient temp by completely closing off the covers; right now they are about a quarter open on either side of the aquarium light to allow fresh air in and avoid mold. So as you can already tell, it's a pretty darn good candidate for a hermit crabitat. Once the crabs are gone, I plan on tearing down the divider and spreading the bed of sand evenly, which will be about 3 inches deep I think. Species? Well, I am open to suggestions, but the most common encountered one is the typical carribean hermit (coenobita clypeatus) found at PetCo and Petsmart. I understand these guys can live to 20 years, so I am aware this would be a long-term investment and I am fine with that. If there are any other species better suited for a beginner, feel free to recommend

From what I have read, the ambient temp should not go below 72*F and should be somewhere around 75*F consistently, is that correct? Humidity should be no lower than 70% preferably around 75% or higher but no more than 90%? With the risk of being flamed to oblivion, I don't suppose I can introduce hermits in the crabitat as it is, can I? I will venture a guess that the answer is no primarily due to the fact that they can easily venture into the water area and drown. But since these guys venture in water on their own, wouldn't they be able to freely go in and out as they please? How many crabs can I get for the 75g? I figured I can get at least 4 or 5? I basically want the ideal number, not too few but not too many either. If the palludarium as it is right now with some minor modifications (such as the introduction of fresh and saltwater dishes) is fit for some hermies, that would be very very cool.

I think that's what I have as far as questions go for now, as I get into this more and more with my beforehand research, I'll come back and post. Thanks everyone for your anticipated insight and advice.

[micstarz]

I used to have a single hermit crab in my terrarium: it fed on the leaves of the fastest growing plants: no maintenance required! However, a good way to keep them is to buy a large piece of black mechanical filter sponge (or cut to size)

which is approx 2-3inches thick and as slightly bigger (by a few cm) than the dimensions of the bottom of your tank. All you have to do is wedge the whole piece at the very bottom of your crabitat and pour some water into the sponge (as much water as possible before it floods the "land area" that the filter sponge acts as). Also, if you buy a thicker piece, you can also use it to design some climbing areas for your crabs. A really good thing to do is to cut a triangle out of the front corner of the sponge so that your hermit crabs can submerge themselves in the layer of water in your foam. This is my terrarium, and my design is similar.

You can see the black filter material acting as the land area - the water extends all the way through the sponge, although the inhabitants only have access to a small part of it.


This is what my terrarium looks like now - the driftwood provides climbing space for my crab and the acrylic lid (with holes in it for ventilation) maintains a high level of humidity so that the crab can breathe.

The cleaning of the terrarium is extremely simple: I just take the sponge out and wring any dirt out. Then I change the water and reassemble.

You can feed your crabs small bits of fruit, and there are hermit crab pellets and sticks available.

Please post a picture of your tank!

[micstarz]

Oh, and your hermit crabs will not drown in the water as long as they have footholds to get out of the water. They are arboreal animals and need lots of climbing space. If they fall into the water they will desperately look for a way to get out of it.

[fishbone]

So do you think I can try my luck with 3 hermits right now in my crabitat?
I registered on the Hermit Crab Association forums but nobody seems to care about my thread there
Thanks a bunch for your insight. Were you able to look at the photo album link I posted with the current crabitat? I'm pretty sure it's almost a perfect home for the little fellows but I want to be sure I'm not missing anything.

[sarah5775]

I know a bit about hermit crabs. The ones I have now I've had between 2-3 years and they seem to be doing well so far. You are right they can live to be 15-20 in captivity if taken care of right.

I hate to say this, micstarz, but your set up is not ideal. I hope you won't take offense if I offer advice that's a little different.

#1. Never ever get just one hermit crab. They are social animals in the wild, and live in large groups. They need to interact with others of the same species or they will not thrive

#2. Don't use dirt as a substrate. Use sand. you can get a huge bag of sand at home depot- just don't get the dyed kind. Hermit crabs live on beaches. They are used to sand, and they love to dig and tunnel in it. When hermit crabs molt, they like to bury themselves so they are not disturbed, as this can be a traumatic time for them, so sand is really a neccesity.

#3. Please don't try to make your hermit crab subsist on nothing but plants. this is not their natural diet. They are scavengers- they eat a combination of fruits, fallen vegetation, and dead things they find, including fish and insects. I feed mine hermit crab food, and sometimes experiment with other things. I have found that one of my crabs has a liking for Cheerios. There are lists online that tell what 'people' foods are good and bad for hermit crabs. I have found that the 'pre-crushed' food is better than the hard pellets.

