Can anyone tell me anything about hermit crabs?

You will need an enclosed cage for him. All glass aquariums work extremely well. As for a lid, you have options. Some people place saran wrap over a screen lid. Others purchase all glass tops. While others will purchase plexi-glass to keep the heat and humidity in. Make sure it is secure! You won't believe how strong these creatures are until you see it for yourself!

You will need fresh water and salt water - ocean salt water, not table salt - available at all times. Some tricks to consider with the salt water, is it helps prevent mold. Many expand substrate bricks with it, others spray their tank with the salt water for humidity and mold control at the same time.

Your crab needs 70-80 degrees and 70-80% humidity. They are cold blooded, tropical creatures, and have modified lungs. That means they need the humidity to breathe. This is why a nice solid top is important.

Hermit crabs are social animals. Perhaps in a few months time you might want to increase your count to two or three.

Molting is a very stressful time for both you and your crab. It is important you do not disturb him in any way while he is molting. Depending on your crab, and his size this could take anywhere from a week to a few months. He will eat his own exo-skeleton when he sheds it, and he will keep water in his shell to drink.

Shells are important. Painted shells can be very dangerous to your crab. They often flake, and the paint used can be toxic. Your little crab is just like a child, he will put anything and everything in to his mouth. Having a few shells handy for him, just a bit bigger than his current shell is a good idea. He might feel the need to change homes quite often, especially after he molts.

You don't have to feed commercial foods to your new buddy. Some of them are actually not good for him at all. Hermit crabs can eat a lot of food their people can, with a few exceptions. Familiarize yourself with http://www.hermitcrabcuisine.com/ and you'll find when you sit down to eat, you'll sneak food of your plate for your crab.

Good luck with your new crab!

i used to have them.

well, first off is the tank. dont get a plastic box with a colored top with a plastic door.

those arent big enough, and you have to have a heating lamp.

have a big tank (10 gallons is perfect) and a heating lamp.

have sand as the main substrate, and then maybe a few rocks.

have a small dish of water, and a few shells for him to move into once he grows.

you will need pretty shells because he wont move into them if he doesnt like them, and he can get injured if he doesnt move into his shell and his body keeps growing.

it should be pretty moist in the tank, so have a mister for him and mist the tank for humidity.

there should be water for him to crawl in. remember, he lives in the tidepools, and if he dries out or his water is too dirty, he will get sick and die.

hermit crabs can eat pellets, but their favorite food is chopped fruit and veggies.

chop the fruit really really small so he can put it into his mouth.

have a few hiding places too, so he feels safe and not out in the open.

and maybe get him a buddy! (:

on top of this info, i suggest getting advice from someone who works at a pet store, and online info.

remember, animals are living things, and their life is in your hands.

treat them how you would want to be treated.

hi.personally ive never had one of those,but i do know that they grow out of their shells ,you need to keep an assortment of shells of different sizes in their tank so when they grow out of the shell they can crawl into a bigger one.i hope ive helped with what little information i had.

When they get older, they will grow out of their shells. In the wild they grow out of their shells and search for bigger ones.

They definitely need to be warm. I think mine froze to death when some pipes went in my house during a cold winter day.

I suggest looking at http://www.hermit-crabs.com/

They're stinky, boring pets! But you can paint their shells for fun :)