Welcome To Your Hermit Crab Starter Kit Experience
It is important to give your crabs a bath upon arrival. They have had a long trip and need to replace the water they have stored in their shell with clean water.
See ‘Give Your Crabs a Bath’ section.
A Hermit Crab’s Life
Hermit crabs are not actually ‘hermits’. They are very social creatures and like company. The hermit crabs shell is not actually part of its body – it is a borrowed snail shell that it uses to hide its soft tail in and store water. Hermit crabs grow by molting and need to move into a larger shell, so it is important to have slightly larger shells available in the habitat with them. Sometimes they just want a change and may try out the empty shells in the habitat. When a hermit crab molts, it will regenerate any lost limbs. Sometimes it takes a few molts, but they will all regrow. When crabs are ready to molt, they will bury themselves in the coconut fiber for 2-6 weeks, then when they emerge, they will shed their old exoskeleton and move into a larger shell. Crabs are most active at night – this is called being ‘nocturnal.’ Because they are active at night and can be noisy creatures, you may want to consider keeping the habitat out of a bedroom unless you are a sound sleeper.
Setting Up The Habitat
Hermit crabs live along the shores of tropical areas and appreciate a moist environment. Coconut fiber is a great substrate because it holds some moisture to keep the habitat humid. In a large bowl add your coco pellets and ¼ cup of water per pellet. Soak the pellets for 1 hour and then pour any excess water out of your bowl. Now remove the outer wrapper of the pellets and spread the coco fiber in the bottom of the habitat. Add the water dish to your habitat and pack the fiber around it up to the rim to hold it in place. Now add your decor. Crabs like to rearrange their habitat so don’t be surprised if they move everything around. Place the habitat somewhere warm – the crabs like temperatures 70° or warmer. But keep them out of direct sunlight where they can easily overheat.
Caring for Your Hermit Crabs
FEEDING: There are many hermit crab diets and treats available at the pet store. Hermit crabs will eat a wide variety of foods, and it can be fun to experiment to see which your crabs like the best. Try fruits and vegetables, tuna fish, peanut butter, crackers or potato chips. Grapes, raisins and popcorn are crab favorites. You can use a little clamshell as a food dish. Hermit crabs eat very little amounts so only offer a tiny portion. Excess food will simply go to waste. Replace any food that may spoil each day. Crabs sometimes only eat at night so you may never see them eating.
WATERING: Water is of ultimate importance to a hermit crab. Hermit crabs have gills like fish so breathe by taking oxygen out of water. They store water inside their shell.
To provide water, fill a gallon container with tap water and treat it with tap water treatment solution. This step is very important because tap water can contain chemicals that are dangerous to your crabs. Let this water sit for 2 hours. Then fill their water dish. Keep any extra treated water ready for changing the water in their dish weekly and for crab baths.
Keep the coco fiber moist to the touch. If you have our kit, use the included mister once a day to keep everything in the habitat moist. Crabs enjoy the misting, and it will frequently make them very active right afterwards.
GIVE YOUR CRABS A BATH TWICE A WEEK: Your crabs love to have a bath. They use this time to replace the water they store in their shell with fresh water and remove any waste they have been storing. It is important to give your crabs a bath upon arrival. They have had a long trip and need to replace the water they have stored in their shell with clean water. Crabs need a bath twice a week for around 30 minutes to stay healthy. Fill a small bowl (preferably disposable) with ¼ inch of the treated room temperature water. Place your crabs in the bowl. This water should not be any higher than ¼ of the way up a crab’s shell. After a few minutes, the crabs will usually start to be very active and play in the water.
CLEANING: The coco fiber should be changed once a month. You can find more at your local pet shop or garden center.
EXERCISE: Crabs love to climb! Exercise is important to make sure they stay healthy. Your kit comes with fun décor for this purpose, but you can add some rocks to the habitat for more exercise if you’d like. If you do, be careful that any rocks placed cannot fall on the crabs if they are climbing on it.
HANDLING HERMIT CRABS: Adult supervision is required when handling your hermit crabs because they can inflict a painful pinch if they feel threatened. Only handle them over soft surfaces or close to the ground in case they fall. With a bit of time, your crabs will learn to trust you and will crawl on you without a defensive pinch. You can pick up a crab firmly by the back of its shell, keeping fingers away from claws, to avoid a pinch. If you are pinched, you can put your hand under warm running water in the sink and wait for it to let go. Always wash your hands after handling hermit crabs.
Hermit Crab Facts:
Q: How long before I get my hermit crabs?
A: If your kit came with a certificate for crabs you can mail, fax, or email it to us per the instructions. Allow 2 weeks for arrival.
Q: Can I order crabs during the winter?
A: We ship crabs year-round but only order them if it is above 40 degrees in your area.
Q: How many crabs can I put in my habitat?
A: The habitat with our complete kit is comfortable for 3 crabs.
Q: What if I run out of food or tap water treatment solution?
A: Your local pet shop carries these items.
Q: A crab is missing a leg. Will it be OK?
A: Yes. Crabs will regrow limbs when they molt.
Q: Do you give a Guarantee?
A: Yes. We guarantee your crabs will arrive alive. After arrival we can no longer guarantee them.
