Land hermit crab

[Nozza]

Hi all I'm new to this forum. I got a land hermit crab last week. He's gettin used to his crabitat and venturing around. E was last one at the shop and I'm gunna get more nxt week for Company. What is the best thing to feed him. He seems to b fussy !

 

[jlk]

Hi! I have 2 hermit crabs as well (others have died). I never have been able to get them past the molting phase successfully. ??? My crabs get a general hermit carb food plus a shell of full of fresh, clean fruits & veggies every night. They seem to like grapes, strawberries, apples, tomatoes, spinach, carrots, lettuce, & peas plus any other fruit/veggie thats clean & diced really small. Ive even give them a bit of cooked shrimp on occasion.Offer him a variety & see what he likes. They are social creatures (despite their name) so a buddy or two is a good idea! Hope this helps!

 

[Nozza]

Yeah I've tried the fresh fruit and he walked all over it I did try egg yolk ( cooked) and he seemed to like that. I'll try a mini platter ( real Mini ) and I have some hermit crab crunchies which is a all natural peanut treat I've ordered three more hermits so hopefully they are in shop on Wednesday coz he needs friends. Thanks /)

 

[Mrc8858]

Try a lil bit of cornmeal I use to have a lrg tank with about 10-15 of em the biggest one was able to snap pencils in half and claimed any shell he wanted as his lol but u should also find a fruit or veggie to supplement with that he will take to

 

[Mrc8858]

And jlk one big reason I've had with losing them during then is if u don't have plenty of extra shells laying around... u should try and make sure every crab has a suitable shell within a few inches of anywhere for best results...larger they r the less u got to worry though they can actually be quite hardy when fully grown

 

[Coleallensmom]

Keep in mind, hermit crabs do not eat a lot at one time. I've successfully kept them for 2 years now with just a dab of food and fresh water and an occasional treat. Make sure they don't get too cold during winter months and as already mentioned, make sure you have enough empty shells around for them to use. I've had many shells changes and three successful molts so far.

 

[jlk]

And jlk one big reason I've had with losing them during then is if u don't have plenty of extra shells laying around... u should try and make sure every crab has a suitable shell within a few inches of anywhere for best results...larger they r the less u got to worry though they can actually be quite hardy when fully grown

Hi! They do have an assortment of shells to choose from. I suspect its the substrate im using. Ive tried gravel (pet store recommendation), then sand, and now im using a reptile bark. The sand was a nightmare because they would knock their shells of water over every night & the sand would turn moldy in a few days. So far, the reptile bark seems to work & i can keep it slightly damp without mold issues. Any suggestions?

 

[Mrc8858]

I used sand with a water dispenser which they cant knock over one like ppl use for cats and dogs but smaller obviously and Wuts the temperature of ur tank on average

 

[jlk]

Average temp is @75. I do have an extra water dispenser (cat size) but im ok with giving them fresh water every day. They have stopped knocking the water over since i changed the substrate.

 

[Mrc8858]

If u don't already have it put a small reptile heater in one corner of the tank away from the water dish I had best results keeping mine around 77 degrees cool side 80 warm side and do u have a hydrometer... if so Wuts the humidity reading u want 70-80 percent cuz they still have gills even though the r land crabs

 

[Mrc8858]

Plus how big of shells for water cuz its good to have something like a 3-4 inch wide shallow water bowl so they can climb in it when they want that's prob y they were knocking over ur shells

Edit* should also tell u if u didn't kno already u MUST dechlorinate ur water the same as u do for fish

 

[Nozza]

i got him two little hermit crab friends i got smaller ones and at first i was worried they would fight for donimation.. will they? they are more active then the first one i got... but all seem happy

 

[Coleallensmom]

They only time my hermit crabs don't get along is during molting. I highly recommend seperating a molting crab from the rest of the crabs if you experience a molting. We lost one of our crabs this way when another crab attacked her while still in her softened state.

 

[Nozza]

From three to 10. I brought a big 3 ft tank and now have lots of little crabs crawling round.

 

[Nozza]

This is sebastian. My first crab

 

[zoomama]

With my crabs, I've found the best substrate to be the EcoEarth shredded coconut fiber. Moisten it with a mild salt solution to help prevent molding. This is a great substrate for them to crawl around in, burrow in and it's moist state helps keep the crabitat at a good humidity level. Make sure you are offering them a dish big enough to crawl into and submerse themselves if they want, one of freshwater, one of saltwater. As stated before, lots of various sized shells are essential. They like to climb stuff so try and set up some deco they can climb around on. I feed mine an offering of crushed crab pellets, old fashioned oats (uncooked), veggies, fruits, applesauce is a favorite treat. I use an under tank heater pad that keeps the substrate warm and as it warms the water evaporated and falls back down like drops of occasional rain from the glass top that I keep positioned so it seals all the way around.