Beginner's Guide to Land Hermit Crabs
Hello! This lens covers the basics of taking care of your land hermit crabs and is made especially for beginners. I have also made a list of things you should buy and where you can find them. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me or check out the hermit crab sites down below! I have also added a section about my crabs and my tips on raising them.
If this page was helpful in any way, please RATE it at the top! Thanks!
If this page was helpful in any way, please RATE it at the top! Thanks!
Make Your Crabs Famous!
Setup a site just like this one - but about YOUR crabs! Just click the blue "MAKE A PAGE" button to the right of this page! Add pictures, stories, or whatever you want! :) You can send me a link to it, and once I have a few, I'll list them on my page!
Basic Care Instructions
Hermit crabs are sensitive little creatures and require a lot of care and patience! Most hermit crabs come from shores and forests of places like the Carribbean, the Pacific Islands and Australia. They are very social - sometimes living in groups of 100, so you should have more than just one by itself! Keep in mind that they're not toys! They are not the absolute perfect pet for children, and they're definitely not the cuddliest! You should read as much as you can about hermit crabs before you get them, and you can start right here! =)
Before you get your crabs you should set up their crabitat! This is where they live so it is important to set it up like it's their home away from home. Gather the items they need from the lists down the page and be creative! Avoid hermit crab "kits", especially if it includes a "critter keeper" like the one below. If you cannot dedicate your time and money to your crabs, just get a pet rock.
When you bring your crabs home they may not be as active as you'd hoped they'd be. Hermit crabs can get stressed, especially if they're from a bad pet shop or have a painted shell. (Crabs with painted shells are usually forced in and out of shells. It's pretty much torture.) They need time to adjust themselves to their new home no matter how great it is. They also need time to get used to new crabs and new food. This could take days, weeks, and even months.. and during this time you shouldn't handle them too much! Let them learn to trust you. You may see them digging or hiding out a lot - this is very normal for newcomers.
If your crabs don't seem to be feeling well, you should check the temperature and humidity. You'll want them to be just like the tropical climates your crabs came from! The temperature should be between 72ºF (22ºC) and 83ºF (28ºC). The humidity should be 75-85%.
You should feed your hermit crabs every day. Don't get discouraged if they don't eat anything or just nibble. Read more about what they like to eat further down the page. Note that they like new foods so change up their meals when you can. Left over food can create mold especially in a humid environment so it's important to clean the food dish everyday and you should also make sure their water dishes are full.
Sometimes a hermit crab will eat and drink a lot when it's getting ready to molt. When they molt they dig deep into the ground to hide away for a week to several months. During this time they shed their old exoskeleton and grow a new one and any limbs they have lost. It's very important to leave these hermit crabs alone! Try not to dig them up, and if you do.. don't try to rebury them! When they're down under, they make air pockets that we cannot recreate. When your hermit crab comes back, it will look different.. discolored and "new", give it time and it'll be back to normal.
Like their exoskeleton, they have to change shells too! You can read more about shells down the page. Avoid giving your crabs painted shells because they can be harmful. Sometimes the paint will chip and this is toxic if a hermit crab eats it!
If you're going to decorate their crabitat with things you've bought or found outside you should make sure it's safe first! You can boil, bake, or microwave them, just be smart (you don't want to nuke rocks, and everything will be hot!).
Before you get your crabs you should set up their crabitat! This is where they live so it is important to set it up like it's their home away from home. Gather the items they need from the lists down the page and be creative! Avoid hermit crab "kits", especially if it includes a "critter keeper" like the one below. If you cannot dedicate your time and money to your crabs, just get a pet rock.
When you bring your crabs home they may not be as active as you'd hoped they'd be. Hermit crabs can get stressed, especially if they're from a bad pet shop or have a painted shell. (Crabs with painted shells are usually forced in and out of shells. It's pretty much torture.) They need time to adjust themselves to their new home no matter how great it is. They also need time to get used to new crabs and new food. This could take days, weeks, and even months.. and during this time you shouldn't handle them too much! Let them learn to trust you. You may see them digging or hiding out a lot - this is very normal for newcomers.
