6 Hermit Crab Supplies You Need FIRST!
Hermit crab pets are fairly low-maintenance but they do have a few requirements to remain healthy and happy.
There are 6 hermit crab supplies you need to provide FIRST, and at all times. These six elements of a healthy hermit crab habitat are the bare basics and necessities they will need first, before anything else, when setting up your enclosure.
Beyond these 6 hermit crab supplies, there are more elements to add like climbing opportunities, moving water and more. But first, provide these 6 supplies:
What do Hermit Crabs Need as Pets?
- Fresh Water Bowl (or larger “pool”)
- Sea Water Bowl (or larger pool)
- Food Dish (or shell)
- Substrate
- Extra Shells
- Thermometer/Hygrometer Gauge
Fresh Water Bowl or Pool
Bowls should be large enough for your hermit crabs to submerge, but not to big that they can’t easily climb out.
If you have a larger enclosure, add a pool so they can submerge and walk around underwater if they’d like, as long as there is an easy way for them to climb in and out (they CAN drown!).
For more on the differences between bowls and pools: Hermit Crab Water Bowls and Pools
Submerging is important to hermit crabs because they will store water in their shell for when they burrow and for when they molt.
Fresh water should never come directly from your faucet, make sure it’s distilled, RO (reverse osmosis) or detoxify it yourself with a good product like Amquel Plus. More information here: Hermit Crab Water
Look for CORNER water bowl shapes, better use of space!
Sea Water (saltwater) Bowl or Pool
Sea water bowls can be smaller than fresh water if your enclosure has limited space IF you have Purple Pinchers (most common hermit crab pet). There are hermit crabs that will need to submerge regularly in very clean sea water so make sure you know which type of hermit crab pets you have!
For purple pinchers, it’s fine to have a smaller sea water bowl vs their fresh water IF the enclosure has limited surface space and you have to choose between more surface substrate space OR two large water dishes.
Hermit crabs come from the ocean’s edge, and that sea water is an important part of their life cycle. Provide (detoxified) sea water in their habitat so they remain healthy. There are vital vitamins and minerals in sea water that they need to molt, grow a strong exoskeleton and remain healthy.
Sea water can be purchased from your local pet store (best choice), but you can also make it at home. Here’s more on making sea water for your hermit crabs: How to Mix Saltwater for Hermit Crab Pets
Food Dish or Bowl
Food should be on a clean surface on top of or away from other elements of the enclosure like substrate or moss. The separation will ensure less potential mold or rot spreads if your enclosure gets to humid, you don’t remove food after a day or so, etc.
This is the supply you don’t need to spend any money on! We use 1/2 of bi-valve sea shells and they work great! We provide two larger sized shells found on a Florida beach. They are curved enough to keep the food inside pretty effectively, and small enough not to take up too much precious surface substrate space.
Substrate
Your hermit crabs need to burrow. Substrate should be a non-toxic medium grain sand, similar to what you’d find on a Florida beach (a natural beach, not at a resort with imported non-native fine white sand!).
Be careful, don’t use gravel – there are hermit crab plastic transporters you can buy and they come with gravel… not good! You can add some coconut fiber to the sand which makes it a nice consistency to dig into and also helps keep a healthy level of humidity.
Many hermit crab owners recommend non-toxic play sand found at Home Depot. This may be a great, inexpensive option. They usually suggest mixing this with coco-fiber. We have never used play sand, so we can’t weigh in on this method of making the best substrate for your hermit crabs.
We like using Hermit Beach sand, mixed with coco-fiber and one other aquarium grade sand. We feel the combination is most similar to the substrate found in mangroves and on small islands where we’ve seen first-hand, hermit crabs thriving.
There should be a minimum of 4″ of substrate at the bottom for smaller hermit crabs. The larger they get, the deeper the substrate should be. Older, larger hermit crabs could need up to 8″ of substrate or more.
This also depends on how much surface substrate space there is in the habitat. If there is limited surface space, you can add an inch or two in depth for more substrate burrowing opportunity and privacy for molting.
Extra Shells
At some point, your hermit crabs will eat a little more, sit in their water bowl a little longer, and disappear into the substrate. They’ll dig down and hide away from your other hermit crabs, disappearing for days or weeks. They will be molting, and it’s a normal and an essential part of their life cycle so don’t worry!
Here’s more information on types of shells.
During molting, they shed their exoskeleton. When they emerge again, they will be a little bigger and happier. And they’ll be looking for a new home. It’s essential to provide extra shells in the habitat, of the same size and slightly larger. Hermit crabs LOVE trying on new shells.
If you have Purple Pinchers, the bigger and older they get, the more they seem to prefer Turbo Shells of any other type. Most likely it is because turbo shells are a medium weight, which gives them security in protecting their most vulnerable abdomens plus they have a circular opening. The also have a compacted curve which makes climbing and maneuvering in tight spaces much easier than an elongated shell like a whelk.
Temperature and Humidity Gauge
Essential hermit crab supplies should always include a thermometer/hygrometer. Why? Depending on where you live (climate), where you keep your hermit crab habitat (indoors, covered patio) and what type of hermit crabs you have… your parameters could be very different than what your pets need to remain healthy.
Monitor the habitat’s parameters: healthy temperature and humidity are important to the health of hermit crabs. The temperature should be in line with the climate of Key Largo or a Caribbean Island IF you have Purple Pincher hermit crabs (the most common type of hermit crab found in the U.S. pet industry).
Temperature in this part is most often in the 70’s to low-90’s throughout the year. In winter, temps can dip for a day or two to the 30’s. At night with an ocean breeze temps are often in the 70’s. In high summer, temps during the afternoon can reach low to mid-90’s.
If you don’t live in South Florida, the Florida Keys or a Caribbean Island, or you do and run your AC on very cold… you’ll need to watch your parameters. Does your hermit crab habitat need heat?
Purple Pinchers are the most resilient type of hermit crabs. Other types need higher heat and humidity to survive. Here’s more on types of hermit crabs here.
WHY DON’T WE HAVE “HERMIT CRAB FOOD” ON THIS LIST OF THE 6 HERMIT CRAB SUPPLIES YOU NEED FIRST? Simple! Hermit crabs are scavengers. If YOU eat healthy, you can feed them portions of your healthy, nutritious, well-balanced diet!
Want more information and tips on what to feed your hermit crab pets? Here’s more info on Hermit Crab Food and Nutrition.
Last update on 2024-05-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API