FAQ's about Hermit Crabs

I need help. I just got my first hermit crab and he has dug himself into the bark chips and hasn't come out for two days now. Is this normal? Should I dig him up (actually I have no idea where in the crabitat he is now) or leave him to do whatever it is he's doing. Please help me so that I don't kill Pepe!

I would leave Pepe under the bark chips for now. Crabs will sometimes deal with stress (like moving into a new home) by burying themselves under the sand. Remember that Hermit Crabs are night-time creatures and Pepe may be coming out in the middle of the night when you are asleep. You might try putting a few bits of food out and then watch the next morning to see if Pepe has been out eating in the middle of the night.It may take a while before you see Pepe out and about in the middle of the day. Make sure you keep him stocked with food and water and watch for him in the evenings and early mornings. Once Pepe is more comfortable with his new home you will probably see him more often. 

I have a 10 Gallon tank that I've had Aloe Vera plants in. I recently added Hermit crabs because I was told it was safe. Is it not? i would like to have living plants in with them. The tank at first was just suppose to be for plants, but i liked the idea of hermit crabs. So far all they've done is dig. should i remove all the plants? What ones are safe then?
Help! advice from too many people!
thx

Megan,

While Hermit Crabs do enjoy having different things in their habitat, aloe vera plants may not be the best choice. Hermit Crabs will eat anything that is in their tank including the plants. Aloe Vera plants are toxic to the hermit crabs if they eat them which their invariably will. The aloe vera prevents the hermit crab from absorbing potassium. Here is a link to a site that discusses edible and inedible foods for hermit crabs (www.epicureanhermit.com). Pick a couple of plants that are safe for them to eat, just be prepared to have them shredded since hermit crabs do that to whatever they find in their tank!

I wouldn't be concerned with the digging behavior because hermit crabs will dig and climb around for fun. Another possibility is that the hermit crab might be getting ready to molt. This is a healthy and normal proccess. Your hermit crab may dissappear for days and then reappear. Also they are most active at night so they may be surfacing when all is dark and quiet.

Good luck with your hermit crabs!

i have a glass tank and my crab dug to the bodem of it am he has been in his shell and i saw it though the glass so i dug him up and his claw is blue and his skin is pink so i put him back in the sand will he live ?

Well I think your crab either dug down to molt or to de-stress. So putting him back was a good idea. Keep an eye on your hermit crab he may stay down there for a couple of weeks but I wouldn't dig him up, I would wait until the crab chooses to surface. How much sand do you have in your tank? How big is your hermit crab? The amount of the sand in your tank depends on the size of your little hermie friend. The larger the crab the more sand they need.

I wouldn't worry about the color differences, the color of hermit crabs depends on the type that you have. The two most common types sold in pet stores are Caribbean Land Hermit Crabs and Ecuadorian Hermit Crabs. Caribbean Hermit Crabs generally have a bluish colored large claw (cheliped) and a red body. These colors can become more brilliant after or during a molt. They need to be buried while they are molting which is why I suggest to leave your crab under the sand until the crab returns to the surface on its own. 

What and how do i know if my hermit crab is having babbies and if it did how would i know because i think mine did because i saw 5 little things that feel and look like a little tiny crabe like rilly small please get back as soon as posible and also if they did do i just leave them a lone until they hatch or what ever thay do.

Hermit Crabs cannot reproduce in captivity. They need an ocean nearby in order to complete their life cycle.

I would suspect that those tiny crab-like creatures that you can see are mites. Crabs can get mites sometimes. These are pesky little critters and here is a link to a page that gives tips on how to get rid of them... http://www.hermit-crabs.com/FAQ.html

The best thing you can do is to clean and sterilize the tank. The link above explains how to do that. Good Luck!

Can my hermit crabs have bamboo in the habitat?

I have or used to have two crabs - one is still alive and climbing, but the other has been missing for about 3 and a half months. They are quite small so I don't think it takes so long for them to molt. A crab I had before disappeared like this and we found him in the substrate dead. What is the cause of these deaths? Is there a chance that the crab I'm talking about now is still alive?

You may be suprised, but, we had a hermit crab disappear, and I found him ALIVE a year later when I busted into a wall when we were remodeling. It was found in the cement block where it was moist enough I guess. I am still mystified that it survived!!!

I curently have 3 herit crabs i had 5 but two of them dug themselves on a hole and i thought it was normal but boy was i wrong.I still don't know what happened but now i pick it up put it in their food dish then they should start moving if they don't pick it up and put them in their water dish/sponge and wait and see what happens in 24 hours.And you could also go to your local pet store (i went to petco) and ask them what else to do.

i was checking out the same thing on a website and they said lucky bamboo is toxic to them but it depends on the bamboo type
bryce

I just brought home 3 hermit crabs from the sea. Two of them seem ok but one of them keeps coming out of its shell and it just sits there on the sand and looks very weak. I bought them each a new shell to change into when they are ready, but he wont even walk to the new shell. This morning I picked it up to check it and it moved very little. I want to know what is wrong with it? Is it just stressed because of the new habitat? or is it dying? Could it be that he's going to molt? But, hes not eating and there's no food bubble stored under his belly... Please help!!! I'm confused and I don't want them to die!!!