If your crabs don't seem to be feeling well, you should check the temperature and humidity. You'll want them to be just like the tropical climates your crabs came from! The temperature should be between 72ºF (22ºC) and 83ºF (28ºC). The humidity should be 75-85%.
You should feed your hermit crabs every day. Don't get discouraged if they don't eat anything or just nibble. Read more about what they like to eat further down the page. Note that they like new foods so change up their meals when you can. Left over food can create mold especially in a humid environment so it's important to clean the food dish everyday and you should also make sure their water dishes are full.
Sometimes a hermit crab will eat and drink a lot when it's getting ready to molt. When they molt they dig deep into the ground to hide away for a week to several months. During this time they shed their old exoskeleton and grow a new one and any limbs they have lost. It's very important to leave these hermit crabs alone! Try not to dig them up, and if you do.. don't try to rebury them! When they're down under, they make air pockets that we cannot recreate. When your hermit crab comes back, it will look different.. discolored and "new", give it time and it'll be back to normal.
Like their exoskeleton, they have to change shells too! You can read more about shells down the page. Avoid giving your crabs painted shells because they can be harmful. Sometimes the paint will chip and this is toxic if a hermit crab eats it!
If you're going to decorate their crabitat with things you've bought or found outside you should make sure it's safe first! You can boil, bake, or microwave them, just be smart (you don't want to nuke rocks, and everything will be hot!).
What You'll Need & Why You'll Need It
Here is a list of everything you'll need for your hermit crabs! It gives details about the items you'll need and where you can get them at little to no cost. It's actually pretty fun designing a crabitat!
A tank of at least 10 gallons - You will need one this size to fit everything they will need in order to live.. it also gives each crab plenty of room. You can buy a 10 gallon tank at most pet stores for $10 - $20. I found mine for $5 at a yard sale, so ask friends and family if they have an unused tank first! Take advantage of the entire 10 gallon space by making 2nd levels and using climbing toys. If you can give them a bigger tank, do it! Bigger is better.
A solid lid to keep heat and humidity in - Glass lids work best, but you can also use wire mesh with plastic wrap. Your lid should be vent free or you will lose heat & moisture!
Substrate - Hermit crabs live on beaches and the floors of forests so substrate is very important. They like to dig, especially when they molt! You can use sand (even some play sands - these are usually under $5 in hardware stores), coconut fiber, or other bedding you find in pet stores. You can even mix substrates, or make half of the tank sand and the other half coconut fiber. Make sure your substrate is deeper than your largest crab so it will have enough room & privacy.
Extra shells - Hermit crabs change their shells as they grow, so you will need to provide extras for each crab. You should give about 2 or 3 for each one - the first shell's opening should be the size of its current shell's opening, the second being a bit smaller, and the third being larger. Try to provide different kinds of shells because each species is different and may prefer a different shape. You can find shells everywhere! They are usually overpriced in pet stores, so try ebay or stores like http://www.seashellcity.com/ and http://naplesseashellcompany.com. I've had great luck at seashell stores on the beach too! After buying shells you should boil them with dechlorinated water to wash them out.
Places to hide and climb on - Hermit crabs need privacy, so you should keep things like huts and half-logs in their tank. You can also use tiny clay planting pots or cups turned on their sides. Hermit crabs also love climbing. It's what they do best! Provide ways for them to climb with plastic vines, ladders, hemp fish nets, wood, or special climbing background that goes on the walls of the tank. It's fun to decorate the crabitat with things just so it will look natural too! I use drift wood, smooth rocks, sand dollars, and other things found on the beach.
3 dishes: Food, Fresh water, and Salt water - You can buy these dishes at most pet stores, or you could make your own! Many people use clam shells as dishes, they're just perfect for holding small amounts of food! You will need separate dishes for the fresh and salt water, and they should be deep enough for them to bathe in, but shallow enough so that they don't drown!
