Land hermit crabs are among the most bizarre pets even though they make the easiest and the most enjoyable companions of all. They possess an extraordinary personality and they are low maintenance, which makes them the perfect buddy for anyone, both young and old.

In the truest sense, they are not “true crabs”. Land hermit crabs possess a soft abdomen and they use a shell to protect them from. As they start to grow, they should look for a larger shell thus it is your responsibility as owner to provide a few of the hermit crab supplies such as progressively a larger shell when you see that your pets starts to grow. In the wild, they are merely omnivores feeding with both animals and plants materials.

Just to cover a few of hermit crab facts, there are actually two species of land hermit crabs that are found in United States: Coenobita clypeatus (which include the tree crab, Caribbean crab, land hermit crab, purple pincher crab, or soldier crab) and Coenobita compressus (E-Crab, Ecuadorian Crab). There are also crabs of other species that are kept at home like the strawberry land hermit crab (Coenobita perlatus) and the Australian land hermit crab (Coenobita variabilis).

Land hermit crabs are comparatively easy to look for if you wish to have them as your pet. Some pet stores do have the hermit crabs for sale, nevertheless there are some aspects that you need to consider first in choosing your potential pet. Above anything, check that all the legs are intact (there should be 3 pairs of walking legs), the head the shell covering and thorax must be fine, check that there is no single parasites/small bugs within their body, and most of all, ensure that the crab is vigorous in order to rule out sick crabs. If you already have a crab at home, it is imperative to match sizes pretty closely to prevent fighting.

It is essential to remember that unlike their cousin, which is the sea hermit crab, they need a dry land in order to survive. The specie that thrive on water will die if ever they are taken out of the water for quite a long time just like land hermit crabs that will also die when submerged in the water for too long.

For sure, land hermit crabs makes the perfect pet for people who would like to have a companion but lazy enough to do the necessary maintenance. You can bring your pets along with you and show them off to your friends who will be amazed of how unique your personality is. Give them food on regular basis and before you sleep at night, remember to see to it that the lid of their cage is close to prevent ‘escapes’.  Without a doubt, you’ll be very please to have them as pets.

The land hermit crab also known as tree crab is the more popular of the types of hermit crabs because they are easier to find as most pet shops have them available for sale.  Although land hermit crabs are generally the scavenger type that eats almost anything, they are not that easy to take care of, contrary to what most people would think.  More than a good place to bury themselves, Land hermit crabs require the right amount of humid and the right temperature in order to survive.    A good habitat for the land hermit crab also needs some hermit crab supplies like good soil or flooring called a substrate.   The combination substrate that consist of sterilized sand and salt-watered coconut fiber called forest beddings are known to be the best type of substrate for land hermit crabs.  Land hermit crabs also need a spacious shelter that should be placed away from too much rain and sunshine.  The owner must also be ready to take special care of it during the molting season where it usually seeks for a new hermit crab shells to occupy.

Without proper substrate, a molting hermit crab becomes vulnerable to attacks by other crabs and would eventually be killed in the process.  This is why some people think that hermit crabs are short-lived pets and seem to die during the shedding of its exoskeleton.  However, with proper space given to each crab pet and the appropriate substrate suitable for molting as well as aiding tools such as hiding huts  to help your crabs molt, your land hermit crab will be able to shed off its exoskeleton without being harmed.
The marine hermit crab is usually the more useful of the types of hermit crabs.  As all hermit crabs are scavengers and will eat just about anything, they can serve as cleaners of any fish tank.  A properly chosen marine hermit crab will not only benefit a reef environment, they are also ideal companions and dwelling sharers for the other marine lives as they grow on a very slow rate and take up only minimal space.  Among the type of hermit crabs, the marine crab is generally the more adaptable to its environment.

However, appropriate care must also be taken to ensure the good health for your hermit crab pet.  Mimicking the hermit crabs original marine home is worthwhile to provide an ideal dwelling for your marine hermit crab.  Only water that is free from chlorine must be used. Ideally, natural marine salt water should be used than commercially labelled ones that usually contain table salt and thus chlorine.
Hermit crabs used to be mistaken for temporary pets that easily die.  But with proper care and nourishment, these types of hermit crabs, whether land or marine can look forward to longer and happier lives.

