hello to the forum.
My kids are wanting to get some hermit crabs to replace the last of the goldfish that have just died.
Found this site and at a quick glance there is loads of great information here for the care and enjoyment of hermies.
We will NOT be recycling the fish tank or any of its accessories, going to start with a fresh setup.
Looks like there is lots of research before starting out, one thing I have noticed is the conflicting information that was given by the pet store today, most of it has been contradicted by posts that I have read here. Think I know where I will be coming to for the information I need.
Look forward to reading and learning about hermies, they sound like they are great little guys to have around.
hello from an about to be first time hermie owner
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KayedeeLove<3
- Posts: 1267
- Joined: Mon May 23, 2016 10:34 pm
Re: hello from an about to be first time hermie owner
Heads up, anything that says hermit crab is probably bad for them and pet stores take horrible care of their crabs and give you the wrong info! Watch which dechlor and salt you buy.
Prime dechlor is great and instant ocean salt mix gives them nutrients they need! Good luck and welcome to HCA!
Sent from my LGMS345 using Tapatalk
Prime dechlor is great and instant ocean salt mix gives them nutrients they need! Good luck and welcome to HCA!
Sent from my LGMS345 using Tapatalk
Re: hello from an about to be first time hermie owner
Thanks, for that, I was starting to think that was the case, just with the little Research I have done away from pet stores.
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isadoraisacat
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- Location: new brunswick, NJ
Re: hello from an about to be first time hermie owner
please consult all the guides here through and through before adopting your first crabs.
DO NOT listen to pet stores they have no idea what they are doing. crabitats with half an inch of pink calci sand
and humdiity at 20 % its abuse what they do, never listen to them ever.
DO NOT listen to pet stores they have no idea what they are doing. crabitats with half an inch of pink calci sand
and humdiity at 20 % its abuse what they do, never listen to them ever.
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aussieJJDude
- Administrator
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Re: hello from an about to be first time hermie owner
Yep, isadoraisacat bet me to it. The care guides are a great source to bookmark for future reference.
I don't know the tank that the goldifsh were kept in, but if its fine for fish it should be fine for the crabs. Washing it out with a vinegar:water solution (1:1 ratio) is a great disinfectant, and even leaving it out to dry under the sun. So it might save you a bit of money, which you could spend on with other things...
Heads up, hermit crabs are prone to destressing for the first month, and when they moult - which can be frequent, particularly when small - they can be under the sand for month(s) at a time. Its quite common to have pet sand. This means that your children could lose interest in hermit crabs, as who wants to look at sand half the time? Not to mention, they are nocturnal creatures is its not often that they will be seen during the day. Not to scare you off the crabs, but its important decision since you would probably be the caretaker so if they likely to lose interest, it might save you a bit of money in the long run.
I don't know the tank that the goldifsh were kept in, but if its fine for fish it should be fine for the crabs. Washing it out with a vinegar:water solution (1:1 ratio) is a great disinfectant, and even leaving it out to dry under the sun. So it might save you a bit of money, which you could spend on with other things...
Heads up, hermit crabs are prone to destressing for the first month, and when they moult - which can be frequent, particularly when small - they can be under the sand for month(s) at a time. Its quite common to have pet sand. This means that your children could lose interest in hermit crabs, as who wants to look at sand half the time? Not to mention, they are nocturnal creatures is its not often that they will be seen during the day.
Not to scare you off the crabs, but its important decision since you would probably be the caretaker so if they likely to lose interest, it might save you a bit of money in the long run.|| Avid Aquarist Addict (2007) || Crazy Crabbing Connoisseur (2012) || Amateur Aroid Admirer (2014) ||
I strive to make HCA a welcoming space for all
Infrequently on due to studies, on a little more on in FB group
I strive to make HCA a welcoming space for all
Infrequently on due to studies, on a little more on in FB group
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soilentgringa
- Posts: 4352
- Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2014 5:18 pm
- Location: Dallas, TX
Re: hello from an about to be first time hermie owner
To be perfectly honest, had I known what I was getting into when my mother gave my son 2 PP's two years ago, I would have told her "No thank you".
He was 7 when we got them, is 9 now, and while he loves the crabs, and I've ended up with over 50 of them in my home atm, he rarely interacts with them at all because they aren't a hands on pet. They bury for months at a time, can't be played with, can't be cuddled with, and aren't super interesting once the novelty has worn off.
If you have small kids, they would probably do better with a more age appropriate hands-on animal.
He was 7 when we got them, is 9 now, and while he loves the crabs, and I've ended up with over 50 of them in my home atm, he rarely interacts with them at all because they aren't a hands on pet. They bury for months at a time, can't be played with, can't be cuddled with, and aren't super interesting once the novelty has worn off.
If you have small kids, they would probably do better with a more age appropriate hands-on animal.