Hermit Crabs?

[katydidmischief]

So I've gotten interested in hermit crabs in the last few months and done some research on them, but always love when people experienced in a pet give me info.

Right now I have a 5.5 gallon with a hood and incandescent light. Is that okay to use or should I invest in a screen top and heating lamps? Is 5.5 even enough space for a pair of little guys? Is it good to have them in pairs/groups rather than solo?

Grapevine appears to be good for them to have. What other things can I use in a crabitat to give them stimulation?

Thanks, guys, for any info you can share. I'm one of those crazy people who does weeks and weeks of research before bringing home little guys and joins boards like this for education and I'm grateful for anything.

[katydidmischief]

And first edit--I'd have to invest in a 10 gallon tank, I see, for the little dudes.

[DragonFish]

About 5-6 years ago, back before I got way into fish keeping, I got WAY into keeping Hermit Crabs. They were great little compainions, I really enjoyed keeping them. xD

I don't remember a whole ton, and I'm certainly not up to date on the most recent trends in Crabbie-keeping, but I had a fantastic forum I was a part of, very much like this one, with experienced keepers with all sorts of wonderful helpful information. I don't believe I'm aloud to link to it, but if I remember it was called Hermit Crab Paradise. I'd suggest checking it out. ;)

I do recall however that they like groups, the larger the better. I was always told that in the wild they traveled in very large groups and were very social creatures. They're also little escape artists, you'll definitely want a very secure lid......I watched mine climb up the silicone in the tank once and PUSH open the Screen top lid!
I started in a 10 gallon and eventually upgraded to a 20 long, play sand substrate, and a screen-top lid with plexiglass laid over it(though I remember plastic veggie wrap does the same)to help keep in the humidity.
If I had kept with it, I probably would have had to upgrade again even.....I believe most of the serious keepers used 40 breeders-55 gallons.

I also remember I was able to find spare shells and a few other awesome decorations at craft stores for a little cheaper then at Petstores and whatnot.

Sorry I couldn't offer much more help.....its been so long since I had Hermies. xD But good luck, and good for you for doing research! One thing I do remember is that there are a TON of misconceptions about Hermies and proper care for them, a lot like bettas.....ugh, those terrible little Kritter Keepers, the calci-sand, the painted shells....Dx
Anyway.....hope I could help a little bit, and I wish you the best of luck! I'd love to see pictures when you get everything setup. :)

[megaredize]

I would defiantely suggest a screen top with heat lamps. we had a 10 gallon with a heat lamp and we had a night time blue bulb we used at night to keep some heat in for them. but my fiance upgraded and we now have 10 crabs in a 55 gallon tank. they love to climb so cholla wood, fake vines or anything they will love. deep substrate is needed for molting. they are more my fiance's pet so he knows more he has a youtube channel which shows alot of stuff about them
http://www.youtube.com/user/CanadianCrabGuy just dont mind the weird random video i made on his channel =D

[PitGurl]

That video made me lol

[Lizzie the Badger]

I own 6 hermit crabs, and am on a hermit crab forum. I love them so much!

You need at least a 10 gal tank, a heater (I recommend a under tank heater planted on the side, at least 6 inches of substrate (I recommend Eco Earth, stay away from calcium sand, or "hermit crab" sand), a hgrometer, a thermometer.

Temperature needs to be 70-80 degrees F. Some species though need it closer to 80. Humidity needs to be 70-80% though again, some species need it closer to 80.

You need at least a pair, hermit crabs are very social.

You need a lot of shells, different shapes. Not painted!

Finally, get creative. A lot of climbing toys are great exercise, and hideys are a must.

I think I got it all. Pet stores aren't very educated about them either. If you have questions, just PM me! =)

landhermitcrabs.com is a great forum as well as hermitcrabassociation.com

[Lizzie the Badger]

Sorry, my kindle wont let me edit. I forgot something important.

Hermit crabs require both salt and freshwater. The water needs to be dechlorinated. No sponges, if you are afraid of a small crab drowning in a dish you can put in a rough shell. Crabs can't drink from them. The dishes need to be deep enough for your largest crab to fully submerge.

Again, I apologize. Hermit crabs mean a lot to me (like bettas) . =)

[katydidmischief]

Sweet, thanks everyone! I will definitely be checking out the videos and hitting that forum hard.

[PaintingPintos]

http://www.hermit-crabs.com/care.html
This is definitely the best website for Hermit crab care I know of.

At one point I had a HUGE obsession with them, and I did as much research as possible, and I found out a LOT of stuff about them.

[bettalover2000]

I thought that hermies needed a heating pad, that a lamp would dry them out? I am also interested.