A variety of foods including sources of calcium - Hermit crabs are scavengers so they will eat almost anything! They can eat most fruits, veggies, and meat. They also like honey, seaweed, flower petals, wood, and cheeeese. Hermit crabs need calcium for their exoskeleton which can be found in cuttlebone, egg shells, or the skeletons of shrimp and hermit crabs themselves! They also need carotene to keep their colors strong - you can find this in bright colored food like carrots. Before you feed them anything check the safe and unsafe food lists in the "Epicurean Articles" at http://www.epicurean-hermit.com/index.php. Also beware of pet store food, sometimes they put perservatives in the foods that are harmful to hermit crabs - even if it says it's made for hermit crabs! You can find already-made baggies of food perfect for hermit crabs at http://www.hermitcrabaddictionstore.com/
Fresh, dechlorinated water - Hermit crabs need fresh water to bathe in and drink from, so it's important to provide a pool of water that is clean and pure. Distilled water is good, you can also use bottled water. If you use tap water, make sure to use a conditioner (without a slime coat) that takes out the chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals!
Ocean water - Along with fresh water, sea water should be provided for drinking and bathing. Hermit crabs are native to shores so they require sea water. You can recreate this by adding sea salt to dechlorinated water. Be sure to ONLY use SEA salt. Table salt is toxic to hermit crabs! You can find sea salt in many pet stores. I bought my ocean water mix at http://www.hermitcrabaddictionstore.com/. When I bought hermit crabs from Petco, I asked for a wet towel and a little bit of seasalt. They gave me the salt for free (and I am still using it).. so try asking!
A sponge to help with humidity - If you're having trouble keeping the right amount of humidity, try adding a sponge. Hermit crabs love natural sea sponges!
Temperature and Humidity gauges - Think about getting these gauges - they really help let you know where the crabitat is at. The temperature should be between 72ºF (22ºC) and 83ºF (28ºC). The humidity should be 75-85%. If you're having trouble with the temperature being too cold, you can get a heater for the tank. To keep the humidity up, just add water. If the pools aren't enough, add a sponge or use a mister every now and then. Also make sure your lid is doing its job.. there should be no vents.
A tank of at least 10 gallons - You will need one this size to fit everything they will need in order to live.. it also gives each crab plenty of room. You can buy a 10 gallon tank at most pet stores for $10 - $20. I found mine for $5 at a yard sale, so ask friends and family if they have an unused tank first! Take advantage of the entire 10 gallon space by making 2nd levels and using climbing toys. If you can give them a bigger tank, do it! Bigger is better.
A solid lid to keep heat and humidity in - Glass lids work best, but you can also use wire mesh with plastic wrap. Your lid should be vent free or you will lose heat & moisture!
Substrate - Hermit crabs live on beaches and the floors of forests so substrate is very important. They like to dig, especially when they molt! You can use sand (even some play sands - these are usually under $5 in hardware stores), coconut fiber, or other bedding you find in pet stores. You can even mix substrates, or make half of the tank sand and the other half coconut fiber. Make sure your substrate is deeper than your largest crab so it will have enough room & privacy.
Extra shells - Hermit crabs change their shells as they grow, so you will need to provide extras for each crab. You should give about 2 or 3 for each one - the first shell's opening should be the size of its current shell's opening, the second being a bit smaller, and the third being larger. Try to provide different kinds of shells because each species is different and may prefer a different shape. You can find shells everywhere! They are usually overpriced in pet stores, so try ebay or stores like http://www.seashellcity.com/ and http://naplesseashellcompany.com. I've had great luck at seashell stores on the beach too! After buying shells you should boil them with dechlorinated water to wash them out.
Places to hide and climb on - Hermit crabs need privacy, so you should keep things like huts and half-logs in their tank. You can also use tiny clay planting pots or cups turned on their sides. Hermit crabs also love climbing. It's what they do best! Provide ways for them to climb with plastic vines, ladders, hemp fish nets, wood, or special climbing background that goes on the walls of the tank. It's fun to decorate the crabitat with things just so it will look natural too! I use drift wood, smooth rocks, sand dollars, and other things found on the beach.
3 dishes: Food, Fresh water, and Salt water - You can buy these dishes at most pet stores, or you could make your own! Many people use clam shells as dishes, they're just perfect for holding small amounts of food! You will need separate dishes for the fresh and salt water, and they should be deep enough for them to bathe in, but shallow enough so that they don't drown!
