I found my old hermit crab care guide

[on:]

I remembered to look for it last time I was home and I wish it had a publishing date.  It is called Hermit Crabs as Pets by Daniele Scermino, Mini Pet Reference Series No. 4.  I tried searching for one on google but still no luck.

My best guess is the book is well over 10 years old, some of the information seems to be outdated but some of it still seems valid.  If you are interested I could scan the book for you to read the whole thing, it's only 15 pages.

I skimmed through the book fairly quick and I found no mention of a saltwater dish but I found this part interesting I'm not sure if it applies still today or if it is outdated?  The part with picking sand from the beach does seem sort of dangerous to the crabs.  I think a crabarium is now a days called a Crabitat.

One way to be sure their diet includes apporpriate salts and minerals is to use sand actually collected from a clean beach area to use in their crabarium.  The sand is certain to be loaded with sea salts crushed shells, all of which is possible needed for health and proper nutrition.  If sand is to be collected, be sure to collect if from an intertidal area.  This is between the high and low tide marks where the sand is richest in the elements of evaporated seawater which would suppliment the diet of your crabs.

If you do not live anywhere near the ocean, go to an aquarium store or pet shop and purchase a couple pounds of very find grade dolomite or crushed coral sand to mix with your other sand (we recommend #6-20 Silica) in a ration of about 1:5.  To this, add about a quart of sea water obtainable form a health food store or dealer in marine fishes, and allow it to evaporate in the sand.  This will provide your crab with an environment rich in minerals and salts which may be essential.

[Reply #1 on:]

::runs down to hermit crab tank::

::pulls out copy of book::

they still sell this book along with gardner's tree crab book from 1970.

as far as using beach sand, someone just brought up this topic at LHC.com, and i which made me think about that recepie for making your own "mineral rich sand." beach sand is safe to use in crabitats as long as it's clean, sifted, and baked in the oven at 300F to kill any bugs.

if i remember correctly, the suggestions in that book weren't horrible. i was amazed that they suggested using a tank for the purpuse of maintaining humidity.

The pretty shells you see them wearing in pet shops and other retail outlest are not those they would normally wear in the wild. The reason for this is for camouflage. No intelligent crab would crawl about the beach wearing a bright, colorful shell if he could help it.

Although wild crabs want to go unnoticed, our captive pets need not worry about predators. Thus for our own satisfaction we should dispay them in the prettiest shells obtainable. Aside from beauty, which is nonfunctional, the main consideration is the size.

i laugh at the remark that we need to make sure the shells are pretty to meet our own aesthetics. if you don't, you will kill your crabs!

[Reply #2 on:]

Haha, I will have to read it more thoroughly tonight.  Are there any newer books or references that you would recommend?

[Reply #3 on:]

Petco's "Hermit-Crabs for Dummies" is a good book. although i have not read it myself i know that one of the founders of the Hermit Crab Association helped write the book.

Crabzilla.net - nice basic guide
HermitCrabAssociation.com - good articles and wonderful forum
CrabStreetJournal.com - lots of good caresheets and articles
EpicureanHermit.com - great information reguarding hermit crab diet

[Reply #4 on:]

Pretty interesting information. Talon, do you think Amazon might still sell that particular series?

[Reply #5 on:]

According to eBay the publishing date was 1978, not sure if that is right or not.

Pretty interesting information. Talon, do you think Amazon might still sell that particular series?

I checked on amazon and they don't have it but I found a couple on ebay for like a dollar lol.  Hermit Crabs as Pets link 1  Hermit Crabs as Pets link 2

[Reply #6 on:]

I guess I'm really really late on posting to this but I would be really careful the places you get advice.  We were just talking about a lady who is an "expert".  She has some videos on a site where she is showing you how to give your crabs daily baths by sticking them in the water and shaking them vigerously!  Its rediculous.  Crabbers dont bath their crabs almost at all if ever.  There are times that call for bathing but its not often and not recommended as part of routine care.  I belong to HCA (Hermit Crab Association) and there is some awesome information on their site.  I have to give them credit for that.  The Crab Street Journal is great and the pictures of other crabitats and the contests are so much fun but as far as chat on forums go my favorite is LHC (Landhermitcrabs.com).  The ppl there are friendly and your more likely to get your questions answered and they are pretty strick on their no flaming rules.  Its very family friendly. 

Landhermitcrabs.com

Here is a quick link to the forum if anyone is interested.

[Reply #7 on:]

I guess I'm really really late on posting to this but I would be really careful the places you get advice.  We were just talking about a lady who is an "expert".  She has some videos on a site where she is showing you how to give your crabs daily baths by sticking them in the water and shaking them vigerously!

heh that reminds me of some odd advice i got from the creator of colorado care co. she told me that when you catch a crab bullying another, gently shake him! i'm sorry but i doubt any form of correction will do anything but scare your hermies.

[Reply #8 on:]

heh that reminds me of some odd advice i got from the creator of colorado care co. she told me that when you catch a crab bullying another, gently shake him! i'm sorry but i doubt any form of correction will do anything but scare your hermies.

Heh. Although, with some of my more intelligent crabs, such as Leopold, when I caught them bullying Mariah, I'd put them in the corner, facing the glass, and they seemed to get the idea