If your down and bored with the usual options on what house pet you would like to keep, you can perhaps try having one of the two different types of hermit crabs. That also answers the question of whether you can have them as pet. Hermit crabs are able to survive in salt water and fresh water although the chances of survival would be much guaranteed if you provide a tank of aquamarine salt water instead of a kitchen formulated salt water. In keeping hermit crabs as household pet, your number one concern should be mimicking its environment and making a friendly habitit for hermit crabs.

Hermit crabs have been known to burrow down the ground and climb in and out of the water once in a while. With this, you should already have an idea on what your fish tank should look like if you’re planning to house a hermit crab at home. Aside from the aquamarine salt water, the presence of sand is very important too. Hermit crabs have this some kind of sense for privacy that’s why they need to do some burrowing. Also, drift wood which can be bought at some reptile pet stores can be also placed inside the tank so that the hermit crab can climb up to it. Just try to watch out on positioning it near the opening of the tank as they can be really sneaky and do some escape acts.

Talking about food, what do hermit crabs eat? Before you go gaga over feeding your pet hermit crab, you should know that even if they have claws or clippers, they are not purely carnivores. Hermit crabs are omnivores, meaning they feed on both meat and vegetables. You can put fruits in too. Since as a pet owner you’d be more concerned about what do hermit crabs eat, here’s a list of the common foods you can provide them with.

MEAT
The term itself is very broad so to be specific, hermit crabs are to be fed in moderation with any type of meat. Be it beef, pork, or fish, feeding them with these food types alone will not make a healthy and balanced diet for the hermit crab.

VEGETABLES
Now given the word “vegetables” there are a wide variety of leafy greens and veggies you can feed your hermit crab. From broccoli, spinach, carrots, etc. Other than these, what do hermit crabs eat that can be really easy to find? Those would have to be grass and leaves except for conifers. On feeding your hermit crabs with these easy to find food, make sure that it is pesticide and chemical free.

FRUITS
Are hermit crabs choosy about fruits that they can feed on? Of course not, you can throw in any fruit that you might even want to share with your hermit crab. Upon learning about these foods that you can feed your pet hermit crab, you may still ask what do hermit crabs eat other than these mentioned? Well, you might be surprised to know that hermit crabs can share some snacks with you too other that fruits and vegetables. Hermit crabs can actually be fed with a low salt content cracker and peanuts, some unsweetened cereal, raisins, plain rice cakes, and occasionally you can even give them some peanut butter.

Learning about what do hermit crabs eat is as important as maintaining its healthy well being even though it is away from its original habitat. Should you decide to have more than one pet hermit crab at home, now you know how to handle these low maintenance critters.

Hermit crabs have been known to live in the wild; the sea. They are most commonly seen at the seashore where children often chase and capture them during a day at the beach. Given this type of environment, hermit crabs are known to be omnivorous or in Layman’s term, they can eat both plant and animal. Even though these critters live in the wild they still know what foods to take that is good for them. None the less, as a pet owner you should be well aware about a hermit crab’s balanced diet.

Since hermit crabs as pets have become a popular trend these days, feeding them is really not that hard to imagine. However, there are things that you might need to watch out for. There are some foods that can be harmful to your pet hermit crab. In order to guide you with the “what’s” and “what not’s” when it comes to hermit crab food, check out the classified food types below:

Fruits that are good hermit crab food
1.    Mango
2.    Bananas
3.    Apples
4.    Coconut
5.    Grapes
6.    Pineapples
7.    Strawberries
8.    Melons
These fruits can be fed to your pet hermit crab without any hazard. Just as these provide good nutrition for the human body, it does the same thing for hermit crabs too.

Leafy green and other vegetables that can be used as hermit crab food
1.    Green lettuce
2.    Broccoli
3.    Sea weeds
4.    Grass
5.    Leaves and strips of barks from deciduous trees
6.    Carrots
7.    Spinach
Leafy greens listed here are very easy to find. Although, if you’re planning to pick out grass or leaves coming from your own garden, make sure that these are pesticide and chemical free.

Meat that can be fed as hermit crab food
1.    Cooked eggs, meat, and seafood
2.    Freeze dried shrimp and planktons
3.    Brine shrimp
Given that hermit crabs also feed on meat, it is best to put this in moderation and go for other food types instead like the fruits and vegetables.

