What To Do When Hermit Crab Pinches
Lower your hand to a surface keeping the crab up right, if there's anyone around have them be still and quiet. When when your crab realizes things are calm he should let go, if that doesn't work run your hand under warm water. Hermit crabs only pinches when it's scared or fearful of falling.
How To Raise The Humidity In Your Crabitat
Put in a damp large natural sea sponge. Put in a bowl with damp moss, the crabs love this! (using dechlorinated water) Make a bubbler bowl, put an air hose going from the pump to the bowl with an air stone on the end of the hose.
Make Your Own Humidifer
Make a humidifer out of a plastic jar, I drilled two holes in the top of the jar, (air tubing should fit tight in the jar) Then attach one end of the tubing to the air pump and the other end of the tube through the lid into the jar put an air stone on it put it in about an inch from the bottom of the jar. Fill the jar with dechlorinated water but not all the way up,you need some air space. Put the lid on the jar and then put the other length of the tube through the other hole in the top of the jar, this tube is not to be in the water, put the other end in your crabitat. This is an inexpensive way to help with the humidity. I find I use this as an extra with my humidifer I bought from petdiscounters in the winter months.
To Keep Tank Warm
My tank came with a fluorescent light, which kept tank warm during the day but the temp would drop at night, (crabs need 12 hrs of day & 12 hrs of night) the under tank heater didn't help much. I bought a fixture that holds two light bulbs and each has its own switch. On one side I have a regular 15W Incandescent Aquarium clear light bulb I use during the day and the other side I use a Nightcycle, 15W Incandescent lunar glow black heat lamp. It keeps my tank 77 degrees.
When Cleaning Your Crabitat
Be sure you keep a damp sponge with the crabs in the container you keep them in while cleaning, it takes time to clean (a few hours) and it's important that the crabs have moisture.
Change Sponges Often
A sponge that stays wet will grow bacterial, so the sponges should be changed once a week, Keep several sponges handy so you can exchange them weekly. I rinse the sponges out leave them to dry, I get another clean sponge microwave it for 30 seconds (it kills any bacterial that may be in the sponge) and put them in their bowls.
How To Keep Your Crabs Active
Keep in mind that hermit crabs are nocturnal. They're more active at night however they can be more active during the day, crabs love to climb so keep things to climb on, net, wood, plants. Change crabitat often, every couple of weeks, they love new things to do and explore.
To Encourage Shell Changing
Move shells around once in a while, also clean them by boiling them, let them cool down and shake excess water out. You can pull some out and put new ones in and later put some old ones back in.
Home Made Crabby Stuff
Inexpensive way for making things for crabs to climb on is plastic or silk plants from the dollar store, plastic bowls (cut an opening to make a hut) or plate rack cover with T-Rex Crab Island Climbing Background coconut mat. Safe wood or make your own net out of hemp yarn that you can buy at Walmart or hobby store. I've made a small net and two ladders and a large net. Use whatever crochet stitch you like, make as big as you what it, you can knit one too. ( hemp yarn only) Use your imagination! Just don't use metal or unsafe wood.
Make Your Own Hermie Huts
I brought a few coconuts from the grocery store, I had my husband saw them in half, cleaned out the coconut (my crabs ate the coconut) and cut one end for an opening, I boil the coconut for 20 minutes and baked it at 350 for about 30 minutes and it made a nice hermie huts! Use your imagination on designing your hut.
Suction Cups
We need suction cups to hang nets, plants, ect... Suction cup with metal will rust which isn't good for the crabs. I found "InterDesign" Power Lock suction cups at WalMart they're all plastic and do a good job, they're two in a pack for $2.00! I've bought some "Zoo Med" Magclip Magnetic suction which I really like but can get expensive to buy, $ 5.50 for one at. The Crabbage Patch Store
Suction Cup Basket
In the bathroom dept at Walmart I found a suction cup clear corner basket that I use to put some shells in it, it's up out of the way and my crabs love climbing to it and to change shells. They sell different shapes and sizes to fit your hermies needs!
