Hermit crab's gills are sensitive to airborne irritants

In: Caresheets, Crabitat
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Land hermit crabs breathe through a modified gill. It is important to protect the gills from strong fragrances, essential oils, candles, household cleaners, chemicals, smoke insecticides and other airborne irritants. Be mindful of what you spray or use near the crabitat even if your tank is fully sealed. Residual product may still be in the air when you open your tank. If you are forced to have your home sprayed for insects ensure your tank is fully sealed with saran wrap or something similar. Allow the house to air out at least 24 hours before unsealing your tank.Read More →

In: General
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That’s right, HUNGARY! We have our first European Local Representative joining us.  Please welcome Veronika Barany Berthane to the team! This mother of two became the owner of a couple hermit crabs when a friend of her child no longer wanted them. With a little bit of searching she found our Facebook group. After joining our group and learning all she could about hermit crab care she decided to help others in her region by translating our care practices and establishing a hermit crab care blog and a Facebook group in Hungarian. Veronika also posts pictures of her hermit crabs babies on Instagram.    From Veronika: IRead More →

In: General
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Relocating to a new house is something all humans do at least once in their life. Sometimes the move is planned and sometimes not so much. Relocating with hermit crabs can be a bit more challenging that moving with other pets. While I’m certain there are other ways to ensure the move goes smoothly we are only going to cover some basics here. First of all, do not move your tank with the substrate and crabs still in it. The biggest danger is the collapsing of molt burrows. Even if you don’t have hermit crabs underground you risk the bottom busting out of the tankRead More →

In: Caresheets, Crabitat, FAQ, General
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Let’s look at how to set up a proper hermit crab habitat, which we refer to as a crabitat. Basing your tank set up on what you saw at the petstore or mall cart where you may have purchased your hermit crabs is a recipe for disaster. Kritter Keepers and wire cages are death boxes and should never be used. Listed below are the primary components of a proper set up and we will discuss them in detail. If you are not willing to equip the tank properly you should return your hermit crabs or rehome them, they will not thrive without a properly set upRead More →

In: General
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In hermit crabs, the fourth and particularly the fifth pereopods are reduced, usually remaining within the confines of the gastropod shell and hence are not used for walking. These appendages do however becoming important when the hermit crab attempts to right itself, providing anchorage within the shell. Further, the fifth pereopod has become specialised as a gill cleaning appendage, often resting within the gill chamber (Bauer 1981). On the abdomen only the left pleopods are retained (Poore 2004).[1] Hermit crabs used specialized setae on the their maixillipedes and fifth pereiopods for most grooming but used the unmodified first, second, and third periopods as well. MostRead More →

In: Ask Milo
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Anna asks: I have been having some trouble finding a good way to make some fun toys that my hermit crabs would love. My Crabitait is plain With nothing for the hermit crabs to really do. I have some branches that they don’t like and a lego 2nd floor which they dont go on unless i put them on there(though they LOVE to hangout under it). Plus the toys at the pet store are to expinzie for my buget. I want them to love there cage. Do have any ideas for homemade toys that would make my hermit crabs have a better time in myRead More →

In: Food and Nutrition
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Hermit crabs are omnivorous scavengers in the wild. There are lots of different foods that a hermit crab can eat. We have several different food lists for commonly fed items. Check out a few of the atypical things that hermit crabs can eat: Feces – herbivorous animal droppings. In Quirimba hermit crabs are known to eat human waste as well. Fish flakes or pellets Bloodworms Mealworms Earthworms Cuttlebone – great source of calcium Bonemeal – great source of calcium Cicadas and their exoskeletons (most other bugs too) Worm castings GreensandRead More →

Coenobita cavipes Surface Molt

In: Caresheets, FAQ
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Hermit crabs typically go about their molting business below ground away from your prying eyes and nosey tank mates but this isn’t always the case. Sometimes you will find yourself with a surface molter on your hands. Surface molts can be very cool for you but additionally stressful for the crab. Let’s look at the best way to handle a surface molter. First do not touch or move the crab! (unless you feel you must to ensure it’s safety) Second find a way to securely isolate the crab. It is extremely important that your tank temperature and humidity are in the proper ranges at thisRead More →

In: Noteworthy Crabbers
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Hello, I am Tony from Hong Kong. Land hermit crab can found in pet shop, but there is not much information about them. When you ask the sales how to take care of them, they will tell you to give them a little bit of water in the tank is ok and give them bread for food. I followed this method when I was a kid, of course they are all out of shell and died after few weeks. Some people even do not know they are different from marine hermit crab and will put them into aquarium. I think me and land hermit crabRead More →

In: Ask Milo
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Anna asks: How do i get white fluff mold from my old cage off of my half log hut with out burning it? Dear Anna, The white fluff mold is not at all safe for your hermit crabs!. If the half log hut is small enough, I recommend placing it a pot of boiling water. Boiling it for 15 minutes or so should be good. Then place it on a cookie sheet and turn your oven on a low setting like WARM or 200F. This will provide a low heat for thoroughly drying the half log hut. This temperature is safe and will not burnRead More →