Other foods considered as hermit crab food
1.    Nuts (unsalted)
2.    Peanut butter
3.    Raisins
4.    Crackers (low or no salt)
5.    Popcorn
6.    Plain rice cakes
These food types are really easy to find in your kitchen. Just make sure to feed them with these occasionally instead of regularly.

Aside from these food types, your pet hermit crab also needs other nutrients that can cater to nurturing its protective covering. The hermit crab shells can be prone to easy breakage if calcium is not evident in the food that they eat. These sources of calcium can come from both natural and artificial sources. Supplements that are calcium enriched are an example of artificial sources of calcium that can be mixed to a hermit crab food. On the other hand, natural sources of calcium are those like crushed eggshells, oyster shells, and cuttlebones, which can also be mixed to a hermit crab food.

Decided to go for a hermit crab as a pet? You might think about where these exotic hermit crabs for sale can be purchased. For people living near the sea or beach area, it is easy to have one to take care of at home. Hermit crabs can be found wandering by the seashore. Given for example that you live in the city or somewhere far from the sea, hermit crabs for sale can be found in pet stores. If your dilemma is you also have to travel some miles before reaching a pet store you might ask whether it is still advisable to go to a pet store to buy one or go to the beach and pick one instead. The answer to that can’t be found on the two options but right in front of your computer.

Hermit crabs for sale can now be bought online. Of course the basic thing you need aside from money is an Internet connection to go online shopping. It’s quite amazing how you can now buy exotic pets online these days. Now before you go overly excited on buying some hermit crabs for sale online, consider some of these things first:

There are a variety of hermit crabs for sale online and one search is really not enough. In order for you to trim down on the choices available, decide first what size of hermit crab you want to keep as a pet. Another thing to consider on this area is the habitit for hermit crabs or where you can keep your hermit crab. Your fish tank where you are planning to put your hermit crab in contributes to deciding how big the hermit crab should be.
Familiarity with the species of hermit crabs is an advantage as this can also help in narrowing down on your choices. Search engines would be able provide good results for hermit crabs for sale given a particular type of specie.

Make sure that the hermit crabs for sale look healthy and not close to becoming some dead thing with a shell. As much as possible go for sites that have photos of the hermit crabs for sale.  Once you’ve picked out the hermit crab of your choice, follow ordering instructions carefully and double check the information that you provide them. Surely you wouldn’t want to pay for something that will be delivered to a different address. While waiting for your ordered exotic pet, you can prepare the tank or the area where you will be putting your new pet.  As soon as your pet hermit crab arrives, make sure to feed it and leave it to roam around and be familiar with its new habitat. Since hermit crabs would appreciate being handled, it would be best to refrain from doing this for at least a couple of days. Hermit crabs also have the so-called “adjustment period”.

Many shop owners would advise you to purchase a lot of things  like accessories and trinkets for your hermit crab until you realize  that you might never even use so them at all.  Therefore, it is wise for a land hermit crab owner to first identify and familiarize himself with the basic hermit crab supplies before buying anything for your pet.

A habitat that includes accessories.  On top of your hermit crab supplies list is a home or habitat for your pet.  Because this is where your hermie would spend most of his time, ideal would a clean and spacious habitat.  An aquarium is an idyllic home for your crab but it should be roomy enough to accommodate his hermit crab food and water dishes, his climbing toys, his swimming area and extra shells.  It should also have enough room for him to roam around.

A thermometer and a hygrometer.  The location where to put his home should have the right temperature, neither too hot nor too cold.  It is equally important to monitor humidity. Installing a thermometer and a hygrometer to monitor and maintain the temperature and humidity of your pet’s habitat is also a good idea.  73-85 degrees F, and 75-85% humidity are the recommended settings for your hermit crabs home.

A substrate. An ideal habitat should also have good flooring or what call a substrate.  A combination of the sand and forest bedding (made of coconut fiber) substrate is usually best suited for the land hermit crab because it allows your crab to dig and build caves with ease.  Make sure that the substrate you use is clean and free from insects, fungus and harmful chemical substance.  Sand substrates are usually washed and sterilized to inhibit the thriving of insects and fungal elements while coconut fibers are usually sifted and washed in saltwater to remove any chemicals and fungal substance.  An owner should also keep the substrate clean and should replace it every six months.

