Welcome to the second post of a 3 part series on the wonderful pet, the Hermit Crab. In this series we will cover all you need to know about keeping Hermit Crabs as pets including:

• What equipment you will need
• Habitat and life expectancy
• Housing and heating
• Humidity and water
• Diet and shells
• Things to watch out for.

In this second post we will continue to discuss how to create the suitable habitat and environment for your new found friends.

Housing and heating

As mentioned in the first post of this series, Hermit Crabs are tropical creatures that enjoy warm and humid conditions. It is hence vital that your aquarium is correctly set-up to simulate ideal conditions. The first thing is to ensure you purchase an aquarium with a glass top; this will help to create a humid environment essential for your crab’s well being. As a general rule, a small aquarium (say 30 - 40cm in length) will comfortably house three Hermit Crabs (and remember these guys are very social so having friends is important!).

The floor of your tank should be kept dry and covered by clean gravel (fine), sand or coconut fibre (forest bedding). The trick here is to ensure whatever material you use is clean - that means if you use sand/gravel to make sure you wash the sand/gravel with salty water (not soaps or detergents) and dry it thoroughly before putting it in the base of the tank. Once the tank base is covered by the base material, make sure you also place a piece of driftwood / mangrove root inside the tank as Hermit Crabs love to climb! Appropriate base material and wood is available from most good pet stores.

Heating the tank is best achieved by using a heat mat that sticks to the base of the tank (having heat rising from the surface stimulates crab activity) The ideal temperature range for Hermit Crabs is between 26C - 32C, making sure that the temperature never drops below 20C as this can be fatal for crabs. Monitoring the temperature should be done by the inclusion of a tank thermometer (digital or mercury) and the inclusion of another low-voltage lamp is also acceptable. Another consideration is the correct placement of your tank within your home; try to find a location that has a constant ambient temperature (and hence not near a door way or window). You may also find my post on The Easy Way to Keep Your Aquarium Cool in Summer useful.

Humidity and water

Creating a humid environment requires not only heat but also water. Hermit Crabs depend on this humidity - an environment with high humidity keeps their gills moist and allows them to breathe properly. A large water bowl (used for drinking as well) that always has water in it will ensure the aquarium stays humid. A good tip is to place a sponge inside the water bowl to encourage the flow of humidity through the tank. Humidity within the tank should be between 70% - 80% so it is a good idea to purchase a humidity gauge to monitor humidity on a daily basis.

A second water bowl is also required for bathing. This second bowl should contain salt water, easily made by mixing freshwater with Hermit Crab Salt (again available from most good pet stores).

That is it for post #2 of the series. Stay tuned for my third and final post on keeping Hermit Crabs as pets where we will discuss diet and shells, and things to look out for when looking after Hermit Crabs.

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