Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Organize the housing
• Method 2 of 2: Take care of your lobsters
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Hermit crabs make great family pets. They may not be as cuddly as puppies, but they are fun to play with and they give children a chance to learn how to care for a living creature. Follow the steps below for housing and caring for a lobster.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Organize the housing

1. Make sure the aquarium or terrarium tank you house it in is the correct size. A container of 38-75 liters is sufficient for two to four small lobsters. For a dozen small, or three or four large lobsters, use a 75 - 150 liter container. Hermit crabs are community animals and need at least one other lobster for companionship. A good housing for your lobster is one that retains humidity, but also lets in fresh air. An aquarium or reptile terrarium is generally well suited. You can even use an old leaking tank from the attic! An acrylic container is best because it retains humidity and heat more efficiently.
2. Make sure your lobster's housing has the correct humidity level. Purchase a hygrometer (humidity meter) and thermometer. These help you keep track of the optimal temperature and humidity. The optimum temperature is 23-29 degrees Celsius, and the relative humidity is between 75-85%. A relative humidity of at least 75% is ideal. From a humidity below 70%, the lobsters slowly suffocate over a period of weeks or months in an incredibly painful way.
   • Live moss is an excellent way to naturally increase the humidity of the tank. Not only does it increase the humidity, the lobsters can also eat it. For example, try special moss for reptiles, available at the pet store. Sponges also work well, and can also be found at a pet store. Unfortunately, they get dirty quickly and have to be replaced every two to three weeks.
3. Your container must be at the correct temperature. Hermit crabs are tropical animals that thrive in heat. 23-29% is the correct temperature range. Too hot causes irreversible heat damage, and too cold slows down the lobster's metabolism. A heating element placed at the back of the container is a good way to keep the air in your container moist. Unsuitable living conditions can cause your lobster to become apathetic and dazed, lose limbs and even die.
4. Add the substrate. The surface is the layer with which you cover the bottom of the container. Use sand the size of a sugar grain, as other types of sand can cut the crab, and play sand has harmful chemicals. Mix the sand with dechlorinated salt water until it becomes a sandcastle-like mass. You can also use compressed coconut fiber. Let the coconut fiber expand in the same salt water you will place your lobsters in to prevent mold. Substrates in which the lobsters cannot burrow, such as aquarium gravel (cannot support caves) or lime sand (sticks together and can smell foul) are unsuitable as a substrate. The thickness of your layer of substrate should be at least 3-5 times the height of your largest lobster. For the substrate, choose a material in which the lobsters can burrow easily and build caves to relax, hide and molt.
   • Many crabs also burrow and even molt in damp moss, such as special reptile moss (not in decorative or Spanish moss!)
5. Keep the surface clean. A dirty surface can cause mold, which is harmful to your lobsters. Replace the substrate every 6 months, and check it every month for fungal growth, ants or mites. If you come across any of these things, immediately change the surface. It is also advisable to immediately remove any poop or food that the lobsters have dragged or buried from the food bowl. Do not clean the surface while your hermit crab is molting (the lobster will burrow and undergo a process of losing its old armor and growing new armor). Never move a dying lobster.
   • If you want to take it one step further, sterilize the sandy substrate. This can be done by using the oven. Put the sand in a large frying pan (which is specially and exclusively used for this purpose!) And place it in the oven. Set the temperature to 120 degrees Celsius and let it roast for 2 hours.
