New Hermit Crab and setup

[ramanth]

*EDIT* More pics Post #12
Got another hermit crab yesterday. I like even numbers. ;)

No pictures of him (he's currently in isolation for a couple of weeks) but here are some shots of the current 7 and their new tank set up.

Seven crabs
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ramanth/hermit%20crabs/IMG_8836.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ramanth/hermit%20crabs/IMG_8839.jpg

Aang
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ramanth/hermit%20crabs/IMG_8842.jpg

Purple 1 & Roscoe
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ramanth/hermit%20crabs/IMG_8843.jpg

Momo
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ramanth/hermit%20crabs/IMG_8845.jpg

Purple 2 and tiny Bear
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ramanth/hermit%20crabs/IMG_8846.jpg

Bear
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ramanth/hermit%20crabs/IMG_8886.jpg

The hang out
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ramanth/hermit%20crabs/IMG_8901.jpg

left-Aang; top-Purple 1; right-Purple 2; bottom-Momo
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ramanth/hermit%20crabs/IMG_8904.jpg

[ramanth]

Sokka
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ramanth/hermit%20crabs/IMG_8903.jpg

New tank setup
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ramanth/hermit%20crabs/IMG_9003.jpg

Left
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ramanth/hermit%20crabs/IMG_9006.jpg

Right
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ramanth/hermit%20crabs/IMG_9007.jpg


I love crabs. :D

[Cinder & Smoke]

Seven crabs

I love crabs. :D


:eek:
Lemmie rephrase that ... >>>EEK<<<

[blue]

What size is the crabotat? How often do you have to upgrade their shells? Are they very active?

Cool pics.

[ramanth]

Phred, we have eight crabs now. ;)

Blue,
It's a 20 gallon long tank. I haven't bought any new shells lately. I have a large variety of shell sizes so they have a collection to play with and sometimes they swap shells just for the heck of it vs. needing to move into a larger shell.

They are mostly active at night but they are more active than usual since it's a new setup to explore. :)

[blue]

Are they like nocturnal fish with a red light so you can watch them? I miss watching my catfish and rays with the red lamps.

[ramanth]

I know you can use heat lamps with them (I don't). So I'm sure a red light would be fine.

I just use what light is in the room or a flash light to watch them periodically.

[blue]

When I had my tanks I had red lights for all of them so I could see the cats and the rays when they where the most active. Allmost all of my fish where nocturnal.

How active are hermit crabs, are they good entertainment?

[ramanth]

I personally think they are pretty entertaining. :D

[chocolatepuppy]

Those little guys are just so adorable! :D I noticed one climbing up the 'plant' side of the tank. Can he get out?:confused:

[Fett]

If there was no lid on top, yes they'd try and get out. LOL! There is a metal screen lid on the top of the tank. We just removed it to take those pictures. Just like the gecko tanks, we have a towel over most of it, with just a little open space on one end for airflow. This keeps their humidity up more than a full open air top.

[ramanth]

The new gal Katara was out last night getting a drink, so I snapped a quick pic:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ramanth/hermit%20crabs/IMG_9011.jpg

Playing with the plant wall
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ramanth/hermit%20crabs/IMG_9017.jpg

My smallest and largest...Bear on the left, Sokka on the right
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ramanth/hermit%20crabs/IMG_9020.jpg

Momo 'spidermanning' on the lid
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ramanth/hermit%20crabs/IMG_9025.jpg

Little Bear
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ramanth/hermit%20crabs/IMG_9026.jpg

Can you spot all six hermits?
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ramanth/hermit%20crabs/IMG_9028.jpg

:D

[captain]

Wow - I would have never thought about keeping them ......... but what a great setup you have .....

So, they SWOP shells? I know NOTHING about them ........ so excuse my ignorance ... :p

[ramanth]

:DThat's okay Captain! Happy to answer questions. :D

As they grow, they have to move into larger shells. But occasionally they will "shell shop" just for the heck of it. You'll see them pop into a new shell, try it out and often move back into the original shell.

It's funny when a crab moves into a shell that is either too big or too small for them. No idea what is going on in those little minds of theirs. :rolleyes: :D

[Cinder & Smoke]

:confused:




As they grow, they have to move into larger shells.
But occasionally they will "shell shop" just for the heck of it.

You'll see them pop into a new shell, try it out and
often move back into the original shell.

It's funny when a crab moves into a shell that is either too big or too small for them. :rolleyes: :D

:confused:
OK ... so the Crab isn't 'part' of the shell --- the shell is just a 'rented room' ??

The one doing the Spidermman *roof walk* on the tank cover ...
He's draggging his HOUSE along with him??
Just HOW does a Crab "hold onto" his House whilst he's wandering around the abode -
I see no suspenders??

Now the really DUMM one:
Are they UNDER water, like a Phish; or stopmin around on dry sand?

Dawgs look more *cuddlesome*.

:p

[ramanth]

OK ... so the Crab isn't 'part' of the shell --- the shell is just a 'rented room' ??

The one doing the Spidermman *roof walk* on the tank cover ...
He's draggging his HOUSE along with him??
Just HOW does a Crab "hold onto" his House whilst he's wandering around the abode -
I see no suspenders??
Correct! :D Here is a page that explains their anatomy:

http://www.thecrabbagepatch.com/crabanatomy.html

They use an appendage called a uropod to hold onto the shell. If you see a hermit without a shell, it's either stressed, sick, or already dead. :(



Now the really DUMM one:
Are they UNDER water, like a Phish; or stopmin around on dry sand?
These crabs are the dry land variety, but they need both salt water and fresh water offered to thrive, hence the two water bowls. :)

[Fett]

They look kinda gross without their shells. With their shells they are cool. :cool:

[Cinder & Smoke]

They look kinda gross without their shells.
With their shells they are cool. :cool:

:eek:

>gasp<

http://www.thecrabbagepatch.com/images/hermit_crab_profile+1.jpg

I feel a Bad Dream comin on ...

:p

[captain]

That is amazing ........ are they hard to care for, or are they pretty resilient??

[Fett]

Easy to care for. In nature, they are scavengers so they get by quite well. :)

[ramanth]

I'd say they are pretty resilient. :D

So long as you have at least 2 crabs, deep enough substrate so they can molt (the bigger the crab, the deeper the substrate), and fresh and salt water.

They prefer temps between 70 and 80 degrees F and humidity between 60% and 80%. But my temps have dropped to around 60 (in the winter) and humidity as low as 50% and my crew are fine. They will most likely dig down and hibernate if temps are kept that low for awhile.

[chocolatepuppy]

If there was no lid on top, yes they'd try and get out. LOL! There is a metal screen lid on the top of the tank. We just removed it to take those pictures.

oops! :o