Judgy Crab Mommy

It began two days before traditional Christmas this winter (our family Christmas with the girls came early) when we gave Giraffe a gift card. It was meant to replace a gift I had purchased and then decided she was a bit young for.

Me: "Giraffe, you can have anything you want with this!"

Giraffe: "Then I think I'll get a hermit crab!"

Just like that, it was decided. We were now crab people. :) Daddy and Giraffe went out that same day and brought home Hermie and his cage kit. You can see the delight he brought her. :)

Two days later we went out for Christmas with family and returned home to a dead crab... so dead his legs were dropping off! Giraffe scream-cried and Daddy and I promised a new crab the next day.

Welcome home, Tank!

At this point I thought it would be pertinent to do some research to see what it might take to keep this little guy alive. The first thing I learned was that 'hermit' is a misnomer. These little fellas get lonely. Like, desperately die-from-depression lonely. Tank needed a buddy. Five or more is better, but we started with one.

Welcome home, Tink!

The more I read, the more I learned. Our little hermit crab kit - and all kits like it... plastic, wire, or mix of - are nothing more than long, slow death traps. The hermies needed 80% humidity, 80 degree heat, and water that was dechlorinated. Apparently they can suffer excruciating, long deaths of suffocation in the basic crab tanks. I read that they needed no less than a ten gallon tank, and they mostly need sand for molting, so having some kind of coconut fiber substrate to live on is also required. No biggy. I have a ten gallon tank laying around, and substrate is $5.00 at PetCo. 

It was messy, but we got them set up. Substrate, check. Food, check. Water, check. Heat? Erm... I clipped a clip light over the tank, covered the rest, and called it good. I think we're done. 

Turns out not. The substrate was too shallow, and we got it too wet. It began to stink. Badly. Around that time, providence intervened. I saw a post on Freecycle. Someone was getting rid of a huge tank, heat lights, and other reptile supplies! I felt like we struck it rich!

You can guess that from here it only progressed. We were obsessed with our new pets, and with learning about their proper care. We got a fogger set up so they could have humidity as needed, turn on a heat lamp through the day, have sources of fresh and salt water (not pictured), got temperature/humidity gauges, and finally added that so-crucial 6" minimum of substrate. You can't see it all in this picture, but it is there. 

We also added two new crabs, one at a time. The first we called Squeak. He came in this awful orange painted shell. :( 

We hated the painted shells, but did not know why. Now we know they are toxic and that crabs don't choose them but are forced into them and otherwise abused in general. Squeak was only too happy to get out of that smelly, toxic prison and into a natural shell. (I looove Ebay - so many shells so cheaply!)       

We first purchased six shells, but over the last three months that has turned into over forty. We also got three more crabs. Button is a little guy who swapped out of his shell within three hours of arriving home. 

The two little hermies we call M&M's because their big claws are so tiny and bright. All three crabs went straight into molt as soon as they got home to our warm substrate. We've not seen them since... that was a month ago. We'll have to take their pictures after they've come back up and recovered. 

Last week my sister came for a visit, and gifted us two lovely pets. :)

Welcome home, Emsi!

Welcome home, Sweet Pea!

Then, on Monday this week we had to pick up some HC food at PetCo, so we rescued a big boy. 

Welcome home, Brick!

You may recognize him from the top of the page. He was in an awful green painted shell. Giraffe set him onto the soft substrate and he RAN for the shells, and started grappling with a nice turbo shell immediately. By the time we'd been in the door just five minutes, he had already flipped. He is pictured here in a brown shell he tried on four or five times before settling into the turbo. 

All that to say that now I have become a judgy crab mommy, with a judgy crab daughter. lol We are constantly researching our crabs, have joined an association, are progressively tweaking our tank to hopefully become wonderful.... and yes, to my dismay, we watch videos online of other crabitats and get super judgy about people who only use an inch or two of substrate, or who keep their crabs suffocating in one of those awful, awful 'kits' that the stores sell. lol 

If all goes right, our little babies and their many friends we will doubtless accumulate over time (we have more tanks to fill) will live long, happy lives. :) 

Hermit crabs. Who knew?