   • Every two to three weeks, boil all the shells and bake in your terrarium in a pan with dechlorinated salt water. This ensures that mold and bacteria do not have a chance to grow and harm your lobster. Let all the trays and shells cool down before placing them back in the terrarium.
6. Provide toys. Hermit crabs love to climb! In the wild, they climb large rocks that rise above the water at low tide to forage for food. They are sometimes referred to as "tree lobsters" because they climb trees to eat insects and vegetation. Be careful not to buy painted toys, as eating the paint can be harmful to the crustaceans. Some toy suggestions:
   • Climbing toys. Climbing toys are a must; Choya wood or stumps are particularly suitable for this. Choya is non-toxic and has holes for lobsters to stick to. You can just lean it in a corner of your tank, but don't place it too high, or your lobsters will climb out of the tank. Lego and hemp nets are also a good idea.
   • Natural Toys: Natural stones and seashells you find on the beach are great to have in your terrarium. You can even make oyster shells into nice food bowls. Make sure to disinfect them in boiling water before placing them in the container.
   • Plastic toys: Plastic plants intended for reptiles are great toys for lobsters to climb and hide in. Make sure you place the lid on your terrarium so that your lobsters cannot climb out. Also, keep an eye out that they don't eat the plastic, and remove it as soon as you notice them doing this!
   • Never give them the pine wood used for reptiles - pine irritates hermit crabs and can be toxic to them.
7. Provide hiding places for your lobsters. Hermit crabs (like most animals) like places where they can feel safe and hide when they feel threatened. For smaller lobsters you can use half a coconut (available at the pet store), as well as broken flower pots, large shells, etc. Make sure that the lobster does not get stuck in them, and that if this should happen, it should can dig itself out again.
8. Put some live plants in your container. Real plants can complement your terrarium nicely. Particularly safe plants include bamboo (this must be real bamboo and not Dracaena Sanderiana, which is sold as "lucky bamboo"), carnivorous bromelias (humidity plants) and grass lilies. Be warned - your hermit crab may chew on it, so the plants may not have time to grow.
9. Make sure your lobsters have water. All hermit crab species require both fresh and salt water. They should be given two different water bowls. Hermit crabs must balance the salinity of the water in their shells; the water troughs must therefore be at least deep enough to allow your lobster to allow water into its shell (C. Perlatus must even be able to submerge itself completely), but they must be able to climb out. A good way is to give them a sloping water surface, with a shallow end where they can climb out easily and a deep end where they can immerse themselves in the water. Place stones or anything else they can hold onto along the sides of the water surface. Plastic is too slippery for that, and they will have trouble climbing such a slope.
   • If you have both large and small lobsters, place small stones or a small natural sponge in the water bowls. This will give large lobsters a bowl deep enough to get water into their shell, while also preventing small lobsters from getting caught in the water bowl and drowning.
   • At the pet store you can buy aquarium salt for marine fish (not freshwater fish) that will last a long time. Never use salt intended for human consumption as the anti-caking agents can be harmful. Most brands of hermit crab salt can also be used as table salt. Premixed "hermit crab water" does not have the correct salinity. Use a brand like Instant Ocean or Oceanic.
10. Make sure the water is dechlorinated. The chlorine, chloramine and heavy metals in many tap water can kill hermit crabs by blistering their gills (causing suffocation). If you leave the water for a long time, you will lose the chlorine, but not the chloramines, so you will need a dechlorinator anyway if you use tap water.
    • If you don't want to dechlorinate tap water, use spring water. Make sure that no additions have been made to the water. For example, Dasani water contains magnesium sulphate "for the taste" and this is bad for the lobsters.

