There is a silent massacre of hermit crabs across the world by pet owners who have good intentions. They were told that hermit crabs are “throw away pets” that don’t live very long in their gravel cages. So, they buy them as beginner-pets for their kids or just for fun and pay little attention to them.
I’m here today to tell you that hermit crabs are in-fact uncomplicated, easy beginner pets. However, what they actually need isn’t well-known among pet owners. This is the fault of hermit crab industry ill-informing hermit crab owners.
I’ve had hermit crabs for 4 years now and they are healthy, curious, active little creatures. They’re still alive, too! Well-cared-for hermit crabs can live for 15 years! They take less than 5 minutes to take care of everyday, I don’t have to to take them to the vet, and they’re one of the most in-expensive pets you can own. So, I want to go over everything I wish I knew before buying hermit crabs and what’s involved in taking care of them. This way you can make an informed decision before getting a hermit crab as a pet.
Are hermit crabs a good pet? (My opinion)
Hermit crabs are a good pet for people who can respect that they are to be observed rather than a companion you can pet or play with. In a way, they’re like a pet fish with a lot more personality. Instead of swimming in circles, hermit crabs dig, play, climb, and are unique in their own way.
They aren’t as much work as many people let on. I spend 5 minutes a day replacing my hermit crabs food, washing out their water bowls because they like to dig, and spraying their tank with a spray bottle. I spend $0 on food or water because I feed them hermit-crab-safe kitchen scraps rather than commercial food. They are a great pet in the sense that they are very, very inexpensive.
Hermit crabs are terrible pets for children.
Hermit crabs are fragile little creatures. They can literally die from stress, and nothing stresses them more than being picked up or touched. I do my best to not pick up hermit crabs unless I’m cleaning their tank.
Hermit crabs hide in their shell as a protective measure. They have never been domesticated like other pets we own because they can’t be bred in captivity. Hermit crabs you find in the store or the boardwalk are plucked out of the wild, so they have the same nervous demeanor of that of a wild animal.
Because of their nervous manner, they will not be an entertaining pet for a kid. One of my four hermit crabs was donated by my little brother who lost interest in the poor thing. He’s now happy in my 40-gallon hermit crab tank with the three other crabs.
Kids need to understand that hermit crabs are living things, not toys. They need rest and alone time, and don’t like to be poked or touched by tiny hands. They also can’t handle a high level of noise or harassment (Charles Sure, Pg. 23).
Another thing to keep in mind is that these pets live a long time. If you buy a 10 year old a hermit crab, chances are that you’ll be taking care of that pet when they go off to college.
Last thing to keep in mind is that children need to be mindful of washing their hands before and after handling hermit crabs. Since younger children aren’t as consistent with their hygiene habits, this is a problem for all concerned (Charles Sure).
I’m in college right now, and I had to take my hermit crabs with me.
Taking care of hermit crabs is an easy, 5 minute chore.
The last complaint you’ll hear from a hermit crab owner is how much work they are. Sure, they are messy because they like to dig. The worst they can do is kick up substrate into their water bowls, which mine do every single day.
Like every pet, you need to take care of hermit crabs every day. You can get away with leaving them for a few days as long as you make sure the environment stays humid, food doesn’t go bad, and there’s plenty of water. It’s easy to pull this off if you go on vacation for a few days, so you won’t need a pet sitter if you have a hermit crab and leave for more than a few days. I go over this in detail it in my article: How Long Can Hermit Crabs Go Without Food, Water, & Proper Care?.
Replace the food, water, do a quick spot clean, then a few squirts with a spray bottle. It’s a quick chore, and the only time involved in taking care of a hermit crab.
Every day, I replace my hermit crab’s fresh water and saltwater bowl. I refill the saltwater bowl with an aquarium-salt mixture that I keep in a gallon jug next to my hermit crab tank. I simply wash each bowl out in the sink (we don’t have chlorinated city-water so I can get away with this). For anyone with poor quality tap water, I recommend you use distilled water to replace your crab’s freshwater bowl.
The next chore is to replace their food. I don’t use commercial hermit crab food to provide them with fresher fruits and foods for more nutrients. The trade off is that this will mold quickly in the humid environment. This means I need to clean out and replace their food bowl daily.
The next chore hermit crab owners often skip (I’ll admit I do too sometimes) is to spot clean their tank. I deep-clean the tank every 6 months or whenever it truly needs it, but this can be pushed off as long as you check the tank for scattered food scraps. Hermit crabs are messy and will scatter food, which then will mold and rot. Avoid this by cleaning these scraps when you’re doing your daily rounds.
Last off is to spray the tank a few times with a spray bottle full of water. I use a saltwater solution to give my crab tank a more “tropical” feel, but that’s not necessary. This keeps the tank humid, which is important for hermit crabs to breathe.
Hermit crabs set-ups inexpensive & most costs are up-front.
The most expensive day for a hermit crab owner is when they buy their hermit crabs. After that, you will need to spend next to nothing for your hermit crabs.
When you first buy hermit crabs, you will need to buy:
- A glass fish tank, I recommend a 10-gallon tank for 1-2 small hermit crabs.
- EcoEarth as a substrate.
- A heating pad.
- A Hygrometer to track the crabitat’s humidity and temperature.
- Clean, unpainted shells.
- Two water bowls and one for food.
- Aquarium salt to make hermit crab saltwater.
- Decorations for hermit crabs to climb.
