Do Hermit Crabs Need a Heat Lamp?
Hermit crabs are a popular pet for both children and adults due to their small size and low maintenance requirements. However, it’s important to provide them with the proper care and habitat to ensure their well-being.
One of the most common questions that often arises when caring for hermit crabs is whether or not they need a heat lamp in their habitat.
The short answer is that hermit crabs do not need a heat lamp inside their habitat. But depending on where you live, time of year and the location of your enclosure, they may need a heat lamp above or shining into the habitat from outside the glass.
Besides a heat lamp, other solutions can include a heat pad, and heat bulbs.
It’s important to note that hermit crabs are sensitive to high temperatures. They come from subtropical and tropical environments… not the desert! Heat lamps are generally the strongest form of heat you can provide. This may, or may not, be the best choice for your particular habitat. When using a heat lamp, you’ll need to pay even closer attention to the humidity levels.
Hermit Crabs are Sensitive to Extreme Temperatures
If you live in a location outside of South Florida, chances are you may need to provide some heat during cold winter months. This is also true if you keep the enclosure under an AC vent that blows 65 degrees inside your home!
Every situation is different.
Use a thermometer/hydrometer so you can monitor the parameters of your habitat, then make choices on how to correct any potential issues.
Hermit crabs are native to tropical and subtropical regions, so they do need a warm environment. But providing too much heat can be harmful.
Different Types of Hermit Crabs Have Different Needs
Make sure you know WHAT TYPE OF HERMIT CRAB PETS YOU HAVE in order to provide them with the right temperature and humidity parameters they need. Here’s my post Hermit Crab Types of Pets with Photos, here.
The most common type of hermit crab pets in the U.S. are Caribbean Purple Pincher hermit crabs (also known as tree crabs). If you have this type of hermit crab, follow the guidelines for their preferred environment parameters.
Hint: think “Key West” along the shore for optimal temperature and humidity levels keeping in mind they do fluctuate slightly depending on the month.
Most heat lamps can easily create temperatures that are too high for hermit crabs to tolerate. However, this depends on the size and dimensions of your hermit crab habitat.
Example: instead of terrariums, I create “Ikea Hermit Crab Habitat Hacks”. They are converted glass cabinets from Ikea that provide the tall space my older Caribbean Purple Pincher hermit crabs love, for climbing and exploration activities.
Because both the IKEA DETOLF and IKEA MILSBO hacks are over 5 feet tall, I add a spotlight fixture to the top, inside of the enclosure. The light fixture uses one bulb. Most of the year I keep a low heat daylight bulb in place. However, on the coldest days of the year, I may take the daylight bulb out and place a heat bulb in.
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The optimal temperature range for hermit crabs is between 72-78 degrees Fahrenheit (22-25 degrees Celsius). This can be easily achieved by keeping the habitat in a warm room or by using a low-wattage heat source such as a heat pad or under-tank heater.
It is important to monitor the temperature of the habitat using a thermometer to ensure that it stays within this range.
In addition to temperature, there are several other factors to consider when setting up a hermit crab habitat. Proper humidity is important for hermit crabs as they need a moist environment to molt and grow.
A humidity level of 70-80% is ideal, which can be achieved by misting the habitat with a water bottle or using a humidifier.
Hermit crabs burrow in sand and substrate as a natural, instinctive behavior.
One of the reasons they burrow is to get out from under extreme heat or cold. Remember, in a tropical or subtropical environment, they are still going to be subjected to very hot summer days with direct sun, as well as a few very cold days in the heart of winter.
Not sure what range of temperatures and humidity levels your hermit crabs thrive in, in their natural environment?
First, you have to know what type of hermit crabs you have. IF you have the most common type in the U.S. which is the Caribbean Purple Pincher hermit crab, consider looking up the typical weather of Key West. You’ll see that high summer temps generally never go above the high 90s, and there are only a handful of cold days in winter that may dip below 50.
By keeping your habitat within range of a subtropical environment like Key West (use your phone and a weather app and look up Key West!), your hermit crabs should remain happy and healthy. But every hermit crab habitat should have a thermometer/hygrometer inside the enclosure to easily monitor parameters.
And always have plenty of bottom substrate they can burrow into, to escape any less than ideal parameters (and also to molt, de-stress, hide).
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your hermit crabs are healthy and live long happy lives.
Did you know? Hermit crabs live longer than dogs, check out my post here!
Last update on 2024-05-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API