How to Keep a Wild Hermit Crab

Hermit crabs are small crustaceans that are found in all depths of saltwater. Hermit crabs attach themselves inside shells and move to larger shells as they get bigger. Hermit crabs make great pets because they don't take up a lot of room. They also don't require as much care as a dog or a cat. Children can catch wild hermit crabs to have as their pets instead of purchasing them in a store.

Things You'll Need

  • Two or more hermit crabs
  • Cage
  • Sand
  • Food dish
  • Water dish
  • Sponge
  • Water
  • Larger shells
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Instructions

    • 1

      Get a cage that will give your hermit crabs room to move around. You will most likely be given a small cage to take your hermit crabs home in, but this is not big enough if you plan on keeping your hermit crab for a long time. The best cage to start with is a 10-gallon aquarium with a wire mesh lid.

    • 2

      Place a layer of sand on the bottom of the cage. If you picked your hermit crabs off of the beach, you should have no problem also getting a few buckets of sand. Otherwise, you will have to purchase the sand. One to two inches of sand is just fine.

    • 3

      Make sure that you have a food and water dish for your hermit crabs. You can purchase hermit crab food at any pet store. The water is a little bit trickier. Hermit crabs cannot drink chlorinated water. You must let your tap water sit for two to three days before you can use it in your hermit crab cage. There are also products, such as NovAqua, that you can add to your tap water to remove the chlorine.

      In addition to the water bowl, you can add a sponge that has been wet with the water. Just make sure you wash the sponge out daily and add fresh water to it.

    • 4

      Add empty larger shells to the hermit crab cage. As your hermit crabs grow, they will need to change shells. They can't do this if you don't have a larger shell available for them.

    • 5

      Add toys to the cage. You can find some at your local pet store or you can pick up some driftwood or coral from your local beach. Hermit crabs love to have places to hide in their cage.

    • 6

      Keep the temperature in your home at a minimum of 72 degrees F. Hermit crabs will not survive or flourish if the temperature drops below 72 degrees.