Best crabs for beginner & classroom

[friendlyfishies]

Hi everyone! I'm a teacher & we will be doing a project involving hermit crabs. I've been researching their care like crazy & I am glad I stumbled upon this website. I have been granted permission to host crabs in the classroom for the school year. In the summer the crabs will then venture with me to my summer job in a childcare setting, returning to the classroom, so on so forth. No worries, though the crabs will be a learning tool they will not be handled excessively & will be kept in a stress free part of the classroom. I'm really excited about this & want to provide the best care possible for these little cuties. The downfall...I am only allowed a maximum tank size of 10 gallons in the classroom. Upon research, it sounds as though this is a small space for crabs & only two crabs will live there comfortably. I will need tips on how to maximize this space? Secondly, can you mix genders? I am asking because the classroom allowance from the board is minimal, I will most likely only be able to purchase my new crabs at pet store rates. Tips on what to look for? Do they sell one general species or might they be mixed? & if they are mixed which species should I be looking for? (keeping in mind the smaller space & gentle child handling).
Also, will I need a UVB light or is natural light sufficient?

Any other tips & suggestions welcome! thank you

[megmaholm]

Welcome! Yes, for a 10 gallon you'll probably just want a couple small ones. Keep in mind they'll grow quickly and you will need to get them a larger tank at some point. Assuming you're in the US, the most common species are Purple Pinchers (PPs) and Ecuadorians (Es). Assuming you go with Petco/Petsmart, I think PPs are going to be the most common, and I would encourage you to go with that. E's require more space, don't handle crowding as well, and really need a larger tank. http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 51&t=92452 that's the specific care sheet for PPs, and I would also recommend you read http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 51&t=92457 for general care tips.

Mixing genders is fine. UVB isn't strictly necessary - the important thing is they have a day/night cycle. Personally, I have a regular lightbulb on a timer to be on for 12 hours, off for 12.

The most important things I recommend are what you can find on the care sheet..a good diet, proper substrate depth and consistency, access to both fresh and saltwater in dishes deep enough for them to submerge, etc. Make sure you have a good variety of shells for them, also. As far as food, please stay away from the commercial ones! You can feed them dried mixes from places like hermitcrabpatch.com or alaskahermit.com, etc. or feed your own mixes of fresh. They can eat just about anything we eat, minus most spices and seasonings. Under care sheets and guides (http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... m.php?f=51) there are topics on safe and unsafe foods, a general guide to nutrition, and so on. They're valuable resources!

For maximizing your space, you could put in a shower caddy as a moss pit - crabs love to hide in it, eat the moss, and it will also help boost your humidity. If you want to keep your extra shells organized and a little cleaner, a shower caddy works great for that as well, and you can bring it off the substrate to free up more space. Just provide easy ways in and out.

Just to warn you, while hermit crabs are fascinating pets, don't expect to see them too often in the beginning. They're treated roughly from being captured and transported, and pet store conditions are usually crummy, so many new crabs will immediately dig under for quite a while to destress and molt.

There are SO many things I could ramble on about, so feel free to ask as many questions as you may have!

[friendlyfishies]

Thanks so much! That's great info/links! I do have an old tank hanging around that's maybe a old 29 gallon? Id have to measure it. I had never used it my nephew picked it up years ago on the side of the road. However I'm not 100% sure I could convince the school to allow it but it would be worth a try ....It does though, have an all glass back, would this stress the crabs? Or, if perhaps I put plenty of cover over the glass they would be okay? In this case I would have to put the heating pad on the side of the tank, would this be appropriate?

[megmaholm]

More room is always better! A 29 gallon is a good size if you can convince the school to let you use it

If you use an heating pad, it should go on the back or side of the tank anyway, above the substrate line. Once you have the proper amount of substrate (minimum of 6") in the tank, a heating pad can be dangerous if put on the bottom.