A variety of foods including sources of calcium - Hermit crabs are scavengers so they will eat almost anything! They can eat most fruits, veggies, and meat. They also like honey, seaweed, flower petals, wood, and cheeeese. Hermit crabs need calcium for their exoskeleton which can be found in cuttlebone, egg shells, or the skeletons of shrimp and hermit crabs themselves! They also need carotene to keep their colors strong - you can find this in bright colored food like carrots. Before you feed them anything check the safe and unsafe food lists in the "Epicurean Articles" at http://www.epicurean-hermit.com/index.php. Also beware of pet store food, sometimes they put perservatives in the foods that are harmful to hermit crabs - even if it says it's made for hermit crabs! You can find already-made baggies of food perfect for hermit crabs at http://www.hermitcrabaddictionstore.com/
Fresh, dechlorinated water - Hermit crabs need fresh water to bathe in and drink from, so it's important to provide a pool of water that is clean and pure. Distilled water is good, you can also use bottled water. If you use tap water, make sure to use a conditioner (without a slime coat) that takes out the chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals!
Ocean water - Along with fresh water, sea water should be provided for drinking and bathing. Hermit crabs are native to shores so they require sea water. You can recreate this by adding sea salt to dechlorinated water. Be sure to ONLY use SEA salt. Table salt is toxic to hermit crabs! You can find sea salt in many pet stores. I bought my ocean water mix at http://www.hermitcrabaddictionstore.com/. When I bought hermit crabs from Petco, I asked for a wet towel and a little bit of seasalt. They gave me the salt for free (and I am still using it).. so try asking!
A sponge to help with humidity - If you're having trouble keeping the right amount of humidity, try adding a sponge. Hermit crabs love natural sea sponges!
Temperature and Humidity gauges - Think about getting these gauges - they really help let you know where the crabitat is at. The temperature should be between 72ºF (22ºC) and 83ºF (28ºC). The humidity should be 75-85%. If you're having trouble with the temperature being too cold, you can get a heater for the tank. To keep the humidity up, just add water. If the pools aren't enough, add a sponge or use a mister every now and then. Also make sure your lid is doing its job.. there should be no vents.
- Quick Checklist:
- A tank of at least 10 gallons
- A solid lid to keep heat and humidity in
- Substrate (the ground of your tank, like sand)
- Extra shells of different sizes
- Places to hide and climb on
- 3 dishes: Food, Fresh water, and Salt water
- A variety of foods including sources of calcium
- Fresh, dechlorinated water
- Salt water with SEA salt
- Temperature and Humidity gauges
My 29 Gallon Crabitat
An example of a crabitat
My 7 hermies live happily in a 29 gallon aquarium. I change the tank constantly, so I don't use all my items at the same time. Here are a couple pictures for the curious!
Cheap Amazon Finds!
Hermit Crab ESSENTIALS
Cheap Amazon Finds!
Hermit Crabitat Stuff!
My Hermit Crab Changing Shells
I caught my crab changing shells, so I took some photos! Here is a link to the album:http://photos.dangerous-minds.net/Mila
My Crabs and Tips
I got my first 3 crabs June 4th, 07. Not long ago! They were Mila, Charlie, and Johnny, and they lived in a 10 gallon tank. The last two died 2 and 8 months later, but Mila is still the healthiest crab I have!I currently have 7 crabs: Mila, Pete, Sweet Pea, Annie, Lucy, Nicholas, and Ozzy. All are alive and well. They are all Purple Pinchers and quite small. :) They live in a 29 gallon tank with both playsand and EcoEarth. They get many things to climb on (nets, vines, climbing background, wood, etc), and fresh & salt water. My lid has vents, and I often keep it open on breezy days (they seem to be more active), and the humidity still stays awesome.
When my crabs seem sluggish, I send them into their playground box. It always has something new (poptart boxes, random obstacles, plants), so they get excited and climb around. After sending them back into their tank, they are *always* more active and they eat quite a bit. If you are having these problems, try making a box for yours!
I do buy crabs in painted shells. I have bought 3. I do not want to fight the dilemma of being a hero over ruining another crab's life to replace the one I bought. I decide to live in the present, and give one of these crabs a good home with many shells to choose from. I am happy with my choices. :) Annie was brought home in a painted shell, and changed shells that night. She is my 2nd healthiest crab, and the most friendliest. I spread the word about them being tortured so you can make your own decision.. and feel good about it.
