Can I Take Care Of A Hermit Crab?

Would you consider taking care of at least two hermit crabs?

Can you provide at least a 10-gallon glass tank with a screen top for two hermit crabs?

Can you maintain a temperature in the enclosure between 72 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit and a humidity between 60-80%?

Do you know what a hermit crab needs in its enclosure?

Can you provide a well-balanced diet for a hermit crab?

Do you know how to keep a hermit crab healthy?

Hermit crabs need companions. Despite their name, hermit crabs are social animals and ideally need to be in pairs or groups.

Hermit crabs need plenty of space to thrive. For two small crabs, at least a 10-gallon glass tank with a screen top to prevent escape is recommended, but even more space may be required as they grow. Owners should avoid placing the tank in direct sunlight, near windows of drafts, or in any place with extreme temperatures.

The temperature inside the enclosure should always be between 72 and 82 degrees. Use a quality tank heater or clamp lamp to maintain temperature. Hermit crabs also need moist, humid air to breathe properly. Mist your tank with dechlorinated water to keep relative humidity between 60-80%.

Hermit crabs are natural diggers, and you must provide enough deep moist sand to protect your crabs during the molting process. The proper amount is three times deeper than the height of your largest crab. You’ll also need to add two water bowls and a smaller food bowl. The water bowls should be large enough for crabs to submerge in, but not so big that they get stuck. Decorate their enclosure with branches, half logs, driftwood, caves, and shells so they can climb and hide.

Hermit crabs are omnivorous scavengers. Commercially prepared hermit crab food has a proper balance of vitamins and minerals for your crabs. Pelleted foods can be fed once a day and should be crushed especially for smaller crabs. Feed at night and remove uneaten food daily. Hermit crabs need a lot of calcium to support the health of their exoskeleton especially during molting, so adding calcium vitamin supplements to their food is recommended.

You can take care of a hermit crab!

Hermit crabs can be vulnerable while molting because their bodies are soft. During this time, isolate them from their roommates and be careful not to drop them onto a hard surface, doing so can injure or kill them. If you notice an increased appetite or activity, hermit crab staying outside of the shell, excessive molting, lost claws or limbs, strong odor from inside the shell contact a veterinarian.