How To Set Up A Hermit Crab Habitat

So you have decided to get hermit crabs a home as your favorite pets. You need to set up a proper hermit crab habitat in your home so that your pets are not under stress and can thrive at home. You need to take pains to make the hermit crab habitat. Your hard work will pay rich dividends later.

Let us understand the steps that you need to take to set up the Hermit Crab Habitat. The first thing that you will require is a Glass Tank. Get one with a capacity of ten gallons or so. This will be adequate to house 4 to 5 micro crabs. However, bigger

Then comes the most important part; the substrate. Substrate is the actual surface on which the crab will be moving or digging in. You can use play sand or substitute substrates like Forest Bedding, Eco Earth, and Coco-Fiber. Remember that the substrate should be two times deeper than the size of your largest hermit crab. Do not use gravel or sharp objects as it is likely to hurt the crabs.

Your Hermit prefers to live in warm environment. You must have a kit of some instruments that do not only measure humidity but temperature as well. Crabs live in temperatures from 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit. The humidity should range between 70-85%. Deviations in humidity could have the hermits chocking.

Hermits require lots of water. Keep two separate bowls to keep fresh water and salt water solution. The fresh water needs to be dechlorinated as chlorine can be poisonous. Keep the water high enough for the largest hermit to take a dip. Smaller ones should not drown too.

Have ceramic dishes for food. Also make lots of hiding spots using pots and smooth rocks. If you have hiding spots, the hermits will dig down lesser. Else they will dig down in day and only come up at night.

Most important part of your Habitat is the climbing toys. Your hermit crabs love to climb. They should have lots of toys like plastic plants, driftwood, logs and barks to permit them to climb.

Besides the infrastructure for the Habitat, you need to make sure that the Crabitat is safe and hygienic for the crabs. You must have a water conditioner to treat the water. This will remove all the chlorides and chlorine from the water. Also use a good brand of Aquarium Sea Salt while making the salt water. The next important aspect of a Hermit Crabs Habitat is the temperature control. You can make use of lighting to heat the water. Use a bulb to keep the water at the right temperature. Wattage of the bulb can be varied according to the size of the tank.

You will also learn a lot through experience. Remember that setting up a Hermit Crab Habitat is not all. You have to make sure that it is regularly cleaned and maintained.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/how-to-set-up-a-hermit-crab-habitat-1836648.html

Preston Blackmore is a hermit crab enthusiast. For more information on how to setup a thriving hermit crab habitat, visit http://www.hermitcrabclub.com