If I remember correctly, I spent around $100 for my first hermit crab setup. I cut corners by using old aquarium decorations for my tank and my old fish tank. I use a soup bowl as their food bowl, and use plastic cling wrap as a tank lid. I’m cheap!
After that initial purchase, you will need the following supplies whenever necessary:
- More EcoEarth when you replace it every 6 months or so.
- Shells when you hermit crabs grow.
I go over the price tag that comes with all this in my article: How Much does it Cost to Purchase & Raise Hermit Crabs?. Just know that hermit crabs are some of the most inexpensive pets you can get.
What I wish I knew buying hermit crabs for the first time.
Don’t buy a metal or plastic cage for your hermit crabs. They need a moist environment to stay healthy because they have gills instead of lungs. An optimal hermit crab environment has at least 75% humidity, where plastic or metal cages sold at the pet store do not promote a humid environment.
Instead, buy a glass fish tank for your hermit crabs. They occasionally go for $1 for every gallon at Petco. They’re getting ever-cheaper on Amazon, click here to see their current price (Affiliate link). I recommend 10-gallons of tank space for every hermit crab you own.
Hermit crabs can live for 15 years. I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect to own hermit crabs for as long as I have. I’ve grown to love the little guys and I will forever be a hermit crab lover, but I’ll admit they were an impulse-buy. Don’t go buying hermit crabs unless you want a pet that’ll live for a long time.
It’s rare for a hermit crab to be your companion. It’s a bit of a one-sided relationship. I’ve heard of hermit crab owners teaching their pet to eat out of their hand by getting them used to their human’s scent, but that’s very rare. For most people, your hermit crabs will not play with you, like it when you hold them, or interact with you at all.
The fun that comes with hermit crabs is watching them from afar. They are active, social little creatures that like to explore, dig, and climb. You just can’t do those things with them. They’ll gladly have a fun time in their environment with other hermit crabs, though. Keep this in mind when picking hermit crabs as a pet.
Painted shells can be toxic to hermit crabs. Pet stores sell hermit crabs in their painted, fun looking shells to grab you eye. They do not care about the long term effects this has on the crabs. In fact, they snatch these guys out of the wild, crack their natural shell open, and force them to pick one of the many painted shells. The process is terrible and many hermit crabs die from the stress of it. This is why I do my best to provide my crabs with non-painted shells. If you do, they’ll eventually switch out of their painted shell as they grow.
Most of “hermit crab supplies” are useless and overpriced. I’ve put together my hermit crab habitat with Eco-Earth (a substrate for lizards), aquarium decorations, non-painted shells (usually used for crabs), and so on. Not one item marketed as hermit crab supplies is necessary for your hermit crab to be healthy. So, when you’re at the store do not buy the cage, sponge, hermit crab food, extra painted shells, none of it! If you’re curious about what you should actually use for a hermit crab environment, check out my Recommended Products & Supplies page.
Hermit crabs don’t smell like anything. People take one look at hermit crabs and think they are unclean, ugly things. Hermit crabs, in fact, don’t smell like anything! They’re some of the cleanest animals you can get as a pet.
Every 6 months, you’ll need to deep-clean your tank.
This is a 2-hour project, but the equivalent of cleaning your fish tank. I’ve had fish before, and you have to do that much more often than you would cleaning a hermit crab tank. It’s the only big chore involved in taking care of hermit crabs, and pretty intuitive once you do it once.
You’ll have to clean out your crab’s extra shells, replace the substrate, and clean the decorations in the tank. It cost around $50 in new substrate for my 40-gallon tank, but this’ll be less if you have one or two hermit crabs. Mine need more room because they’re older and larger. Keep this in mind when picking hermit crabs as a pet.
Pros & Cons of Hermit Crabs from “Hermit Crabs as Pets” by Charles Sue
If you want a thorough guide to owning hermit crabs, I highly recommend you read Charles Sue’s book “Hermit Crabs as Pets.” It’s a very well-written pet guide full of information on hermit crabs, hermit crab care, and everything you should know as a first time pet owner. Click here to check it out on Amazon (Affiliate Link). I’m reading it as I write this article, so you can trust that I actually recommend this.
Charles Sure listed a few really great pros and cons for hermit crabs, which are up for interpretation. Some people see a feature of a hermit crab as a pro, while others see it as a con. I’ll paraphrase, but here’s the list of pros and cons straight from the book.
Hermit crabs are hands off. There’s no need to take your hermit crab for a walk, clean its litter box, or give it company. This is great for those who want a pet that doesn’t need much attention. Just know that your crab isn’t going to give you any either.
Hermit crabs are quiet. I know I mentioned earlier that hermit crabs are loud. However, if you compare a hermit crab’s squeak to a dog’s bark, you’ll agree hermit crabs are very quiet. You need to be quiet to hear them chirp or move around their tank. They don’t tend to be too active around a lot of noise, anyway.
Hermit crabs don’t take up a lot of space. Hermit crabs are limited to their tank, and that’s all the room they’ll take. They’re the perfect pet for an apartment or any small space.
Hermit crabs don’t trigger allergies. You can’t get any more of a hypoallergenic pet than a hermit crab. They don’t come with any fur and saliva, which means they can’t trigger an allergic response. I’ve been allergic to cats and dogs for most of my childhood, so now I’m the weirdo with hermit crabs.
References
Sure, C. (2014). Hermit crab care: Habitat, food, health, behavior, shells, and lots more: The Complete Hermit Crab Care Pet Book … BLEP Publishing.