#4. Provide fresh water, not brackish. Provide it in a bowl deep enough for the crab to submerge its body (not necesseily its shell) and make sure it can climb out of it easily. Hermit crabs are not aquatic or semi-aquatic, they are land animals that only need water to drink and breed. You can provide a small dish of salt water for them too (i generally don't, to be honest, but I've heard people recommend it)

#5 keep the tank humid. Cover the tank to prevent too much water evaporation. Use a sponge (special kind from the pet store) to soak in water and keep the tank humid. Spray the habitat down with water every day. I put wet paper towels over most of the screened top of the crabitat to keep the air moist.

#5. Provide spare shells. Avoid the painted kind, as these can chip and the paint can kill your crabs if eaten. I would say at least two extra shells per crab, make them slightly larger than the crabs' current shells

#6 provide climbing things (it looks like the wood you have is perfect)

#7 Cleaning- this is what I do. Every two days or so, use a spoon to scoop out any poop you see. Replace all the sand in the habitat every two months or so.

#8 If your apartment is cold or has too many temperature changes, get a heater. I don't recommend using a high-powered light because that may cause too much water to evaporate.

#9 you can mix hermit crab sizes. If you get two hermit crabs of the same size from different places, they will display at eachother and 'feeler fight' (hit eachother with their antenna) to determine which one will be dominant. They have a complex social hierarchy in which each animal has a rank- a social ladder, as you will. They may push at eachother in these dominance displays but almost never hurt eachother. you can mix large and small hermti crabs without a problem.

In a 55 gallon setup, I would say you could have up to 7-8 if they are on the small to medium size.

Oh- and as to type- most crabs you find in the pet store are one of two types, Ecuadorian and another kind I can't remember the scientific name of but they are reddish brown with a purple claw. The Ecuadorian is pale tan with eyes that are ovals. Get the reddish brown purple clawed kind. Ecuadorians are harder to take care of.

Introducing hermit crabs to a crabitat is tricky. They are usually recently caught from the wild (they do not breed in captivity- all the ones you see in pet stores are wild caught) and are already stressed from being shipped to the pet store. When you bring them home, they will most likely be very active. Then they may go dormant for few days. This is normal. If they tunnel under the sand, resist the temptation to dig them up, at least for a few days- they are destressing. Keep the lights low, little noise, if possible, and do not handle them for at least a week to let them adjust to their new home.

Handle with care, but they can be safely handled, and will eventually come to trust you. They are not agressive and seldom pinch. If they do, DO NOT pull your hand away, you will rip the crab apart. Instead, carry them to the sink and put your hand under lukwarm running water. They will immediately let go.

I hope this helps a lot! Let me know if you have any more questions.

[fishbone]

Thanks Sarah, that's a lot of info, much appreciated.
The crabitat as it is sounds like it makes a great home for hermits. It's got everything they need, except for some more decor, which I will get (including vines).
Temp right now sits at 75*F in the tank and 81*F right under the ceramic lamp.
Humidity I have yet to see it dip belo 75%, it hovers around 78%-80%

I got a rubbermaid tub which I plan on burrying inverted in an effort to raise the sand level without introducing more of it in there; I already have 100 pounds of it!

I measured the size of the land area. It is 6.5 inches deep, 17 wide an 24 long. That should be plenty space for 4 small hermits, yes?

[sarah5775]

More than enough space for 4 hermits, especially small ones. You could probably easily fit twice that many. But of course, its always good to start small.

Sounds like you have everything to make the hermies really happy. It's so great that you are researching pets before buying them. Too many people just buy the animal and only then, when they realize it is doing poorly or has died, do they go online and discover what they did wrong.

Good luck with your hermies!

[fishbone]

You're exactly right, start small and go from there. If I know my crabs as good as I think, they certainly like to roam so I don't want to overcrowd them nor have them feel lonely. Four should be a good number to keep them happy as a group, right?

[micstarz]

Oh, I did not realise you had a link in your post, fishbone! I personally think your hermit crabs will do fine if you add more driftwood on the land area for them to climb on. Wedge them against the glass, and have wood branches extending out above the water, to increase usable surface area...

Sarah, I don't take offense at all! I realise that my setup is not ideal. In fact thanks for stepping in and correcting me so that fishbone can care for them aquedately.

