How to Clean a Hermit Crab Tank

Hermit crabs can be very entertaining pets because they climb, dig and will hold onto your shirt when you walk around with them. The more you let hermit crabs crawl on your hand, the tamer they will be. To keep one as a pet, you will need a crab or fish tank, gravel and different sized shells. You will also need food and water dishes that are shallow enough for the crab to be able to climb in and out of.

Instructions

    • 1

      Remove any un-eaten fruits or vegetables from the tank within 24 hours.

    • 2

      Rinse out the food and water dishes whenever they get dirty.

    • 3

      Once a month, remove everything from the tank, and put your crab in a safe place such as a container that it cannot climb out of.

    • 4

      Rinse the gravel with water. Leave it out until it dries. This gets rid of any uneaten food and waste material.

    • 5

      Wash the tank with vinegar and water. Never use any kind of detergent with chemicals because that could kill your crab.

    • 6

      Rinse out the tank thoroughly.

    • 7

      Boil dechlorinated water in a large pot. To dechlorinate water, you can add a commercial dechlorinator that you can get at a pet supply store. Depending on the type of chlorine you have in your tap water, you may be able to dechlorinate it by letting it sit out for a day. Find out from your water supply company if you have chlorine or chloramine in your water. Chlorine will dissolve if left out in the air; chloramine will not.

    • 8

      After the water boils, remove the pot from the heat and place any toys, the food and water dish and the extra shells in the pot. Let them soak until the water cools.

    • 9

      Remove the items and dry everything with a towel.

    • 10

      When everything is completely dry, place the gravel and the items back in the tank. Make sure the tank is back to the proper temperature before putting your crab back inside.