Hermit Crab Care and Setup Tutorial Guide

Learn how to setup and care for your hermit crabs from Dr. Mark Mitchell, Professor of Zoological Medicine at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, and Fluker Farms.

Hermit crabs make great pets that are fun and entertaining. Despite their name, they are friendly and very social! Before bringing home your new hermit crabs, it’s important to have all the supplies you need ahead of time. This will ensure your pets have an easy and healthy transition to your care.

Topics discussed include quick facts, enclosures, substrate, accessories, temperature, lighting, diet, nutrition, behavior, handling, and safety.

Chapters
0:00 Hermit Crab Care
0:46 Enclosure
1:40 Substrate
2:46 Food & Water
5:37 Accessories
7:32 Temperature & Humidity
9:52 Diet & Nutrition
11:37 Handling & Safety

#HermitCrabs

[spencertavares]

They can live up to 30 years if properly cared for

[spencertavares]

You also NEED 6 inches of sand, if not your crabs will eat one another when they are molting

[cindywa]

Wrong wrong wrong, this is a video trying to promote products. That does not make the products right or the information right

1) It should be 10 gall per crab, do not cram crabs into a ten gallon tank. Crabs grow and they'll need more than just 10 gallons. Don't waste your money on a 10 gallon when you know you'll have to upgrade eventually.

2) Do not put a heater under the tank, it'll get in the way of your crabs molting. Instead place the heat pad on the whole back of tank (ABOVE WHERE THE SAND STARTS).

3) Crabs can live up to 30 years. They do not live long in captivity, most only 6 months because how bad they are cared for.
4) They need a fully covered lid to hold humidity, a lid that is not covered allows bugs to get in, heat to escape and the humidity to leave ( you'll be slowly choking your crabs).

5) MAKE YOUR OWN SUBSTRATE (play sand, ecoearth, Oster shells and dechlorinated water), keep in mind that this is a video trying to promote their products. That does not make the products right or the information right.

6) SPONGES, they hold bad bacteria. Crabs don't drink from a sponge, a simple bubbler in both pools would help boost humidity.

7) Save money by making your own 2 water dishes out of plastic bowls, with a bubbler. That way you can get a REAL pool with moving room. this is a video trying to promote their products. That does not make the products right.

8)Check the wood you are putting in your tank, some wood can be toxic to hermit crabs, like pinewood.

9)Temperature should be 80 to 95 degrees.
10) NO COLORED SHELLS, the paint is toxic.

I've had my crabs for 14 years. They are the size of a soft ball now and alot of work. I am not a professional on hermit crabs, but I do know that 9 in 10 crabs sold, die in the first month. I would not advice you to get hermit crabs. NOT for kids. They are only wild caught, and most die of stress before they make it to a crappy pet shop. This is a video trying to promote their products. That does not make the products right or the information right.

[spencertavares]

And the shells from the pet store are bad, they like shells with an “o” shaped opening like a turbo shell

[Grace-ezbk]

Finally someone that know proper info and care (well most!)

[bird-yrgz]

The one guy that disliked is salty about this video.