How To Care For A Hermit Crab

Pets are a great way of distressing. The joy that they provide us makes us forget the rigors of the day. Whatever be your pet, you develop a bonding with the pet that lasts right through its life time. While your pet keeps you entertained all the time, it is essential for you to take proper care of your pet so that it enjoys staying with you. That is why you need to learn how to care for a Hermit Crab.

Hermit crab care is a subject on which one can talk forever. The more you learn about it, better will be the environment of your pet. You need to

• Creating a safe environment.
• Day to Day Care.

Creating a safe environment

• You must provide a safe and congenial environment for your Hermit Crab to live. Your preparations should commence even before you get the crab home.
• Always buy more than one crab. Crabs are very social animals and find it stressful and difficult to live on their own. Always buy two or ideally three or more crabs so that they coexist and are not stressed.
• If you are adding one crab to your existing collection, always bathe the new crab before it joins others.
• Choose the right home. A nice fish tank will do fine. Hermit crab care requires you to maintain the right temperature and humidity. Crabs will thrive in high humidity and temperatures between 70 to 85°F. Humidity below 70% will have them chocking.
• Have proper substrate. Ideally the substrate should be high enough to provide space for crabs to dig in. That is the only way your pets can de-stress. Sand is the most ideal medium. Change the substrate once in six months.
• Keep lots of play toys. Use natural rocks or plastic plants. They enable the crabs to climb.

Day to Day care

• Crabs need to have adequate freshwater as well as saltwater. Keep two dishes containing fresh and saltwater so that the crabs can rinse themselves.
• Use a proper dechlorinator to remove the chlorine from water.
• Never use table salt in the water as it contains iodine and is poisonous for the crabs.
• Make sure that you provide a proper diet to the crabs. There are a large number of Do's and Don'ts as regards food for crabs. Crabs like silversides, shrimp fresh, freeze dried krill, bloodworms and seafood. They also like fresh fruit and raw meat. Coconut shavings and natural peanut butter are also fine.
• Remember to change the food. Never feed the same thing twice to crabs.

Lastly remember that crabs need a lot of attention. Make it a point to play with the crabs. Give them lots of climbing workouts. At the same time take care to make sure that they do not fall down. A fall on naked floor of more than 3 to 4 feet can be lethal to the crab. Hermit Crab care needs a lot of dedication on your part like caring for any other pet.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/how-to-care-for-a-hermit-crab-1836627.html

Preston Blackmore is a hermit crab enthusiast. For more great tips and advice on hermit crab care, visit http://www.hermitcrabclub.com.