Hermit Crabs: Crab experts help?

I bought two really small hermit crabs when we went to the beach in early August. when i bought them, i figured, they wouldn't really last long to begin with and just bought a small cage, a small pond, a food shell, and a sponge and chaya wood. and the food of course. So, today i was thinking maybe i should really try to make them live as long as possible. I mean i'm only a teenager, so i looked online and it said that i have to get a 10 gallon tank. i know that i have a 10 gallon tank up in my attic. I also collect sand, so i have some sand in a bag from the beach. If i put the sand in there, will they be okay with that? i was also thinking of putting in some shelter like the crab shack from petsmart and then i heard that i am supposed to have two pools, one for water, and one for salt water. Am i getting all of this right? i only have twenty dollars, so i have to make everything last to last bit, and it all has to be ordered online. if you could just give me some CHEAP helpful tips, that would be great. i cannot afford a humidifier, and they might not even last that long, so what would i do with it afterward?Hermit Crabs: Crab experts help?
You don't need a humidifyer if you squirt the inside of the tank. The humidity does need to be kept at 80% though. Hermit Crabs breath through modified gills, if they don't have a high humidity, they will very slowly and very painfully suffocate. So that is essential.



You do need 2 water bowls, but it doesn't have to be expensive. You can use tupperware containers. I use two sandwich containers and put rocks that I've cleaned with vinegar water on the bottom so my crabs can climb out.



The 10 gallon tank is a must!! You can use the beach sand, it needs to be damp. Around sandcastle consistancy. Hermit Crabs need to bury for many different reasons, and if the sand isn't damp, the tunnels will collapse in on them



You also need a thermometer and a heat source. The temp needs to be between 75-80 degrees.



I understand that you might not want to spend a lot of money on them, but with proper care they can live between 25-30 years. If you can't provide the proper environment for them, you should really consider finding someone who can.



Here are some great websites you can use to do research:

www.hermitcrabassociation.com

www.hermit-crabs.com

www.naturallycrabby.com

www.crabbytalk.com



The hermit crab association has an adoption forum incase that is something you would want to do.
http://www.hermit-crabs.com/ Has great info...all you need to know!Hermit Crabs: Crab experts help?
You can't set up a hermit crab tank on $20. My ceramic heater and thermostat cost me over $150 alone. Yes, you need two pools. You need water conditioner/dechlorinator. You need aquarium salt that is for marine salt water set ups. You can get sand from the beach - bake it on medium heat for half an hour in the oven first.



You need a thermometer and a humidity gauge. The temperature should be maintained at 75F, so unless you're very lucky to live in that climate, you need a heater. You don't need a humidifier - fill a spray bottle with dechlorinated water and mist the tank to maintain 75-80% humidity. The gauges are $15 easy. And you need to monitor the humidity.



In a low humidity environment, a hermit crab's gills slowly dry out and die. This means they can't breathe and they slowly and painfully suffocate to death.



How long they live is dependent on how well you care for them. Given that they naturally live 50+ years, they deserve GOOD care. I'm sorry, but if the care they require is above your budget, then you shouldn't keep them. Give them to someone who can care for them properly.



It isn't fair to them. I'm glad you're showing an interest in caring for them, but if you don't have the means to do so, it's very wrong to force them to take the consequences
haha you have crabs

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