[fishbone]

I'll come back with a picture once everything is set-up, but as it stands the tank is a wee bit different, in the sense that I have removed the piece of driftwood altogether and the gravel as well. It's all sand substrate. I am debating wether or not I want to reintroduce the driftwood or just go with some artificial vines. My plan is to get some thick ones that I will set-up arching all over the place nicely
I also have 2 rocks on the beach side that provides hiding places and 2 plastic decor pieces imitating tree stumps that also provide hiding places.

[sarah5775]

Sounds great Fishbone! Don't forget to post a picture of the tank and its new occupants when you get them!

[sarah5775]

Sounds great Fishbone! Don't forget to post a picture of the tank and its new occupants when you get them!

Oops, double post

[fishbone]

I will certainly do so.
Say, another question in regards to raising the sand level. I have styrofoam right now which I will have to dig out because crabs will get to it and rip it to shreds. Instead I am considering using some of these interlocking foam mats:
http://www.nefitco.com/interlockingfloormats20mm.html
They are made of a rubber-like foam which is tough as skin, I highly doubt the crabs have the strength in their pinchers to tear it up, especially if they are small. I'm pretty sure this thing is inert so it won't break down into the sand. I plan on piling up some squares about 2-3 inches and that will still leave the crabs with ample room to dig.

Another neat thing I thought of doing is burying an undergravel filter on the very bottom. The sand would rest on top of it and I would run a tube outside the sand. This way I can control humidity easily. If there is too much water, it will pool on the bottom and I can suck it out with a pump. If I NEED water, I can just add it via the tube

[sarah5775]

Hmmm, that's a good idea. Let me know how it works.

[fishbone]

I took some pics yesterday. Start with the following and just browse to the next.
http://picasaweb.google.com/fishbon3...11932742986834
There will be an additional larger dish in there for the freshwater.
Any other suggestions? Thoughts?
I ended up "raising" the sand level by burying two Sterilite 1622 containers
http://www.sterilite.com/ProductDeta...ection=Storage
They are 11x8x4 and have holes to the sides so they won't "trap" air.
I'm happy with the turnout. Humidity is right at 80% and so is the temperature. I will double-check by testing it. Anyone know if the Springfield digital thermometer/hygrometers are any good? They're white and sold at WalMart.

One thing ... I really don't see replacing ALL of the sand at any time unless I run into some severe issues. What I will do is sift it and clean it and stirr it and partially replace it as needed, but to do the entire thing ... we're talking 100+ pounds of the stuff

[Buggy]

I don't know anything about crabs or their keep but I just wanted to say that your crabitat is gorgeous! Looks like you put a lot of work into the design. I especially like the way you angled the glass to separate the land from the water. The rocks and caves look really nice. The arching vines look great but I personally like the look of the driftwood too, makes it look more like a natural beach.
Now I have a question for you. Will the aquatic crabs get along with the hermit crabs or will there be aggression? I believe you mentioned that you will be getting rid of (or have already gotten rid of) the other crabs, but I'm still curious about the two species coexisting.

[fishbone]

I won't get rid of the crabs, I will just let them die off due to old age and not replace them with new stock. However, I have taken a step back and I like the crabitat so much, I might go back on my word and get new fiddlers
I HOPE there will not be any aggression. The fiddlers roam on sand but not much. They are not aggressive or territorial at all so if there are going to be issues, they may come from the hermits. Since they are way too slow compared to fiddlers, they are fine. I do not anticipate any issues. Matter of fact there are a few owners that have hermies and fiddlers cohabiting with no issues. I would be more concerned if I had red claw crabs. In my experience not only are they not very sociable, they are also highly territorial. Basically female red claws are as territorial as the worst of the fiddler males, at least that's been my personal observation.

[tomlin2000]

Fishbone, thanks for the note and for understanding. Sorry, but I'm new to the forum/posting so I had to learn from scratch. In any case, you're are welcome to visit my new thread on crabs, crayfish, hermits, turtles and frogs. I've moved my posting there.

BTW: I would not recommand the under gravel filter for any application because it could easily trap a lot of waste and when you eventually get to cleaning the filter all that junk is going to come out all at once from the gravel. My moto is "ease of maintenance" when it comes to filters.

[fishbone]

tomlin, I mean no disrespect or offense, but your post is basically called threadjacking
Set-up a new thread and we'll gladly contribute, myself included.

[tomlin2000]

Looks like I can't have the hermit crabs because my setup could go as low as 60 degrees.