In: Caresheets, Crabitat

Welcome to Hermit Crab Pool Boy Training 101!  We hope the following information will cover hermit crab water pools from a-z. If we didn’t cover something here please feel free to comment or contact us. Let’s dive right in, the water is fine! Your tank should have two types of water bowls or pools: ocean water made from marine-grade salt and freshwater. Tap water contains beneficial minerals and metals so we discourage the use of distilled or otherwise purified water. Tap water must be treated with a product like Seachem Prime to make it safe for use. Prime also binds ammonia. In our testing, ammoniaRead More →

In: Crabitat, FAQ

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 →

In: Caresheets, Crabitat

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: Biology

Fig. 1. (A) Morphology of the branchiostegite and anterior appendages of Birgus latro, lateral view with legs omitted. (B) Lateral view of the branchial chamber of Birgus latro with the branchiostegite on the right-hand side reflected upwards to expose the inner surface of the branchiostegite. Note the distinction between the anterior hairlined portion of the branchiostegite and the posterior respiratory portion. The nephropore (antennal gland opening) faces posteriorly and opens directly into the branchial chamber. (Drawing made from a 500 g animal, approximately 20 cm in length excluding appendages, as shown.) Collapse Published in 1991Adaptations to a Terrestrial Existence by the Robber Crab Birgus Latro: VII.Read More →

In: Crabitat, General

A couple years ago when we created our Facebook group to go along with our website I was shocked to find so many people with flooding issues and bacterial blooms in their crabitats. The response to this was a false bottoms.  In 14 years of crab keeping I’ve never encountered this, so it’s on my mind all the time…where is all the water coming from? I think I may be on the path to the root cause – overly wet substrate at the beginning. When you take sandcastle wet sand, add wet ecoearth, add bubbler pools and heat and it’s no wonder the humidity inRead More →

In: Crabitat

by Pam Liberatore This is my little diy on a 3D crabitat background.  Please remember this is how I did mine and in no way the only way or the correct way.  I really don’t know if there is a right or wrong way.  I think it comes down to what works for you and good planning of the whole process.   I used the instructions at NEherp and studied them over and over again.   Here is the link: Custom Backgrounds That being said let’s get started. Step 1: First, you need a tank, mine is a 40 gallon breeder tank.  Now I only did oneRead More →

In: Crabitat

If you’ve ever dealt with ants in your home you know what a challenge it can be to get rid of them. Ants in your home may be a nuisance to you but ants in your hermit crabs’s home can be dangerous. Ants can and will attack molting crabs, and this could kill the hermit crab. If you find ants in your crabitat it is an emergency situation that must be dealt with immediately.   Your approach will depend on the answers to a few questions: Where are they coming from? Are they coming into the crabitat from outside or are they living in theRead More →

In: Caresheets, Crabitat, FAQ, General

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 pet store 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 properlyRead More →

In: Crabitat

Land hermit crabs require a properly set up crabitat to survive and thrive in captivity. Sometimes we may not be able to provide that right away or we need a temporary housing set up because we are moving to a new home or we are faced with evacuating our current home. Perhaps you just bought your first hermit crabs and have discovered that the Kritter Keeper you were sold is NOT a sufficient home but can’t afford or don’t have immediate access the proper supplies. In these circumstances you can set up a temporary crabitat. The MacGyver crabitat (ideal for emergency short term housing whenRead More →

In: Crabitat

Hermit crabs are tree climbers by nature so maximizing all the vertical space in your tank will provide them with a more enriching and stimulating environment. Making use of all four walls of the tank will give your hermit crabs more room to roam and explore. Also if you use overhead lights you can provide your hermit crabs a way to get closer to the lights and warm themselves as needed. You can get very creative in making second levels with a variety of materials. Just be sure the materials are safe before placing them in your tank. Avoid metal that can rust, paint thatRead More →

