Hermit Crabs

Herpophiliac972 · 02-22-13, 07:53 PM

Here is a thread for other Hermit Crab owners like me. I care for mine a lot more than most. I took the "1 gallon per crab rule" and threw it out the window. I have a 30 gallon setup with only two crabs and tons of climb areas and decorations, which I change out and buy more of frequently. I feel that these animals are becoming "throw-away pets" that people buy on vacation that are dead in a week. I have a friend that has had one for 30 years. This is for all the crabs, who deserve so much more.

reptimama · 03-09-13, 11:16 AM

I use to have hermit crabs too. I had 5 in a 30 gallon tank. 2 I got while at the beach (from the beach front stores) and then 3 ended up being rescues from a friend of mine. I had them all for almost 2 years and then for some unknown reason they all started dieing off. Here are a few pics of my setup though.

What the 2 original crabs came with:

What they ended up with:

Quick change of shell:

Original diet:

Better diet:

(Banana, carrot, honey, meal worm in shell dish)

And I had 1 that was the climber

Herpophiliac972 · 03-09-13, 11:40 AM

Nice. Me and my sister got our first hermit crabs in Ocean City while on vacation. They both ended up dying, unfortunately. After that we got ours from That Fish Place. I have lost two from there (due to bad information on the part of another crab owner, not the store) But I still have two of them in a 30 gallon. The oldest one I have had is about 3 and a half years old, named Aqua, and another one for about two (Curiosity). They make great pets, but the misinformation on them really annoys me. Awesome setup too! Great climbing spots and decorations! Only thing is, the painted shells you have to be careful with. Some companies use paint that is toxic, and if the hermits eat any of it it doesn't end well. I have a few painted, non-toxic ones. I prefer the natural ones though. I always choose the climbers. They are the healthier and more active ones.

reptimama · 03-09-13, 11:58 AM

After the 2 we got from the store moved out of their shells we took the painted shells out of the tank. My son used them as decorations in his room. I found a bunch of really good info on a hermit crab forum I found but I can't remember the name now. We haven't ventured back into crab ownership since we lost them. It may end up being a future venture though

DragonsEye · 03-09-13, 12:15 PM

They are very much "disposable" pets, sad to say. See them often in the malls and such around Xmas time. Most will not live long.

As you mentioned, a lot of poor care instructions out there -- particularly from the folks selling them. One of the most critical oversights is not informing would be owners that (at least most) hermit crabs need two water sources -- one freshwater, and the other brackish/saltwater.

reptimama · 03-09-13, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DragonsEye

They are very much "disposable" pets, sad to say. See them often in the malls and such around Xmas time. Most will not live long.

As you mentioned, a lot of poor care instructions out there -- particularly from the folks selling them. One of the most critical oversights is not informing would be owners that (at least most) hermit crabs need two water sources -- one freshwater, and the other brackish/saltwater.

Or that they need sand not aquarium gravel.

Herpophiliac972 · 03-11-13, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reptimama

After the 2 we got from the store moved out of their shells we took the painted shells out of the tank. My son used them as decorations in his room. I found a bunch of really good info on a hermit crab forum I found but I can't remember the name now. We haven't ventured back into crab ownership since we lost them. It may end up being a future venture though

Yeah, I use them in my room, too. There are some crazy ones out there. I have one with a shark sticking out of it, not sure how they did it.

Herpophiliac972 · 03-11-13, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DragonsEye

They are very much "disposable" pets, sad to say. See them often in the malls and such around Xmas time. Most will not live long.

As you mentioned, a lot of poor care instructions out there -- particularly from the folks selling them. One of the most critical oversights is not informing would be owners that (at least most) hermit crabs need two water sources -- one freshwater, and the other brackish/saltwater.