Method 2 of 2: Take care of your lobsters

1. There are different types of hermit crabs for sale. For example, in the United States you can find six types. These are all of the genus Coenobita. The Caribbean Hermit Crab is the best beginner lobster as the other species are more fragile and require more precise and intensive care.
   • The Caribbean Hermit Crab (Coenobita Clypeatus) is one of the most common species. It is also called Purple Pincher ("PP") in English because of, you guessed it, its large purple claws. Caribbean Hermit Crabs can be found in the wild on the Caribbean islands. It is most likely that a hermit crab you find at a pet store is one of this kind. Other species include C. Rugosus (rugosus), C. Perlatus, C. Compressus, C. Cavipes, C. Violascens, and C. Brevimanus.
2. Treat your hermit crabs with care. Treat them with patience when you first get them - they will take a little while to get used to their new living environment. When you ingest them, leave them in their terrarium for a few days at first. Once you see that they are not retreating into their shell when you walk by, wait one more day and then try to lift them. Have your hermit crab examine your hand and get used to you.
   • After you bring them into their new home, they should de-stress for a while. How long that takes can vary from a few days to even two months. During this time, their food and water should be changed regularly, and should not be disturbed. Sometimes the crustaceans succumb to stress because of the move and die. Even with the best efforts of the most experienced lobster keeper, this can sometimes happen.
3. Lobsters molt and need spare shells. Don't worry if your lobster remains buried in the substrate for weeks. As long as it doesn't smell like dead fish, you're fine. Please don't disturb your lobster during this time. He has to be alone for a while and if he is disturbed the stress can be deadly to him. Sometimes its armor is a bit too tight, and then it sheds and grows a bit, just like a snake does with its skin. Don't remove the shedding armor! The lobster must eat the old armor for its new armor to harden.
   • Don't panic from a sick lobster. Put an isolation terrarium in a closet with sufficient surface for the lobster to burrow completely, and plenty of food and water. If the lobster is behaving sickly, it may also be molting on the pit. You must also keep the correct humidity and temperature in the insulation tray as described earlier.
4. Give your lobster shells. As hermit crabs grow, they need bigger and bigger shells. It's important to keep plenty of spare hermit crab shells the size of their current shells in your tank at all times. Every month, replace the unused shells with shells of a different shape.
   • Caribbean Hermit Crabs like shells with round, circular openings. They prefer circles to oval openings. C. Compressus lobsters, on the other hand, prefer the oval opening, because they have flatter bellies.
   • Never buy painted shells! Despite manufacturers claiming that their paint is safe, paint can still peel off the shells, and if the lobsters eat it they can be poisoned. Most hermit crabs will prefer a natural shell over a painted one anyway, even if the natural one isn't the right size. Under "Warnings" you will find more information about which shells to avoid.
5. Provide a good and varied diet. Hermit crabs are scavengers by nature and will eat just about anything. Be wary of commercially available foods as they contain a lot of preservatives such as copper sulfate, which is harmful to your little lobster. Don't give them anything that is spicy, hot, or contains preservatives.
   • Hermit crabs love fresh hornfish and shrimps, freeze-dried krill, bloodworms. and other seafood. You can usually find this fish food at your local grocer.
   • When it arrives, leave a piece of unmarinated beef or chicken and grill it lightly for the lobsters. They also eat raw meat.
   • If you have about 20 or more lobsters, try to get hold of a fish head at the local fish market. Usually you can get it with pleasure. You can put your lobsters all together in another large container, or in a large clean Tupperware container (this must be transparent, have no lid, or a lid with VERY large holes), put the fish head and a container of water in it, and let your lobsters eat for a few hours. You probably won't do this too often as it smells pretty bad, but your lobsters will be very grateful for it!
6. Research which fruits and vegetables your hermit crabs love. Besides meat, hermits are also fond of various fruits and vegetables, as well as other leftovers (they are scavengers, after all). Don't forget to replace their food almost every day or evening. Hermit crabs like to bury their uneaten food, which can cause mold and grime.
   • Hermit crabs love fresh fruits such as pineapple, apples, pears, grapes, cantaloupe, watermelons, mango, papaya, strawberries, bananas, etc. Wash your fruit thoroughly before cutting to avoid pesticides.
   • Lobsters love coconut shavings.
   • Hermit crabs also eat natural peanut butter on whole grain toast, hard boiled eggs, eggshells (boiled), popcorn (regular popcorn, without salt or butter).
   • Avoid everything from the allium plant family (onions, garlic, etc.)
7. Play with them. Some hermit crabs love attention. When awake, carefully remove them from their terrarium. What do they like to do? To climb! Have them climb over your shirt while you watch TV, or give them some range of motion exercises as they walk over both of your hands (like a lobster treadmill). It is important that they never fall and that they do not stay out of the terrarium for too long as they need the humidity. A fall from 1 meter can be fatal, and fear of falling is the main reason lobsters squeeze with their claws. Hold them in such a way that they can't fall, and chances are they won't squeeze.
   • Do not forget that they need humidity. The humidity in a home is usually only about 40% or even less when the air conditioning or heating is on. If the lobster's gills are exposed to low humidity, it will feel the same if we hold our breath for too long.
8. Be aware that hermit crabs can pinch. Usually they only squeeze when they are anxious or feel threatened, but they can also squeeze for no reason, so be prepared for this. Spraying the lobster with tap water to release its grip can hurt it and will most likely cause it to squeeze longer or harder. Please be very careful when you touch it. You can avoid getting pinched by holding your hand straight and tight so that the lobster has little or no skin to pinch on.

