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FAQ

The Crab Street Journal FAQs

Is UV light necessary for land hermit crabs?

2020-05-06
In: Biology, Crabitat, FAQ, General
Tagged: beneficial, bulb, hermit crab, light, necessary, ultraviolet, uv, uva, uvb

There seems to be some controversy and confusion regarding the need for UV-B lighting with hermit crabs. Due to the esoteric nature of our chosen pets, few studies are available to draw from which explicitly study hermit crabs. There is however a considerable volume of research regarding crustaceans, and more specifically decapod biology available to study.Read More →

a tuft of setae on the small pincer of a hermit crab

Why are hermit crabs hairy?

2020-04-16
In: Biology, FAQ
Tagged: hairy, setae

Why are hermit crabs hairy? Those little ‘hairs’ you see all over the body and chelipeds of your hermit crab are not hairs at all. They are an extension of the exoskeleton and are called setae. A seta is an elongate projection with a more or less circular base and a continuous lumen; the lumen has a semicircular arrangement of sheath cells basally. [1] Revising the definition of the crustacean seta and setal classification systems based on examinations of the mouthpart setae of seven species of decapods A. GARM Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 142, Issue 2, October 2004, Pages 233–252 What inRead More →

two boys looking into a hermit crab habitat

Hermit Crabs – A Hands Off Pet

2020-03-26
In: FAQ
Tagged: exercise, hands off, hermit crab, holding, play time

The Land Hermit Crab Owners Society recommends that hermit crabs only be removed from their habitat for an occasional visual inspection or photo. This is one of the most contested recommendations in our community. The LHCOS recommendation is based on what research has taught us thus far. We are still learning, research is still being conducted and we are following it closely. Land hermit crabs require humid air to breathe. When the relative humidity drops below 70% the gills begin to dry out. Over time the gills will become irreversibly damaged. How much damage they can sustain before death is not known. Land hermit crabsRead More →

A Holiday Feast for Hermit Crabs

2019-11-28
In: FAQ, Food and Nutrition, General
Tagged: christmas, diet, eat, food, holiday, meal, nutrition, potatoes, safe, thanksgiving, turkey

***REMEMBER NO SEASONINGS OR ADDED SUGAR*** Safe to feed: Turkey raw or cooked Save the neck and giblet bag for the crabs Turkey bones Crack them open so they can get at the marrow. Potatoes No eyes or green parts raw or cooked. Veggies raw or cooked *no onions or garlic* Dark Leafy Greens must be cooked first. Nuts ground, whole, chunks. Fruits Sour fruit will not be eaten (for example: they will not eat like lemon) Oils pure and cold pressed are best Herbs No Rosemary evergreen family. If you brine or injected with rosemary or rosemary oils compound butters etc could have absorbedRead More →

Hermit Crab Vacation Care

2019-07-24
In: FAQ
Tagged: babysitter, care, hermit crab, instructions, pet sitter, vacation

We all go on vacation  or have to be away from home for an extended period at some point. Your hermit crabs will need someone to check on them at least once during a seven day absence. Ideally someone can check on them every other day but not everyone is able to arrange a regular check in. Be sure to write up an instruction sheet for your pet sitter. Include a link to this website, our emergency form and even our Facebook group so that we can help them if they need us. If your sitter isn’t a crab keeper they may have trouble rememberingRead More →

Glycyphagus-spp-mite

Managing grain mites in the crabitat

2018-08-25
In: Crabitat, FAQ
Tagged: crabitat, food, grain, hermit crabs, mites, tank

Written by Anne Grady Food mites, more properly called grain mites are something that can be found in any tank at any time. The first thing to understand is that they did not come from the crabs, having hermit crabs does not cause you to have food mites. Food mites come into your home through the everyday things you buy at the grocery store. Anything that contains grain can have food mites. Oatmeal, grits, breakfast cereal, noodles, flour and rice are a few examples. In general you won’t see them and they are harmless, but that box of corn meal or pancake mix that getsRead More →

Wee wants to be big so bad

Land Hermit Crab Shell Guide

2018-02-11
In: FAQ
Tagged: bad, fit, good, hermit crab, measure, sea shell, shells, size, type, what to buy, where to order

A hermit crab’s shell is his life sustaining home and his protection from predators and desiccation. Hermit crabs take up residence in discarded gastropod shells and can not make their own shell. “For the vast majority of crustaceans which we call hermit crabs, the behavior patterns by which individuals utilize empty gastropod shells as shelter are critical to the crab’s existence. Orientation to shells, selection of a shell to enter, entry of a shell, and subsequent living the shell are all behaviors which directly affect the Darwinian fitness of an individual crab. Failure to find or efficiently enter a shell at all can rapidly andRead More →

Setting up a proper crabitat

2016-03-23
In: Caresheets, Crabitat, FAQ, General
Tagged: crabitat, habitat, hermit crab care, home, house, how to, mandatory, needed, proper, requirements, right way, tank

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 →

Coenobita cavipes Surface Molt

Hermit Crab Surface Molt

2015-09-07
In: Caresheets, FAQ
Tagged: above, ground, hermit crab, hermit crab care, molt, molting, not buried, shed, surface

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 →

FAQ Can I put ladybugs in my crabitat?

2015-02-16
In: Crabitat, FAQ
Tagged: hermit crab, hermit crab care, ladybugs

Question: Craboza asked: I want them to eat the bad things. Will they eat aphids and other bad bugs in there? Or anything that is not the crabs? I want them to keep all possible parasites out. If I can use ladybugs, how many can I put in? Where do I get them? Thank you.   Answer: Bugboy (aka King Arthur-Pod) answered: Don’t…..lady bugs are toxic, that’s the reason for the orange and black coloring. If one should die and the crabs eat it, could be harmful. Put one on the tip of your tongue, you’ll no how nasty they really are(OK so I’m anRead More →

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    • Chewin’ the Choya (Forums)
      • Contest Entry Forum
    • Contest Rules
      • Calendar Crab
      • Hermit Crab Pumpkin Carving Contest
      • It’s the Great Pumpkin, Hermit Crab!
    • CSJ on Social Media
      • Crab Street Journal Instagram Feed
    • Testimonials
  • Resources
    • Hermit Crab Care 101
    • Hermit Crab Emergency Help
    • Adoptions
    • Market (Food Shop)
    • Become an Approved Seller
    • Teacher’s Pet/Claws in the Classroom
    • Advocacy and Outreach
      • Animal Cruelty Laws
      • Pet Store Report Form
      • Pet Store Reports
      • Say NO to Painted Shells
    • Caresheets
      • Crabitat
      • FAQ
      • Food and Nutrition
        • Market (food shop)
        • Recipe Book for Hermit Crabs
          • Hermit Crab Recipe Submission Form
      • Biology
        • Hermit Crab Species
      • PDF Library
    • Shopping Directory
    • Activity Pages
      • Coloring Pages
      • Word Find
      • Mazes
    • There’s a map for that!
      • CSJ/LHCOS Approved Adopters Maps
      • Local Reps Map
      • Hermit Crab Species Map
    • Product Reviews
      • Product Review Submission Form
    • Back issues of our print magazine
    • Media Kit
  • About us
  • Support CSJ!
    • Amazon Promotions
    • Hermit Crab Clothing and Goodies
    • Purchase a Hermit Crab species poster
    • Donate-Paypal

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