Things You'll Need
- Hermit crab cove
- Hermit crabs
- 2 or 3 larger shells
- Bottled spring water
- Mixing spoon
- Hermit crab food pellets
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Crackers
Instructions
Setting up the Hermit Crab Cove
Remove the rock hideaway and food dish from the Hermit Crab Cove. Place the water tray in the recessed area of the Hermit Crab Cove habitat. It should fit snugly as the recessed area is made to accommodate the water tray.
Empty the bag of sand that came with the Hermit Crab Cove into a large bowl. Mix 3 tbsp. of room temperature spring water into the bowl with a large spoon. Once the sand and water are mixed, pour the mixture into the habitat in the area labelled "Sand." Try not to get the sand too close to the water tray.
Place the rock hideaway back into the habitat. Anchor it in the sand as firmly as possible by pushing and twisting it back and forth into the sand. Locate the Hermit Crab Cove in a low-traffic area without direct sunlight.
Pour a quarter inch of hermit crab food pellets into the food dish, and locate it near the water tray. Pour a quarter inch maximum of room temperature spring water into the water tray.
Bathe your new hermit crabs in a shallow bowl of room temperature spring water by placing them upside down in the water for one minute maximum. Allow the crabs to dry by letting them crawl around outside of the habitat.
Introduce your crabs to their new habitat by placing them gently into the sand. Place the lid on the Hermit Crab Cove habitat and make sure the locking tabs are securely in place.
Caring for Your Hermit Crabs
Maintain the Hermit Crab Cove habitat. Make sure the sand is kept clean and change the sand every month. Be sure that there is always an eighth to a quarter inch of water in the water tray. The water in the tray helps keep the proper humidity level for hermit crabs. Keep a consistent temperature between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Feed your hermit crabs one to two food pellets each day. Offer them fresh fruits and vegetables in addition to the pellets for variety. Hermit crabs also need a small amount of salt, so feed them crackers once a week.
Change the water in the water tray every day or two. Make sure to use room temperature spring water and never have more than a quarter inch of water in the tray.
Bathe your hermit crabs every two weeks in room temperature spring water. Bathing is important to a hermit crab's health because it keeps the gills wet for proper breathing, it keeps debris out of the shell, and it refreshes the water supply that they keep in their shells.
Exercise your hermit crabs. Hermit crabs love climbing, crawling around and exploring. Offering your hermit crabs plenty of opportunities for exercise makes for happy, healthy hermit crabs.
Provide two to three larger shells for each of your hermit crabs to move into when they grow. Hermit crabs like to try on different shells to determine which they find the most comfortable. The openings of hermit crab shells should be the size of their largest claw.