Tips

• Try not to make loud noises or noise when holding them as that can make them nervous.
• Adopt or buy crustaceans that are lively and not apathetic. Apathetic crustaceans can be sick, although some are stressed or just naturally shy.
• A dead fish smell could be an indication that you have a dead lobster. But before you start looking for the dead lobster, first check if there could be another cause for the smell. Did you serve the lobsters with seafood recently? Even months later, there may be bits of leftover food in the terrarium. Lobsters like to bury food. This is the reason why you should replace the substrate every month (unless you see a lobster burrowing into the sand).
• A lobster does not squeeze you because it is mean, but because it is afraid of falling off your hand or because it is hungry. Put it back in the terrarium and wait a while before lifting it up again. Don't shake it off your hand either, because it will make it squeeze harder. Make sure he has plenty of food. Don't punish your lobsters for squeezing, as advised by some websites. They just follow their instincts and will not understand why they are being punished.
• Hermit crabs cannot reproduce without special equipment. They need a tropical climate and (more importantly) the ocean to reproduce. So unless you have a 400 liter terrarium specially equipped for this purpose, you will never see a larva.
• Fill your terrarium half with water and half with sand. This gives your lobster a chance to go for a swim (use unchlorinated salt water!).
• Do not feed the hermit crabs before they have to go for a long car ride. This can make them carsick, which can be deadly.
• Hermit crabs love music.
• If your child has a hermit crab, have them wear gloves if they are scared.
• Sometimes hermit crabs can pinch, so be careful.
• If you fear or worry that you could be pinched by a lobster, try putting gloves or socks over your hands so that they don't pinch your skin and it doesn't hurt like that.
• Hold your hand over or on a table when holding a lobster. That is less scary for the lobster than if you hold it three feet above the floor, and you are less likely to pinch you.
• If you find your lobster dirty, soak it in room temperature water for 1 minute, then let it dry for 5 minutes.
• If your lobster starts to become less active or it gets white eyes, it is shedding. It can stay in the same container, but place it in a good spot that you sprayed with distilled water. He will probably be back to normal after one or two days. Do not blow or touch the lobster. His new skin is sensitive. Don't bother him until he returns to his old color. That will take about a month.
• You can often find a lot of toys in the aquarium section of the pet store.
• If your hermit crab clings to your finger and doesn't want to let go, he may be showing you his affection, or he may be scared or stressed.

Warnings

• If you are considering decorating the tray with driftwood, "furniture", wooden objects or living plants, make sure to do your research first! Many wood and plant species are poisonous to hermit crabs, including lucky bamboo and evergreens.
• Don't drop the lobster as that could injure or kill it,
• If you often have exterminators in the house, do not spray them in the room where the terrarium is located. Place a towel under the door to keep the gases out. If possible, place the terrarium in a closet for a few days. The crustaceans are not insects, but they are related enough that they will suffer damage from pesticides. Be careful with them.
• Do not wash the terrarium or toys with soap! Remove the crustaceans and sand first, use a spray of white vinegar and rinse thoroughly. Clean toys, (empty!) Shells, and choya wood by boiling them in salt water (to prevent mold) and place them on towels to dry.
• Lobsters are simply lobsters. They can squeeze forcefully and painfully! Supervise children while they are working with the lobsters and instruct them on how to handle the lobsters!

Necessities

• Glass or plastic terrarium or aquarium
• Sturdy lid for the terrarium (made of glass, plexiglass or plastic)
• Two water bowls
• Spring water or salt water (do not make your own salt water with table salt and tap water, because it contains harmful amounts of chlorine - which, incidentally, a few drops of liquid dechlorinator can help against).
• Water bowls that are large enough for the largest lobster to fully immerse themselves in them, but not so deep that your smaller lobsters drown in them (opened oyster shells are well suited for small lobsters)
• A hiding place: a half coconut with a door cut out, a half-buried flower pot or a bridge are good places where the lobsters can spend some time on their own.
• Spare shells, at least one that is slightly smaller than your lobster's current shell, one that is the same size, and one that is slightly larger than the current shell. Always have a few reserves. Do not use painted shells as the paint can peel off. If your lobster eats the paint, it can get sick and / or die.
• Substrate moistened to sandcastle consistency (and at least 5 cm deep).
• White vinegar for cleaning (optional)
• Fresh or organic food (packaged food may contain harmful preservatives)
• Something to climb on (such as choya wood or a small bridge)
• Shovel for cleaning up poop (a plastic spoon may be suitable for this)
• Toys (good toys are also available in the supermarket or pet store).
• Gloves (in case they squeeze! Watch their scissors)
• A thermometer and hygrometer (to check the humidity level)
• A heating element for a reptile terrarium (if the temperature in the house is usually colder than 24 degrees)