Socializing is Essential
Hermit Crabs live in colonies, yes you read that right, COLONIES. And why you may ask, the main purpose of why they live in colonies is because of shells. Shells are essential for hermit crabs since it doesn’t just offer shelter to these critters but protection as well for their fragile abdomen. They also use their shells to keep their gills moist, beneficial for their breathing.
In their colony, once a hermit crab starts to grow, it will abandon its old shell to find a new one. They sometimes even exchange shells, but not every exchange is a friendly one. Hermit crabs are quite competitive when it comes to their shells because they will fight over the best shells to move in. This happens in the wild and even in captivity. But in the wild they are quite crafty, especially when humans leave their waste near the beach shores, they will use bottle caps as shells.
Find a Your Hermie a Buddy
Just like us humans we also feel lonely and you know what, the medicine for that company. But don’t go rush in pet shops to buy lots of hermit crabs. First of all consider first, how many hermit crabs do your aquarium can fit comfortably. FYI, generally, a 10-gallon aquarium can hold up to 10 small hermit crabs, 6 small crabs, and 4 medium-sized hermit crabs. But do take into consideration that your hermit crabs will grow and they might need more space than you can imagine. That said, don’t let your hermit crabs go completely “hermit” for a long period of time since they are more active and social when other hermit crabs are around.
Also important to note that adding more hermit crabs to the aquarium means providing them a variety of shells, so when they start to move out they won’t have to fight each other for the best shells in the enclosure.
Say Hello To Your New Room mate!
It’s not hard to introduce new hermit crabs to the ones you have right now but don’t rush them to get very friendly with each other on an instant since hermit crabs tends to establish their social hierarchy so don’t panic if you see your hermit crab “greet” its new roommate with an “antennae war”. They are not actually fighting each other, but more of smelling each other. This is pretty normal so don’t worry.
Toys Can Help For Now
If you don’t have time to get your hermie a new room mate, then you can fill its loneliness with toys for now. Hermit crabs love to climb, so it would be a good idea to provide them with live rocks where they can climb and even hide on. Driftwood works as well, flower or plant pots – just make sure they are unpainted to prevent the chemicals from paint. Just make sure any toys you will provide to your hermit crabs are free from toxic chemicals and even harmful bacteria that it may ingest.
Also, make sure your enclosure is properly sealed because they can and will climb out of the enclosure and they might fall and harm themselves in the process.
You are Your Hermit Crab’s Best Friend As Well
If you’re just a new owner of a hermit crab, make sure you provide them with everything they need. They are not the usual cats and dogs wherein you can always pet them. But you can, however, make them feel secured by your presence. Safely pick your hermit crab by its shell, not by its claws dangling in the air! Once it feels comfortable with you, allow it to crawl across your hand. If it wants to roam outside of its enclosure, then let it roam. Just make sure it’s safe from hazardous chemicals, bigger animals like house cats or dogs, and being stepped on by you or people in your home.