Have I been pinched? Once. It was by a smaller crab, and it felt like getting a shot. Feeling them trying to pinch me scares the living crap out of me.. gloves are the answer.
Keep records of your crabs! Note when you got them, from where, their size, traits, molting times, shell changes. It will come in handy!
How often do my crabs change shells? It varies. I had Charlie for 8 months and he never changed. But, Mila goes shopping for new shells about once a week (sometimes 3 times in one day!) The majority of my crabs changed shells when I first brought them home. If yours aren't changing, don't think they're doomed to die.. just clean the shells and place them in different spots to grab their interests. Perhaps the shell is too heavy or the crab prefers a different type of shell.
Should you bathe your crabs? That's up to you, your experiences, and what info you know. I do not bathe mine. I have bathed Nicholas once, because I brought him home with mites. It either stressed him out, or he was already stressed out.. because he has been under the sand since Christmas (It is October now.) He might have died, but I cannot tear my tank apart to find him.. (and if he's alive, it could upset him to death.) Because I do not know, and because Mila is perfectly fine after never having a bath.. I do not plan on bathing my crabs ever again. If you provide them with a water dish, they will use the water for how they need. Can you imagine a giant being responsible for our baths? Haha.
What are my crabs favorite foods? The biggest hits are dried fish (krill, anchovies, etc), dried squash, and apples. They also like bananas, coconut, and crushed nuts. :)
Are my crabs different? YES! Annie enjoys shells that are way too big for her (she's in the picture of this section) and she loves to meet the newcomers. She will sit with them wiggling her antena for long times. Mila is aggressive and has probably changed into every shell they have. She takes the shells of the new crabs as soon as they leave them (or tries to tackle them out before so). She is always above ground running around. Pete is always half-buried in his corner during the day, every day. He will usually only accept Babylonian shells, even though he is the same species as everyone else. Nicholas is one amazing little crab. He's my smallest and is becoming my new favorite. I brought him home during Christmas time, and he buried himself that night. I always knew he was down under, so I never completely changed the sand in fear that I would kill him. ONE and a HALF YEARS later, he decides it's time to come up!!! He's still in his old shell and only has one eye, but he is very active and getting better. :) Ozzy and Sweet Pea are very shy, and Lucy is still new to me.
I have pictures of my crabs here.
I photographed Mila changing shells. They can be seen here.
Hermit Crab Websites
Sites dedicated to hermit crabs
Crab Street Journal
Hermit Crab Addiction
Hermit Crab Addiction Store
Epicurean Hermit
Crabby Talk
All Things Crabby
Ctryluv's Crabbie Cove
Hermit Crabs
Hermit Crab Paradise
Hermit Crab Addiction
Hermit Crab Addiction Store
Epicurean Hermit
Crabby Talk
All Things Crabby
Ctryluv's Crabbie Cove
Hermit Crabs
Hermit Crab Paradise
Leave a message!
Let me know if you have any questions or comments!
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princesskeena
Dec 30, 2010 @ 1:22 pm | delete
- cleansing-diet, you should think about getting your kids a pet they can hold or they might become uninterested and you will end up doing all of the work. They may also stress out the crabs by constantly looking in the window or grabbing at things. The stress will make the crabs even more boring to them, and the crabs will encounter problems.
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Silverpelt
Aug 9, 2010 @ 4:15 pm | delete
- This is one awsome website it has eveything you need to know about hermit crabs
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Silverpelt
Aug 7, 2010 @ 10:18 pm | delete
- This website is awsome! It has everything you need to know to care and have hermit crabs! :)
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cannedguds
Jul 26, 2010 @ 10:02 pm | delete
- I'm so very curious about hermit crabs that's why I've swam into this lens of yours! I think I have all the info right here how to care for a hermit crab pet although I have seen some book guides, too! Thanks for the tips!
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StephanieB-Writer
May 30, 2009 @ 1:52 pm | delete
- I had 3 hermit crabs when I was a preteen and I'm obviously a great crab mom cause they lived forever! I was always told they would talk to each other and the first time they did it scared me. I thought someone was snickering and I couldn't see anyone lol. I think its important to mention that you couldn't freak out when you find their old skeleton after they've molted. They aren't dead, they just moved.
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