Yeah, it just saddens me. They can live longer, but bad instructions and bad prior care, as well as possible neglect and improper care by the owner. They are not throw-away pets, they are just treated like them. I don't think humans would do very well in a human sized version of those. They aren't cute or fuzzy, and are therefore garbage. I know a crab owner in New Jersey who has a thirty and a fifteen year old crab. The fact that people just don't care is sad to me. I love these animals, and all kinds of creepy crawlies. To them, I am a freak of some sort. Putting so much time and car into a "little ugly bug"

I just wish that there was some way to get rid of the misinformation. When I bought my first, the man was sure they would be okay in the little plastic, gravel bottomed, cute hell hole that he gave them to me in. I had no idea how wrong he was. There is a kid on the block that was like me, and I tried to help him, but his parents gave up because they were not willing to invest more than ten dollars and a little hermit treat every so often in the amazing life form that they are. Some people. Some people. I hope one day that I will be able to make a difference with the little critters. The people that really get me are the sellers. Cramming hundreds of little, terrified creatures into a wire cage with a tiny sea shell of food for them to fight over. We had to choose the place with the least amount of dead crabs on the floor. They disgust me.

Gungirl · 03-12-13, 04:23 AM

I had a few of these guys when I was younger and I am pretty proud of how long they lived. Even though I know now that they could have lived longer. I was 6 when I got them and they lived for 11 years( I think) I enjoyed them for the most part.

reptimama · 03-12-13, 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DragonsEye

[COLOR="Sienna"]They are very much "disposable" pets, sad to say.

The thought that any pet would be considered "disposable" is really upsetting. I just don't understand how you could spend money on a live being and then not spend the money and time to take care of it properly.

I get that sellers are just in it to make money and really the animals won't be with said seller long if the seller is turning any kind of profit. However, so many new owners rely on sellers for information and blindly believe that these sellers know their animals. While I think it is up to the buyer to research any animal they bring into their home in order to provide the best care I also think the sellers should know and be able to provide good info. on their animals since, after all, you are the one who decided to sell them in the first place.

Corey209 · 03-12-13, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reptimama

The thought that any pet would be considered "disposable" is really upsetting. I just don't understand how you could spend money on a live being and then not spend the money and time to take care of it properly.

I get that sellers are just in it to make money and really the animals won't be with said seller long if the seller is turning any kind of profit. However, so many new owners rely on sellers for information and blindly believe that these sellers know their animals. While I think it is up to the buyer to research any animal they bring into their home in order to provide the best care I also think the sellers should know and be able to provide good info. on their animals since, after all, you are the one who decided to sell them in the first place.

Reminds me of green iguanas.

DragonsEye · 03-12-13, 10:16 AM

Sad indeed. And let's face it -- we've all seen animals up and down the complete spectrum of the "evolutionary ladder" treated as "disposable pets" -- from inverts all the way up to cats and dogs.

Herpophiliac972 · 03-12-13, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reptimama

The thought that any pet would be considered "disposable" is really upsetting. I just don't understand how you could spend money on a live being and then not spend the money and time to take care of it properly.

I get that sellers are just in it to make money and really the animals won't be with said seller long if the seller is turning any kind of profit. However, so many new owners rely on sellers for information and blindly believe that these sellers know their animals. While I think it is up to the buyer to research any animal they bring into their home in order to provide the best care I also think the sellers should know and be able to provide good info. on their animals since, after all, you are the one who decided to sell them in the first place.

Exactly. It seems that people don't get into the pet industry for the animals anymore, it is all about the money. I absolutely hate people like that. They think that the animals don't deserve to live or something because they aren't cuddly or fuzzy. I can't wait until they are huge like in 1950's horror movies. I will be riding their backs as they tear up those cruel crab sellers on the boardwalk. I'll be back, with hermit crabs.

Herpophiliac972 · 03-12-13, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DragonsEye

Sad indeed. And let's face it -- we've all seen animals up and down the complete spectrum of the "evolutionary ladder" treated as "disposable pets" -- from inverts all the way up to cats and dogs.

Yeah, one day dogs are friends, the next day they are food. Same situation in China and the Middle East. Most of the time it is because people don't like them or they are tasty or make nice handbags. I still think about all of the animals mankind has obliviously obliterated.It is just terrible. The people who do it on purpose are worthless human beings in my eye. Humanity sometimes.

Herpophiliac972 · 03-17-13, 08:24 AM

On Friday I found out that one of my crabs had died during the night. It was pretty sad. Today I should be heading out and I will get one or two more, maybe some new decor, shells, etc. I am also going to re-do the enclosure before I put them all in, put in a new substrate, change around the stuff, etc. I will try to put up some pictures once I am done.