Keeping hermit crabs?

[orbaya]

I am toying with the idea of getting a few hermit crabs. I think they are neat little creatures and I think my 3 year old would like them. I've been doing research over the last few days about the living conditions they need in order to thrive, etc. So, I'm wondering if anyone here has or had hermit crabs as pets? Thoughts/experiences?

 

[donnabrsd]

My son had them years ago. I do not recall them being hard to care for and I remember he enjoyed playing with them. I believe he was about 8 years old. He had about 5 of them at one point and we kept them in a glass aquarium with a mesh top.

The thing I do recall, is that they smelt really bad!!!

It may have been because we had too many. We had to clean the aquarium every few days to help the odor.

They are neat creatures though and my son loved them!

 

[partgypsy]

dup post

 

[partgypsy]

We have had them for 2 or maybe it's 3 years now. There is a ton of useful information about raising hermit crabs on the internet
such as
http://crabstreetjournal.org/wp/

Basically you can have up to 3 medium sized hermit crabs in a 20 gallon tank, with a sand, or sand/coconut bedding substrate. The biggest expense is the set up (the aquarium cage, thermometer/hydrogometer, heater or lamp, dishes, food, sea salt, etc) but then after that they are not much regarding upkeep.
I did not find our hermit crabs smell, but we have a plastic top on their set up, plus I try to pick up any stray food on the surface so it won't rot.
The good: I think overall they require about the same or less work than a gerbil, other cage pet. They are interesting to watch (they are great crawlers, and interact with each other, and also do the fun thing of changing shells). Different crabs have different personalities. You can interact with them by blocking off a part of the ground or room and seeing them walk around, and let them crawl on your hand (they can pinch). No communicable diseases. They can pretty much live off things you find in your own refrigerator, with supplements (see hermit crab patch).

The bad: they are mostly nocturnal, so most of the fun/activity is at night. They periodically moult, which means burying under the ground for a month+ at a time (= boring). They can actually live a very long time under good conditions 20+ years! which I obviously didn't know that when I got mine. So, we have a situation where my oldest daughter wants a different (caged) pet. Which means multiple cages, or finding a new home for them : (. I'm probably more attached to them than my kids at this point.

 

[partgypsy]

What, no other hermit crab owners around here? I'm surprised.

 

[orbaya]

Thanks for the info! I haven't read anything about how they smell. Is this common? The only thing I read about odor is if they are sick or dead.

 

[partgypsy]

I don't find that ours smell at all? We do change out the substrate pretty much every season (every 3-4 months). The only hermit crab I've had smell is one that has died.

 

[partgypsy]

It's interesting when you put food in there. Our newest, "coconut" each time we put apple slices, is the first to approach. Last summer when we put fresh sliced blueberries during the day, they were definitely interested!

 

[JewelFreak]

Lucky crabs, Ginger! What a snazzy terrarium. My sister's son had hermit crabs & the whole family loved watching them. She didn't mention that they were any special work or problem. They got a great kick out of them.

--- Laurie