In: Crabitat

A total tank tear down for cleaning is no longer considered necessary. If set up properly from the beginning your tank will become bioactive over time and can be kept up with minimal effort. The information below can be applied when purchasing used items that you wish to clean before set up or if you have an emergency (flood, bacteria, insect invasion) situation and need to do a tear down to deal with it. When adopting hermit crabs you may also receive their tank. It is a good idea to fully santize the tank and all the decor items. Throw away the substrate and startRead More →

In: General

originally written by Jedediah and updated by Stacy Griffith It is impossible to completely rid your home of insects. https://www.wired.com/2016/01/just-give-up-its-impossible-to-bug-proof-your-home Tip: Need to identify a bug? Place it in a cup of water so you can take a clear photo of it or use a magnifying glass to inspect it. Insects Insects have six legs and three body parts that are usually clearly visible, the head, the thorax (the breast) and the abdomen. Most of them have wings, although those might not be clearly visible, some insects can hide them in a sort of pouch on their back (like earwigs) and some insects have noRead More →

In: General

Setting up a proper crabitat can be expensive even with a 20 gallon tank and the bigger the tank the bigger the price tag for stocking it. With some planning and creativity you can upgrade to a large crabitat without going broke. This article is about ways to save money when setting up as well as some common mistakes to avoid. The first thing I can’t stress to people enough is that there are places you can shop that are far cheaper than a pet store!! A new 150 gallon tank will cost you hundreds of dollars. I bought my 150 gallon tank out ofRead More →

In: FAQ

When the power goes out the biggest concern is keeping the crabitat warm. Allowing the temperature to fall below 72F is dangerous. We don’t have any data indicating at what temperature a crab will die or how long it can be exposed to this temperature before dying. Hermit crabs are tropical animals so they are not meant to endure cold temperatures for extended periods of time. This article will suggest some ways to insulate a crabitat or deal with a power outage/lack of heat. Some of these ideas will also work in a pinch if your tank heater fails and you can’t get a replacementRead More →

In: FAQ

Our beloved hermit crabs are ectothermic creatures, which means they depend on the environment to regulate their body temperature. This means maintaining their crabitat at proper temperature and humidity is literally a matter of life and death. With warm summer temps comes the risk of a too hot crabitat, below are some tips to help cool down your crabbies on a blazing hot day. First remember that hermit crabs are tropical creatures so they can handle brief temperature spikes and be okay. A prolonged heat wave will be too much for them to handle. If you cool your home by opening windows and using fans,Read More →

In: FAQ

A thermostat monitors the temperature and turns the heat pad on and off to keep the temperature at the value you entered, like the one in your home that controls your heat or air conditioning. Most thermostats come with a probe. Inkbird is a brand we trust and they offer many different options for heat and humidity monitoring. A rheostat or dimmer is a dial that allows the user to adjust the level of heat based on their preference but is not automated in anyway. It works like the volume knob in your car. Rheostats can be used with a thermostat but it’s not necessary.Read More →

In: FAQ

Originally posted at All Things Crabby Things Hermit Crab Care Blog The first step to creating and maintaining humidity in your tank, is a good lid. A screen lid alone is not sufficient. A glass/plexiglass/lexan lid, cut to fit is the best option. Plexiglass/lexan can be purchased at most hardware stores and be cut to size for free. This can be placed on top of your existing screen lid for stability. Coroplast is another good option for a lid. This can be placed on top of your existing screen lid for stability. In the short term, you can use plastic wrap over the screen lid. SomeRead More →

In: Crabitat, FAQ

The LHCOS official stance on PVC is: Use at your own risk The safety of PVC is a hotly debated topic and without research on its effect on crustaceans we are not able to make a determination.  Below are some arguments against and for PVC. CrabbyAbbey answered: PVC isn’t a safe product to be used in a closed environment or with land hermits that tend to taste sample their surroundings, or really anywhere for that matter. It’s production includes chlorine and lead and it leaches chemical gases into the air, especially in heated areas. In closed areas like crabitats these dangers are even more harmful.Read More →