Food.  Among the most important of all hermit crab supplies and of any pet need is food.  Although hermit crabs are born scavengers and will eat almost anything, avoid giving them food with added preservatives and chemical that may harm their very small digestive system.  Hot, spicy and preserved foods are not ideal for these types of pets.  Aside from the prescribed crab food in the list of hermit crab supplies in the pet shop, you may serve them fresh shrimp, worms, krill and other seafood.  Fish is also among their top diet choices.  Fruits like apples, banana, pears, grapes and the like can also be part of their food repertoire.  Having a hermit crab for a pet doesn’t need to be a complicated task.  As long as you have ample food and a suitable shelter, your land hermit crabs has all he needs to survive and thrive.

Hermit crab shells play the counter part of the human’s skeletal system. It serves as the crab’s exoskeleton and as it feeds, the nutrients do not only spread out to the crab’s body but also nourishes the shells. Humidity and moisture is just a few of the contributing elements that makes the hermit crab shells strong however, there are also things you can do given that you have hermit crabs as pets, to strengthen their exoskeleton.

Imitating the environment where hermit crabs live is one major concern and is very important upon deciding to house this exotic pet. For one reason, water or salt water itself contributes to make the hermit crab a healthy one. Other than that, what you feed your pet hermit crab follows. Hermit crabs feed on both meat and vegetables.  What do hermit crabs eat?

Hermit Crabs are really low maintenance pets and you can even play with them occasionally, as they would demand for attention too. Going further more on keeping your pet hermit crab behavior, there are also ways on how you can make their shells strong in a way that can be merged through feeding.

Hermit crabs also need the nutrient Calcium. As one would obviously know, calcium is very much responsible in making the bones strong and resistant to easy breakage. Now as a pet owner, you won’t need milk exactly to provide this nutrient to your pet. To clear things up, you are not feeding a baby or a cat. Calcium for hermit crab shells have a variety of sources that can be easily purchased on pet stores. For example, on designing the fish tank where you’ll be placing your pet hermit crab, instead of putting in plain sand, use coral sand instead. When it comes to food mixtures, here are some of the things that you can try out:

Cuttlebone – this can be purchased at pet stores or bird shops. What does it look like? If you had a pet bird before, this is the white oblate plate-like thing that birds get their beaks sharpened. Cuttlebone is a good source of calcium for hermit crab shells and it can be included in the tank as a whole or be crushed as mixture for their food.
Crushed oyster shell – this can also be purchased at pet stores that serve the same purpose as the cuttlebone. Comparing crushed oyster shells from cuttlebones, crushed oyster shells are the most excellent source of calcium.
Crushed eggshells – if you find the first two a bit tasking to find, check your kitchen for eggs. Eggshells can be crushed and mixed to a hermit crab’s food. Just make sure that it is from boiled egg then dried.
Calcium vitamin supplements – this is another option, which is a sure source of calcium for your pet hermit crab. If you find the first three sources of calcium to be contributors for added cleaning, then go for this supplement instead.

There are various considerations though but as soon as you are able to follow the guidelines, you will see that the trouble is all worth it! First of all, you must consider the kind of tank that you will use. Get something which is large enough to accommodate all your active pets and other hermit crab subblies that they require like food, extra shells, toys and water. Go for a tank with a good tight lid since these pets have the propensity of “escaping” and the lid will aid keep humidity in too.

Secondly, the habitat for hermit crabs should provide plenty of room for “digging”. You can place sand on the tank although some people would like to use crushed corals or coconut fiber substrate or some hermit crab gravel. If you can’t find these materials then you can simply opt for aquarium sand or playground sand if you wish. However, if you will choose playground sand, it is advisable to wash them first and bake them in an oven with 300 degrees temperature for proper sterilization.

Your pet in fact breathe using modified gills hence humidity is a serious factor that will determine their life. There should be about 70 and 80 percent humidity in the tank, having something which is less than this required amount will only suffocate them! On the other hand, too much humidity will trigger fungal growth which can also be a cause of your pets’ death. For that reason, you should have a gizmo known as hygrometer that will help measure the amount of humidity found within your tank.

The habitat for hermit crabs should contain the right amount of heat and moisture. There must be a temperature that range between 75 and 80 degrees. Lights or heaters can help you maintain this right temperature. So it would be easier for you, have a good thermometer within the tank so you could simply take a look from time to time to see how your tropical friends are doing.

