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My big female hermit crab is (I hate to say it) a bully. I bought a huge coco hut from the hermit crab patch, and I just watched her push one of my medium crabs right out of the hut. One big shove, right out of there. Now he is sitting there like, hey! She booted him out on his shell! Awww patchy! Now he is walking away. She is too much! I got them the gigantic hut, they got stuck in the crab works hotel a few weeks ago, I had to pull off the side of the hotel with pliers to get them out. So, I wanted to get them another hide away, along with the large faux cave. Patchy is standing at the mouth of the hut, hoping Cray (aka Prissy) will let him back in. He is in there again! Way to go Patchy!
Yes, quite amusing! They are always doing something interesting. My boyfriend doesn’t get it, he is not “one” of us. But, he did go with me to the Miss Crustacean Pageant last year, and he will be going with me this year as well. He does believe that the crabs deserve better, and one of his friends kids finally gave me his crab, his parents knew that they were not taking the best care of the little guy. They knew I could give the crab a better home, and better care. Almost 3 years later, the “little” guy is almost as big as my medium crab, he molted sooo much because the conditions were right, and, he is always the first to come out when I put fresh food in the tank. He lived in the awful wire cage before I got him, for three years. I cannot believe he lived that long in those conditions! Now, along with the other two, he is happy, healthy, and spoiled rotten! Even my boyfriend can appreciate the home he has now with me, and that his friend did not know how to properly care for the crab. He begged his friend to give the crab to me. I’m glad, the crab was also in a painted shell, and the second he moved into a natural one, I took away the painted shell. Looking forward to helping the hermies again, booking a hotel soon for Miss Crustacean Pageant 2015!
I used to have a crab that was a rampant puncher… any crab got to close and POW with the big pincer.
That is sooooo funny! I guess she figures, she was here first, and they better not forget it! I had her for 5 months before I got Tiny, and patchy came a few years later. I should have bought two crabs at the same time, I do not know why I didn’t. Cray likes to shove, push, and stick her leg out, so the other two cannot climb on her, or get in or on something that she wants at the time. I am glad she doesn’t really try to hurt them.
I look forward to reading your first person report of Miss Crustacean 2015, Beth!
I’m glad your boyfriend’s friend allowed to adopt the hermit crab. Wire cages are awful!
Three years is a very long survival time!Yes, three years is a long time to live in a wire cage! I was told the crab used every resource he could to stay alive! I was told he would actually eat his urine for saline! I don’t know how he could use his gills, maybe he had to constantly wet that area with shell water, I know they used a sponge in the water dish. He had to surface molt because they had gravel in the cage. He was 1/4 the size of my medium crab, and now he is a bit bigger than that crab now! Never saw a hermit crab grow sooo fast! I will have to post a pic showing his size from almost 3 years ago to now, it is quite amazing!
Tiny (white shell) and Patchy, who was 1/4 of the size of Tiny when I got him. As you can see, he seems to be a little larger than Tiny now. That is what proper conditions, food, water, and love will do! I wonder if Tiny ever thinks, hey, what happened? How come he is bigger than me?
I was told the crab used every resource he had to survive. He may have had his urine to eat for saline, and I don’t know how he used his gills, maybe he had to wet them all the time so he could breathe. Probable hardly molted, maybe a surface molt or two, gravel in the cage, sponge in water dish, horrible.
With proper food, water fresh and salt, the right tank conditions, this is little Patchy almost three years later…………
Tiny (white shell) and Patchy (brown shell). When I got Patchy, he was 1/4 of the size of Tiny. As you can see, Patchy is now a little larger than Tiny! Patchy molted a million times since I got him, well, maybe not a million, but, almost! I never saw a hermit crab grow soooo fast! I wonder if Tiny thinks, hey! What happened, I used to be bigger than him!
I have had crabs for many years but never had an aggressive bully until last year. When I first got him he would rush the other crabs and scare them into their shell. I stuck my hand in to get him and he rushed my hand. It worked I jerked my hand back quickly. He would grab the other crabs at their opening, the threat to shake them out. Lift as far as he could. Fortunately he never drove anyone out, their shells were too small for him anyway. He would boot them or flip them over with his front legs.
He no longer bullies like he did but still bold and aggressive. Doesn’t like other crabs. Plants his shell and hangs out of it like a Tarantula with his two front legs sticking out and up spider style. Won’t back in even if I wave my hand. He does this if I move him around a lot. I finally got a larger one this weekend. Very sweet crab to me and the others. He is being wary but won’t surprise me if he treats it rudely too. Never hurt me though, rides around on my thumb till we sit down.
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