Either your kids have convinced you to bring home a cute, cuddly hermit crab or you wanted them all for yourself as an easy pet.
Your hermit crabs are now at your home, but you're just not sure how to properly care for them to keep them as healthy and happy as possible.
There are tons of other "parents" who are in the same boat you are, and interestingly enough, it seems as if the more crabs you bring home, the easier your duties become - relatively speaking - because they are so much happier and healthier in a group than as individuals.
There are four basic hermit crab care elements where you'll want to pay special attention, including temperature of your crab's environment, humidity of the tank, substrate, and diet.
1.
) Tank Temperature It's critical to understand where your hermit crab came from before stopping for a visit at your local pet store and then making his way to your home.
Your crabs came from more tropical and warmer regions of the globe, including much of the Caribbean, Central America, and other parts along the equator.
These regions have a warmer and more consistent temperature, and are healthier for them.
You'll want to recreate similar temperatures in your tank or terrarium to keep your hermit crabs as healthy as possible.
Your crabs should never be exposed to temperatures lower than 72 degrees, as it can create huge health issues.
Understandably, you also don't want to have your hermit crab get too hot, so it's best to not keep the cage in direct sunlight.
You will notice your crabs are overheating by a musty smell and he'll also be discharging a brown liquid.
2.
) Tank Humidity Nearly as important as the tank temperature when caring for your hermit crab is humidity.
In order to create a natural and proper environment, you'll want to maintain consistent levels of humidity at least 70 percent.
You can purchase a hydrometer from your local pet store to make sure the humidity levels maintain at such constant levels.
3.
) Substrate Most new owners are unaware of the importance of substrate in your crab's cage.
Simply put, substrate is just a material on the floor of your tank that allows them to dig, crawl around, and bury.
Proper substrate is most important when caring for your hermit crab and helps to make them feel comfortable and at home.
Sand is a common choice for substrate since it mimics that of his natural habitat near the water, but make sure to purchase store-bought sand specifically for your little guys, as it is sterilized unlike playground sand.
Many other owners choose other materials such as pebbles and shredded coconut husk, but never use gravel for your substrate, which can be harmful to your crab.
You'll also want to make sure your substrate is deep enough so your crab can dig and burrow without reaching the cage heater - usually between 1"-2" of substrate is recommended.
4.
) Crab Diet One final critical element of hermit crab care is their diet.
If your crabs were in the wild, he would find foods which have fallen to the ground like fruits, plants, and grasses.
It's been documented that to properly care for your hermit crabs, diets rich in calcium, carotene, and antioxidants are important.
When crabs are deficient in certain elements, for example, carotene, your crab will actually change color, going from a healthy brown to a gray color.
Feeding them brightly colored vegetables like carrots can help prevent such issues.
A variety of fruit, vegetables, and even meats and fish can help keep your crabs in great health to live for decades to come.
When taking all these factors and environmental conditions into consideration, you will maintain healthy and happy crabs for years to come!