How To Keep Hermit Crabs

Here's How:

1. House in a minimum 10 gallon aquarium with 3-4 inches of sand at the bottom. Alternative substrates include coconut or other fibre bedding made for reptiles (where the fiber is ground quite fine so it is nearly like soil). Crushed coral is also a nice choice, but you may want to provide an area with sand or ground fiber bedding for molting.
2. Get two shallow dishes for water. The crabs must be able to get in and out of the dishes easily. Use one for dechlorinated fresh water (you can place a piece of natural sponge in the water, which will aid humidity levels). Use the second water bowl for salt water made with a marine aquarium saltwater mix (follow package directions, using dechlorinated water). Even inland hermit crabs will drink some sea water.
3. Add wood (choya wood is ideal; driftwood, grapevine, and other woods work well too - a good source is the reptile section), coral, aquarium decorations, silk plants, and other items for climbing. Half coconut shells make good hiding huts. Land hermit crabs love to climb!
4. Invest in a thermometer and a humidity guage (see the reptile section at the pet store). Ensure the tank remains at 72-80 F (22-27 C). You can use an an under tank heater and / or low wattage lighting to provide heat (higher wattages are too drying). The humidity must remain at 70-80 percent.
5. Feed a commercial hermit crab food daily, supplemented with assorted fresh fruits and vegetables, cereal and whole grain bread items, and small pieces of fish and meat. Also offer some pieces of cuttlebone or ground oyster shell (or even boiled egg shells) for an added calcium source.
6. Clean food dishes daily, and remove uneaten bits of food from the tank. Check for food away from the dish as crabs sometimes drag food off to eat away from the others.
7. Rinse water dishes daily and refill.
8. Provide a variety of empty shells that are slightly larger than the one your crab is currently in. Get shells of slightly different shapes and styles and opening size, though rounder openings are usually preferable over slit-like openings. Crabs can be surprisingly fussy about the kind of shell they like, and if a good variety is not available fighing may break out over the "best" shells.
9. Spot clean substrate as necessary (you can scoop their little poops, though mine tend to defecate in their water dishes). Oncea month or so do a thorough cleaning, changing the substrate. Clean the tank with hot water but avoid detergents and chemicals. The sand can be washed and boiled or baked to sterilize it for re-use if desired.
10. Watch for signs of molting, and consider isolated molting crabs.

Tips:

1. Use a commercial dechlorinating treatment from the pet store on the water.
2. The tank should have a lid which is able to retain moisture (and keep the crabs inside).
3. Don't overestimate the size of shells your crab may want to move into. I find their shells seem mcuh larger with a crab in them than they actually are when empty.

What You Need:

• Aquarium or other tank with tight fitting lid
• Sand or other substrate
• Undertank heating pad
• Optional: low wattage lights and hood
• Shallow water dishes (2)
• Food dish
• Natural Sea Sponges
• Wood for climbing and other cage decorations
• Cuttlebone/calcium source
• Extra shells