| Hermit crabs are fun pets to care for in your | | | | fresh water, and in the other, keep salt water, |
| home. They used to be reserved for souvenirs | | | | made with a marine aquarium salt solution. The |
| from seaside vacations, but now they can be | | | | dishes need to be shallow enough for the crabs to |
| bought almost anywhere. They make wonderful | | | | crawl into. A natural sea sponge is a nice addition |
| starter pets for kids. They make a great | | | | to the fresh water dish, your crab will love to |
| alternative to the more traditional gerbils or | | | | pinch it, and it will help keep the humidity levels up |
| hamsters, and they have a much longer lifespan | | | | the aquarium. |
| than goldfish! Contrary to what you might expect | | | | The last thing you will need to gussy up your |
| if you are new to hermit crabs, it is possible to | | | | hermit crab home is some decorative wood |
| play with them, and they do have little | | | | pieces for the crabs to climb on. Coral and |
| personalities of their own. Do you think hermit | | | | coconut shells also make great additions that your |
| crabs may make a great pet for you? Here are | | | | crab will love to play with. |
| some helpful hints to get you started. | | | | Once you get your crab, to feed it, you will need |
| Before you get your crab, you need to get the | | | | to get some commercial hermit crab food. You |
| basic equipment and supplies in place. First, they | | | | can supplement that food with small pieces of |
| will need an aquarium for their house. Forget | | | | fruit, meat, cereal, or fish. Additionally, make sure |
| those teeny, tiny cages you see at the shops by | | | | your crab gets crushed eggshells or oyster shells |
| the beach; hermit crabs really need a ten-gallon | | | | to boost their calcium level; it is important to keep |
| aquarium to be comfortable. If you are getting | | | | their fragile skeletons strong. Cuttlebone is |
| more than one crab, obviously you will be a bigger | | | | another option for this purpose. |
| aquarium. A pet shop will be able to advise you on | | | | To care for your crab, clean their water and food |
| the best size for the number of crabs you will be | | | | dishes daily, and spot the clean the tank when |
| housing. Make sure the aquarium has a snug fitting | | | | necessary. You will want to provide plenty of |
| lid so your little friends do not make a run for it! | | | | extra shells, in increasingly larger sizes, so your |
| Place a heating pad under the tank to keep your | | | | crab can change homes as they grow. Shells with |
| crabs feeling nice and tropical. | | | | wide openings are best. When your crab molts, |
| You will need something to cover the floor of the | | | | remove the skin they have shed as soon as |
| tank, as well. Three to four inches of sand works | | | | possible. |
| best, but you can also use crushed coral or reptile | | | | One optional, but useful accessory to get is a |
| fiber bedding. If you use something other than | | | | tank thermometer and humidity-measuring tool. |
| sand, it is still a good idea to cover a portion of | | | | Your hermit crab will be most comfortable when |
| the floor with sand, so the crabs will have | | | | the temperature is kept around 72°F - 80°F |
| somewhere comfortable to go when they molt. | | | | and the humidity level is between 70% and 80%. |
| Now that you have the house and the flooring | | | | With these helpful hints, you are ready to get |
| covered, you will need to get two shallow water | | | | your hermit crab. All that is left to do now is |
| dishes and a food dish. Shallow shells work well | | | | come up with a name for your new pet! |
| for this job. In one water dish, you should keep | | | | |