Hey I am a owner of hermit crabs. And what the pet store tells you is mostly wrong. 1st of all plastic Tanks are a no no glass tanks no less then 10gallons. And hermit crab food no aswell only feed fresh food.

Absolutely Crabulous
English site

Welcome to landhermitcrabs.com
American site both very helpful

yep those plastic tanks are useless

they are suposed to be built for hermit crabs but in the uk the tempreture is far too cold so you need to keep the heat in

ive got a 10 gallon glass tank with plastic lid and fine wire mesh over the top
2 resons for this

hermit crabs can climb very good
and also to stop the tiny flys entering the crabitat

they are attracted to the substrate and humidity and will lay eggs and before you know it your crabitat will be filled with tiny black flys

not good for you crabbies

ild recomend playsand you buy for kids sand pits
since ive changed my substrate to this they are very active and moult
reguarly

you need 2 types of water

declorinated or bottled spring water
and declorinated "salt" water solution at around 20% salinity
they need the salt water and its essential for ther health to have this

calcium blocks or crushed cuttle fish will help harden there exoskelleton after moults and help keep them in good condition

calcium sand can also help this too

dont use calci sand as the main substrate as its too grainy for there abdomens and can make them uncomfortable
you need about 3-4 inches minimum depth of sand in atleast one side of the tank
playsand as the main substrate and a little dish of calci sand is perfect

keep the sand at sandcastle building consistancy not too wet and not too dry on atleast half of the tank as they like to burrow in the wet sand
also its a great ide to check the bottom of the tank now and then by digging
right to the glass floor and check how wet it is if its really wet reduce the misting to every other day to avoid flooding

hermit crab pellets are suitable as supplement as it has enriched ingredients
which are benafical to them
also supply daily fresh items like a peice of apple or carrot

at your fish mongers ask if they have any fish diveratives "waste fresh fish"
take it home and blend it into a fine paste
cut into little blocks and freeze them
take a portion out and leave to thaw for 1 hour then feed at night time
crabs love stinky fishy products and blending them even with bones for extra calcium is great for them and they love it

prawn with shells on is also a tasty treat
they also love peanut butter and honey

but save these as treats on some occasions not all the time

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Hehe See my weirdest pet pic here
The oddest pet you will ever see probably lol
http://www.petforums.co.uk/gallery/d...p?imageid=2323

Very awesome, I've really considered getting some soon. I hope to get some in need of real care, maybe from a pet shop.

AniBudgie

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