Water and Food

For hermit crabs, water is not just a necessity to keep hydrated. They also use water to bathe in. Where hermit crabs are concerned however, water is not just water. In other words, tap water won’t cut it. In order for water to be safe and healthy for hermit crabs, chlorine and other harmful chemicals must not exist in it. Kits are available to remove such harmful substances. Pet stores carry a type of general dechlorinizer that is usually inexpensive. Bottled and filtered waters are also acceptable. If a hermit crab is repeatedly exposed to chlorine, this substance can cause blisters to form on its delicate gills. These blisters can cause suffocation and death.

While the type of water is very important, another important piece of this puzzle is what type of container in which to serve water to the crabs. The container you choose must be large enough for the crab to submerse itself in. Many times, crabs like to climb into the water to flush its shell water and replenish. Some crabs have even been seen swimming in the water for enjoyment. The water dish will likely become sandy and dirty, so it will need to be changed at least once per day. Never use anything metal to serve water in as hermit crabs are sensitive to metal. In the water dish, place a sea sponge for the crab to drink from as well. While the crabs need a deep enough dish to submerse themselves in, if you have smaller crabs, make sure the dish isn’t so deep that these small ones will drown. Be sure to provide rocks for them to climb in and out of the water safely. The sea sponge is also a great tool for the smaller crabs to use to climb out of the water.

Bath Time!

Also part of taking care of a hermit crab is to bathe them. Your hermie should be bathed about once a week. You may ask why this is necessary considering they have water to wade in. In the wild, hermit crabs are rained on often. The next best thing to rain is giving the crab a bath in fresh, dechlorinated water. Bathing helps keep their modified gills moist. The temperature of this bath water should be room temperature, and your crab may be bathed in a large plastic dish. Set him in the tub upside down and he might come out of his shell. If he does not come out, let him sit on the bottom of the tub for 2-3 minutes. Allow him a drying space, something such as a shoebox with paper towels in it. While some people provide a drying play ground with extra toys, but this is optional. While your crabbie is drying off, you can clean and reorganize your habitat. Sift or replace substrate, rinse toys and shelters, clean food and water dishes and replenish supplies such as food and water. Once your hermit crab is dry, place him back in his habitat and watch. They tend to be quite active and love to explore often after bath time.

Food and Nutrition

Now that water is out of the way, let’s talk about the type of food you should be offering your crustaceous friend. There are many different opinions on what you should feed your crab. This basic decision is completely up to you. Most obvious is to go to the pet store and buy crab food. It comes in small containers like fish food and comes in pellets or in granules. Other people feed their crabs fish flakes or reptile food. Yet other people completely feed a human-style diet. Meats, veggies, and fruits are appropriate for that type of diet. Whatever you decide to feed your crab, always know that in the wild, hermit crabs are definitely scavengers. They love and can eat all sorts of foods. Particularly if you are going to feed your crab fish food or crab food, don’t forget to give the little guy or gal treats sometimes. Little pieces of fruits and veggies will definitely provide a change from the hum drum for your hermie. Also, for a rarer snack, try junk food like chips or sweets. Obviously it would not be a good thing for your pet to have this type of food all the time, but everyone needs a little extra something good now and then. Just don’t forget to cut these treats into manageable pieces for your crabbie.