Healthy Hermit Crabs and Care

A Hermit Crab Primer - The Basics of Hermit Crabs and Care

Care Sheet for your Hermit Crab

Ever had your daughter or your son pester you for a land hermit crab? Have there been instances where you cannot say no to your kids and then finding out afterwards that you are stuck with some pet that you know nothing about caring or feeding it? You would be one of those who would not even know what to place it in or where in the house to keep it.

About Hermit Crabs and Care

Fear not because you are not alone. There are actually a number of people who do have hermit crabs as pets in their home, and that is because hermit crabs love the company of others like themselves. For those who just started with one or already are hermit crab owners, here are a few things to go over when taking care of hermit crabs, whether you know these or not already.

Try checking the humidity and temperature of the area where you are keeping your crab. These guys may look pretty sturdy in their hard shells, but they do need a certain temperature level to remain healthy. Your pet should never be kept in temperatures below 72°F. If your hermit crab is always exposed to this level, it can die. So try to make sure you do not cook your pet when you try to put in a place where there will be a bit of sunlight. You will know if your crab is overheating when you smell a musty odor in its cage. Sometimes, they also secrete a brownish liquid when they experience this.

Aside from controlling the temperature in your hermit crab habitat, you should also take note of its humidity level. Crabs need to have a relative humidity level of about 70 percent. Just try to make sure that its habitat has a tropical atmosphere to it. The more you try to make its aquarium more natural, the easier it is for land hermit crabs to adapt to the environment.

Hermit Crabs and Care - What Habitat best for your Pet

Another thing you have to know about crabs is that they need some substrate in their dwelling areas. Substrate is another name for something you can put at the bottom part of the cage that the crab can burrow in because this is something that crabs love to do. Sand is probably one of first choices that crab owners choose because it is natural and realistic. For owners do not have access to sand, they can find some substitute material at the local pet shop.

The important thing you have to watch for is that you put enough substrate in it for the crabs to bury themselves in. Make sure it is not too deep though because your crabs might be out of your heater's reach.

Hermit Crabs and Care - What to feed a Hermit Crab

Now that we have gone through what your crab needs for crabitat, let us go to feeding. If a crab were in its natural environment, it would try to look for some grasses, plants, or some fallen fruit. You may also find this a little difficult to believe, but they also need a bit of leaf litter and decayed wood.

There has not been enough research done to really determine what is best for hermit crabs to eat, most especially for captive crabs. But since you are trying to replicate the crab's environment, you would like to keep everything as natural as possible. A few known things about them are that they need carotene, calcium, and a few antioxidants to keep them healthy.

Hermit Crabs and Care - The Importance of healthy Food

Noticeable color changes in your crabs indicate lack of carotene in their diet. From a lush reddish color, it will fade into a dull hue of tan or gray. Good and easy sources of carotene include colored vegetables, such as carrots and corn. Just make sure to feed your hermit crabs whatever healthy food you eat. And by healthy food, we mean the really healthy food items included in the food pyramid, not your usual potato chips or macaroni and cheese. Try going for some bits of fish and meat, or perhaps some vegetables and fruit.

Do not forget the leaves and the tree bark, which are foods rich in tannin. Just wash them well and dry them out before you feed it to them. Crabs really like that crunch in their food when they bite into it.

Hermit Crabs and Care and Commercial Foods

There are also some commercial crab foods sold in pet stores. A good number of experts feel that this is unnecessary; they even advise that natural the food is better for crabs.

Becoming the best Person to take care of Crabs at Home

With all these in mind, you just might be the best person for hermit crabs and care at home. As long as you pay attention to the simple things you need to take care of your crab, they will live a long and healthy life.

---