Somewhat new to this... Hi!

[willertac]

Hi there!
I've been doing research recently on hermit crabs, and would love to revisit them. Apparently all those years ago, I didn't exactly know what I was doing, so you can guess what happened to those poor creatures... But now I'm armed with knowledge!
I have lots and lots of fish, and I'm trying to work on bringing that amount down. Right now, I have two tanks that could be used for the crabs: a leaky 29 gallon and a 20 long turtle tank. Now the thing is... where and what to buy...

Every summer, we go to the boardwalk (Pt. Pleasant, NJ) and I always see the cage of hermies with their colorful shells for sale. I also see the crabs every time I pass the fish sections in the pet stores. Turns out, the ones I see on the boardwalk are always more active and "alive" than the ones at the stores. I don't know where I should get mine, or how many for my size of tank, as I know they should be gotten in groups. I could also adopt, but then I feel that if something were to go wrong (I'm still a newbie) I'd have let down the previous owners.
I've been scouring all of the internet for ideas on setup of the crabitat, and I think I've got that down. Now all that's missing is where I should get my crabs and how many!

Help me out, would ya?

[wodesorel]

Hello and welcome!

I went from fish to hermits, too. I think it's an easy transitions since you've got a good understanding of the sensitivities that can be involved with keeping aquatic critters. The 29 would be a better choice - it will allow for deeper sub and more climbing room, and should be the same footprint of the 20 long. If the turtle tank has the half side on it for a filter, you'd have to find a way to seal it up tight as hermit crabs are escape artists.

As far as where to get them, something to keep in mind is that a happy healthy hermit should not be very active. Yes, they move around and they climb, but they do so slowly at their own pace. The ones you see racing around and clambering over others are panicking and searching for cover and a place to hide. It doesn't mean that they aren't healthy, but it's not an accurate way to judge how they are doing. If you want to look at it from an activist perspective, it's better to spend the money at the places who are trying to care for them properly, as money spent is a reward to the company for doing things right.

[willertac]

Hello and welcome!

I went from fish to hermits, too. I think it's an easy transitions since you've got a good understanding of the sensitivities that can be involved with keeping aquatic critters. The 29 would be a better choice - it will allow for deeper sub and more climbing room, and should be the same footprint of the 20 long. If the turtle tank has the half side on it for a filter, you'd have to find a way to seal it up tight as hermit crabs are escape artists.

As far as where to get them, something to keep in mind is that a happy healthy hermit should not be very active. Yes, they move around and they climb, but they do so slowly at their own pace. The ones you see racing around and clambering over others are panicking and searching for cover and a place to hide. It doesn't mean that they aren't healthy, but it's not an accurate way to judge how they are doing. If you want to look at it from an activist perspective, it's better to spend the money at the places who are trying to care for them properly, as money spent is a reward to the company for doing things right.

I guess I have to check out the stores then... Thanks for that info, though. I guess I was judging the crabs the way I judge the fish!

I came up with more questions:
Are the shells found in those shell assortments safe to use for the hermits? And are the glass shells I've seen actually safe for them? Can I use shells from the beach for them too? Of course I would make sure they were clean before offering them.

[meg_and_the_zoo]

From what I've seen here...

Any natural shells are safe for them as long as you clean them first. Suggested cleaning is a boil in salt water.

Glad shells seem to be a no no due to weight and lack of privacy that the crabs crave.

Shells from the beach are fine as long as they are cleaned as above but the general consensus seems to lean toward leaving beach shells there for critters that live on the beach. Shells for purchase have already been harvested and aren't going to end up back out for wild animals if not purchased, so those are best.


Zoo mom of 3 cats, a dog, a fish and 3 crabs

[soilentgringa]

To expand on megs comment, it is actually illegal to beachcomb in a lot of places and there is a growing shortage of shells on the beaches for hermit crabs. They are being harvested at an exponential rate for crafters and shops as well as captive hermits.

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[willertac]

Thanks!

One more thing... what size heating pad/under tank heater should I get if I go with the 29, if I should even go with one (no one was really clear on that where I read)

[soilentgringa]

Ultratherms seem to be the most reliable and many crabbers prefer them to anything else. Ideally you want it to cover the back of your tank above the sub, not past. You only want it to heat the air.
If you live in a warm year round climate like I do, you can get away with a smaller mat as long as you insulate it well. You can cover the mat with foil then cardboard or foam board and tape it down.
Mine is about 1/2 the size of my 55gallon and my temps are always low 80's. That said, however I live in Texas so it is almost always hot!




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[orangeinecrab]

One way of getting shells that doesn't hurt the environment is to find a company that buy shells from the food business and use those shells as they would just get thrown away by the food business