Hello,

I bought 3 hermit crabs for my young children, but it has been more than I thought. I have been reading the various websites and am learning more and more about how to care for them. The problem is.....I no longer feel like we can take care of them and am trying to find the best way to handle. Does anyone know the best way to do this? Hopefully this does not offend anyone. Please help, I want give them to someone who can properly care for them. Thank you.

I think the problem with your hermit crab is simple. He's freaked out. Hermit crabs don't deal well with stress. I would imagine that since he came from the beach he is just super stressed about the change in his environment. The best thing that you can do for him is provide him everything he needs and leave him alone. You can even set up a small isolation tank with just him in it until he is feeling better. Sometimes a hermit crab just need peace and quiet. 

You could try some of the various hermit crab websites sometimes you can find a good home in your area for them. You could even try the pet store. If you are lucky you might find an employee that could take them or they might know someone who could. 

I would take them from you! But I doubt we live near by!

hey
one of my hermit crabs has come out of its shell, i noticed that it had cum out of its shell in the evening and thought it was just going into a new shell, but it was still out the shell the next morning, now it is behind its water bowl and still not in a shell, i am not sure if its ill or if there is sumthing wrong with it. if u can help me i would appreciate it.

I've had my two hermit crabs for a year now. It seems that the two of them like their home alot, for there has been no claw dropping or anything. However, they are rather large, (about four inches across) and they keep tipping over the drinking water dish. They won't molt at all, and one only changed shells once. The other hasn't changed shells. I've tried giving them different types of food, but they won't eat hardly anything. They eat maybe once every two weeks! Why is this? Am I doing something wrong? I followed all the care sheets! Recently, I gave them dried shrimp, which they didn't eat, and I removed the dish afterwords. The new dish, however, attracted mites. I found them today and plan to clean out the tank tomorrow. Will these mites effect my home? My home, not the crabitat? I have an allergy to some dust mites so I'm really anxious to know.

I just got 2 hermit crabs i got their habitat all set up i put sand on one side and that mossy stuff on he other. I have a climb in water dish so they can bathe and sponge in another and a seperate food dish. I mist the tank everyday. They even have a tree. I think though one of them is singing wondering why they arent happy am i doing something wrong? also should i be adding salt water to both dishes? They are small and i cant find the right shells any suggestions? Help please thanks!

I would like to take them for you. I know its been some time ....Do you still have them and where are you located?

don't worry, you should probably just leave him there, hermit crabs know what there doing. this is normal for them to do, and he might possibly be molting. if it is a small crab he might stay below the surface for up to a month or so, if it's a big one it could be even longer. Don't panic and be prepared to give him the best supply of food and water for when he emerges, because if he is molting, he'll need his calcium. Another reason for digging themselves below the surface could be because of the temperature. Make sure they're not too hot or too cold. to do this keep a thermometer nearby and make sure the temperature stays around 20 degrees celcius, give or take about 5 degrees.
i'm sure Pepe will be fine as long as you provide him with the best surroundings.
hope this helped!

Do my Hermit crabs need vitamins from the light

i once had the same thing happen if its been 3 months hes destressing not molting or R.I.P so when ever this happens to me i just clean the tank and secondarly look for the little guy most of the time there still alive

My hermit crab had a baby. I have read in may places that they do not reproduce in captivity, but it happened. Both of our hermit crabs died and my son lifted up the shell after his died and inside was a small pink claw. It is very small, but very much alive. It may be unusual, but it happened.

we just recently bought a hermit crab its a large crabb & since we brought it home it hasnt movedd we took it a bath to get the dirt off we fed it crab cakes & gave it some peanut butter we left it alone & when we checked on it again it was still in the same spot im worried its deppressed what can i do to make my hermit crab more comfortable in its new crabitat??

YES IT IS NORMAL. they do this from time to time. If you dig him up he could possibly die.

LEAVE HIM

if you have just recently got him and he has had a change to his substrate he will be molting and do u only have 1 crab they are very social animals and u need at least 2 or 3 since you are unaware of what is happening to your crab i doubt u have researched how to take care of him if you got him from a pet store then whatever they have told you will probably be crap if im honest, please do more research

I got my crab about june 20 somthing and i did all my research on how to take care of it. but im worried that it is not molting. it has burried its self in the sand and i wached it for a day or two and it hasent moved. i know i probably sholdnt but i picked it up and under neath was little brown clumps. What are they? And when i picked it up i also saw that its legs just fell to one side and to the other. my crab sems lifeless and im extremly worried. what do i do?

Your hermit crab is probably molting. Whatever you do DO NOT DIG HIM UP!!!! It is normal for hermit crabs to molt and it means that your hermit crab is healthy. Make sure you have 3 extra shells in the tank one a little smaller than the one he is in now, one about the same size, and one slightly bigger. Also make sure to provide food and water as needed. Your crab should be done molting as soon as 1 week to as long as 3 weeks. Good luck!!!!!