New Crab - Dad Questions

[CrabDad]

So, My now 10 year old daughter asked for Hermit crabs for Christmas... We got the whole preset kit from PetSmart for the Crabitat. We have stopped using the food it came with after reading that it was not safe for them (which is weird) but are feeding every other day with fresh foods. I just discovered this site as I am trying to help my daughter care for her crabs appropriately. I see some things we are doing wrong already but I have a few questions.
1. one buried himself the day we got him and we haven't seen him since... I thought my daughter had carelessly left him out and the dog or cat got it. two months later I find him at the bottom of the EE - AND he's still alive! after two months! is that normal?
2. all three of our crab have now buried themselves. after reading this site I feel I need to adjust the substrate but I don't want to stress them out if they are buried due to stress, do I do it anyway? I have sand on one side of the tank and EE on the other. they are not wet anymore and I need to mix and add more sand...
3. I was told that they should not have water deep enough that they can submerge, this site say they need to swim? what is right?
4. how do I know if they dig to molt or for stress reasons?

maybe that's enough for now... I don't know what kind these are, does it matter for general care - I realize there would be specifics...?

Thx,
Dad of crab owner daughter!

[Xenocrab]

Read the care sheets on this forum. Yes, the water needs to be deep enough for them to submerge in. They have modified gills, not lungs. The water needs to be dechlorinated. And they need salt water too. I use Instant Ocean brand. 1/2 cup for one gallon. The salt water has to be dechlorinated as well. There really is a lot to know and we are here to help you! This is one journey you and your daughter will really enjoy. And yes, some crabbies stay under for months and that's ok!

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[Motörcrab]

Hello and welcome to the HCA! Your brief backstory sounds like most people that come here looking for help. Unfortunately hermit crab care offered at most pet stores is inaccurate and very outdated. You did come to the right place for proper care. They do require more care than the pet store make you believe. Once you get everything in order they aren't very hard to care for, just more than what you were probably told. Once you get them in a proper set up you will more than likely see an increase in their activity too! I highly recommend reading though a few of our care guides to help you understand proper tank set ups, molting, water and shells. Almost all the basic info you need is there to get you started.

Here are some answers to to your questions to get you started on the right claw!

1. one buried himself the day we got him and we haven't seen him since... I thought my daughter had carelessly left him out and the dog or cat got it. two months later I find him at the bottom of the EE - AND he's still alive! after two months! is that normal?
Yes, completely normal! Crabs can take anywhere from a week up to 8 months to molt depending on their size. I recently had several just come up withing the last week or two that have been MIA since mid December.
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=92527

2. all three of our crab have now buried themselves. after reading this site I feel I need to adjust the substrate but I don't want to stress them out if they are buried due to stress, do I do it anyway? I have sand on one side of the tank and EE on the other. they are not wet anymore and I need to mix and add more sand...
How deep is your substrate now? It should be mixed to sand castle consistency. You can add approximately 1" of new substrate per day by gently placing it on top of the existing substrate. If your current substrate is dry you can try misting with dechlorinated tap water to make it sand castle consistency. Substrate is recommended to be mixed 5 parts playsand to 1 part eco earth. Playsand can be purchased in 50 pound bags for $5 or less per bag. General rule is one 50 pound bag for every 10 gallons of your tank.
viewtopic.php?f=26&t=92542

3. I was told that they should not have water deep enough that they can submerge, this site say they need to swim? what is right?
All crabs should have the ability to fully submerge in water! They store water in their shells to help them breathe with their modified gills. As long as the crabs can easily climb in and out of their water pools they are good. They probably advised to offer sponges in their water too. That is an old method we no longer advise since the sponges can harbor bacteria and other funky stuff. I have two 2.5 gallon pools in my tank and see some crabs at the bottom climbing around for several hours at a time! As long as they can easily get in and out of the water and fully submerge they will be good. Also don't buy the $4 hermit crab salt water! Purchase a 3 pound box of Instant Ocean for $10. It makes 10 gallons of salt water for pennies compared to the stuff labeled for hermit crabs.
viewtopic.php?f=127&t=92553

4. how do I know if they dig to molt or for stress reasons?
You don't! LOL! They do what they want to do when they want to do it. That is like the, "if a tree falls in the forest when no one is around" saying.

That should get you started. Also check out this for a basic crash course for all the basics needed for your hermits!
viewtopic.php?f=120&t=119273

Here is the general link to all of our care guides I just referenced for easy access to everything!

If you have any more questions feel free to ask, someone should be able to assist. Welcome again and happy crabbing!

[Crabalicious]

Welcome CrabDad! We also purchased our crabs from people who misinformed us. My advice is trust this site for crab needs. Also, before you buy stuff, if you're unsure ask these experts. You will probably save money and aggravation that way. Lastly, it's easier than it appears...in case you get freaked out by the huge difference in the care hermit crabs require. Good luck!

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[CrabDad]

Thanks to those who have responded! I have read all the intro/beginers material and already made a few adjustments to the tank! the three buried crabs have already returned to the surfaces and destroyed the water (in a good way) and we had a blast watching them come up and explore. I am assuming they are happier and it wasn't just my disturbance that brought them up!
Thx,
Crabdad

[Hermiesguardian]

Thanks to those who have responded! I have read all the intro/beginers material and already made a few adjustments to the tank! the three buried crabs have already returned to the surfaces and destroyed the water (in a good way) and we had a blast watching them come up and explore. I am assuming they are happier and it wasn't just my disturbance that brought them up!
Thx,
Crabdad

Yay!! And welcome! If all 3 are up, take this opportunity to fix the substrate. You can place them in a plastic container with damp moss while you are fixing it. I assume you have a 10gal tank. Shouldn't take long. If you are using calcium sand from the pet store, ditch it. It turns to cement when wet. You want minimum 6 inches, (or at least 3x the height of your largest crab, whichever is deeper wins)sandcastle consistancy. Actually if you can afford a larger tank, now would be the time to get one. Bigger is better. Crabs can grow quickly or not. Lol. You can find great deals on used tanks. And they are addictive. You will want to get more.
When my daughter who was about maybe 10 or 12 at the time, wanted hermit crabs, I ended up getting her guinea pigs instead. Only because I was afraid of being pinched and they looked like spiders when they walked. I hate spiders. Fast foward a few yrs, she went to Florida with friends before she went off to college, and yes, got 2 hermit crabs. I insisted I would not take care of them. I already "inherited" my son's dog, and I was going to be taking care of her betta fish. Guess what. Mom took over their care of course. And if I'm going to take care of an animal I want to do it right. So they went from that small plastic tourist cage, to a 10 gal, to a 15 gal which I thought was a 20. By then I got another crab. Remember, addictive. Then a 40 gal breeder. By then I had 6 crabs. About 3 were adopted. Upgraded them to a 90gal. And I added 2 more. I was going to sell the 40gal but didn't get around to it. It was still set up. So I somehow ended up with 6 in there now. I will be switching over a few to a 75gal and leave the largest ones, about 3, in the 90. With a couple of smaller ones. Then definately take down the 40, to resist temptation. The dream is to get a 200+ gal tank and have just one colony. Easier to feed, water. So, if and when you can, go bigger.

[Hermiesguardian]

Also meant to ask you, what kind of lid do you have? You mentioned dry sub. If you have a mesh lid completely seal it with saran wrap or plexi glass taped down. You need to keep in the humidity. If you have those analog gauges from the pet store they aren't reliable. Digital is better. You can find them at walmart, lowes..