In: Biology
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A hermit crab’s gills are enclosed in the branchial chamber, which functions as a lung. The branchial chamber is on the sides of the thorax, above the crab’s legs. A hermit crab breathes through its gills and branchial chamber, which must be kept moist in order to function. If the branchial chamber and gills dry out, the crab will die. Compared to aquatic crabs, land hermit crab’s gills are reduced in size, and if the adults are kept underwater too long, they will drown. [2] There are tufts of setae at various sites on the ventral surface that enable moisture from the substrate to beRead More →

In: Ask Milo
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Heather submitted the following question: My hermit crab like to explore during the day and is in a sleep-like position at night. Is that normal? Well Heather while hermit crabs are mostly nocturnal, they are also seen being active during the day. It sounds like possibly your tank is too cold and your hermit crab is active during the day when it is warmer and lethargic at night because it’s too cool. Minimum temperature should be 75F and maximum should be 82F. Your tank should provide a range of temperatures between the minimum and maximum. It is also important to check the substrate temperature. ToRead More →

Coenobita compressus enjoying fish, peanut butter and veggies - Photo by Amber Miner

In: Caresheets, FAQ
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First and foremost use the SEARCH BOX and SEARCH, SEARCH, SEARCH! Our site has a ton of information and nearly every question that a new crabber is trying to answer, has been asked here before. We work hard to maintain a current and extensive library of articles to help you. Have you found yourself an unprepared parent of a hermit crab or two? Are you prepared to give them the proper habitat in which they can survive long term? If so, here’s a very basic list of supplies to get you started.   A glass tank  go as big as you can afford  it doesn’tRead More →

In: Crabitat
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written by Rai Ahmes Relative humidity (RH) is measured as a percentage–absolute and specific humidity are NOT. If it reads in % it’s a relative gauge. RH gauges are fairly inexpensive and commonly available. Gauges measuring absolute or specific humidity are hard to find and expensive; they also read in either g/kg or g/cubic meter (or the non-metric equivalent) not %. “Actual humidity” and “exact humidity” are not measurements. Dial RH gauges are rarely calibrated properly by the time they reach your home. This is NOT the fault of the manufacturer. It is simply the way it is with this type of hygrometer whether it’sRead More →

In: FAQ
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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. Some people use cardboard and wrap it in plastic or tape.  Read More →

In: Caresheets
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Originally written by Vanessa Pike-Russell-Updated by Stacy Griffith What is Humidity? Humidity is a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air. It can be expressed in several ways. “Specific humidity” is the mass of water vapor per unit mass of combined dry air and water vapor, generally expressed in grams per kilogram. The specific humidity of an air parcel does not change with temperature. “Absolute humidity” is the density of water vapor, expressed as grams per cubic meter of air. “Relative humidity” is discussed below. Related terms are “saturation,” which describes the condition where water vapor is at a maximum concentration forRead More →