These pets don’t really need much decorations but it will be good for you to place decorative pieces on the tank. A little amount of shells, toys, and a water and food dish will be enough to make the tank an attractive place to stay in. You can also make use of reptile toys and drift wood to make the look more exotic. If you can, put a place for them to hide. The food and water dishes should be big enough for your pets to climb in but not that huge that will allow you pets to drown.

If you decided to have them as a pet then there are various ways by which you can ensure that they are comfortable, lively and well taken care of. One of the basic prerequisites is to ensure that they have the proper food and water at all times. Another means to make you pets happy is to ensure that they possess the right habitit for hermit crabs where they will live. You need to have the right tank and the right tools on hand.

Furthermore, you must also learn how to distinguish their needs, particularly their longing for having something to dig. Sands make suitable flooring for their tank since they contain lime that your pets need. However, if you wish to make your tank a little bit lively than the usual then furnishing it with exceptional hermit crab gravel is the trick.

Going a little far from the usual use of hermit crab gravel, which is to cover the flooring, gravel can in fact set a different tone in your tank. Surely, it is always the first item you will put and the last item that you will remove. A lot of people would badly think that gravel are doomed to stuck with the color that it is always available with. Untrue. You can always provide a colorful highlight to your tank merely by using gravel.  And with other hermit crab supplies the crab can have a lovely home. 

If you wish to show off the natural color of your pet then dark hermit crab gravel is the right thing to have while if you wish to have an atmosphere, which is light, and breezy then light colored gravel is fine. For extraordinary effect, you can try putting fluorescent gravels though you have to consult first the advice of a vet in order to determine the right kind of fluorescent gravel to have since other possesses dye. If you don’t like to obtain the florescent type of gravel then your next choice is to simply use alternating colored gravels. You can choose orange, red, green, pink, etc to make the habitat for your cute little friends livelier. Remember however that colored gravel loses their color through time. For example, red gravel will eventually turn to pink and to dirty white after some time. But although the color wears off, the process isn’t as rapid as you may think.

You should also decide if you are going for a small hermit crab gravel or for the larger kinds. Small are fine since land hermit crabs won’t find it hard to dig unto them but larger kinds are also great since they can complement the look of your pet. Overall, it’s a personal choice.

For example if you are a hermit crab owner and you’ve had this pet for quite sometime now and you notice that it does some things that you find peculiar. You might be surprised to know that these peculiar things are the normal stuff that they do. Here are some hermit crabs facts that you should learn about should you find some odd stuff going on with your pet.

HERMIT CRAB FACTS #1
Your pet hermit crab may find it a bit boring to be alone inside a fish tank as you keep it in your home. Giving them a companion is a good option but if you can only take care of one, spending time with land hermit crabs like playing with them is very appropriate. Hermit crabs, just like dogs, want attention too.

HERMIT CRAB FACTS #2
Hermit crabs as pets will most likely not become capable of mating as they would need to go back to sea to lay their eggs. This is one reason why some do not advise hermit crabs to be kept as pets.

HERMIT CRAB FACTS #3
In contradiction to the second hermit crab facts, hermit crabs as pets can be kept for more than a year or two. As for others, they have been taking care of hermit crabs as pets for around 20 years now.

HERMIT CRAB FACTS #4
Hermit crabs are good climbers meaning, they love to climb. As pet owners of hermit crabs, it is best to provide a hermit crab cage where they can cling on or some drift wood inside their tank so that they can go in and out of the water every once in a while.

HERMIT CRAB FACTS #5
If for example you sleep early at night and in the morning, when you wake up, you always find your pet hermit crab to lie low or inactive, do not panic. Your pet hermit crab is not homesick. It is normal for hermit crabs to be inactive during day time because they are nocturnal. You will find them more active during night time.

HERMIT CRAB FACTS #6
Were you ever curious how hermit crabs take a drink? This is a little interesting to see and observe. Hermit crabs dip their claws into the water then lift out drops of it to go down their gills and mouth. Talk about drinking as if there was a glass of water.

HERMIT CRAB FACTS #7
The one peculiar thing that hermit crabs do that still is under research is that they croak. Some perceive it as a means for communication. Still, this action done by hermit crabs is still unsolved.