Bug!

A couple of weeks ago, my little ecoudorian Bug, lost a leg. Later I found the leg in the sand and threw it away. This is not the first time I've had this happen to a hermit crab. I think Bug died because she had...1. No access to salt water. 2. The humidity levels were down by a lot and I hadn't been misting my crabs. 3. They had chlorinated water! I didn't know this until I read up on another website that chlorinated water is dangerous to the little crabbies. This obviously means be careful of chlorine. You can also get a water dechlorinater. Two little drops to tap water will destroy the chlorine. The water dechlorinater is for any pet, mostly fish tanks but can be used for any water that has chlorine. You can also try Spring Water but that will cost a lot. You can get a nice dechlorinater in a little bottle. Now it may not seem like much but this little bottle can make at least a few HUNDRED gallons!

What the...

I have had King the crab since April. If your crab is dead it is obviously not going to grasp on the it's shell and will most likely fall out. If they are not dead, they will be tight and you probably be able to feel force that the crab is hanging on. King is not dead, but he has NEVER COME OUT OF HIS SHELL! He has a grasp though, and I can easily feel it. But I have never seen him come out, nor move. He is always in the same spot or around the same spot when I come to check on the crabs. I think maybe he does move, I just don't see him do it. Tip: Want to see what you're crabs are up to when you are asleep? Get a video camera with plenty of room on it and set it up around bedtime. Set it on night vision. If it doesn't have this on it, leave a dim light on so the crab tank is visible through the camera lens. Turn the camera on right before you go to sleep. In the morning, watch the video and see what you're crab has been up to!

Some Pet Stores... You just have to RULE OUT!

As the title says, some pet stores you just have to rule out. A couple weeks ago, I went to a pet store I had never been to. It was family owned, so there is only one. I loved it. It was very nice. Then I wanted to see the hermit crabs...okay, I ask an employee. She says they are at the end of the aisle. I go there. My EYEBALLS almost POPPED OUT of my head! There were many Ecuadorians. Great! Most of them were dead and in painted shells! Horrible! This is obviously not a good pet store to buy hermit crabs.

E or P?

Ecuadorian or Purple Pincher? In this posting I will show you how to tell the different species apart!



Take your crab out and examine it. The name Purple Pincher indicates obviously that a crab that is a purple pincher has a big purple claw. You can also tell that your crab is a purple pincher by it's red legs. some crabs may have dark red, blood red, or rose red. It all depends on the crab.





Once more, take a crab out and examine it. Now, the name Ecuadorian may not automatically ring a bell. But these crabs get their name from where they live, not from what they look like. An Ecuadorian crab lives in Ecuador, just like what it's name sounds like. You can tell if a crab is an Ecuadorian by looking at it's legs. If the crab has white or gray marks with tints of a light red in them, your crab is an Ecuadorian.

The World Outside

In the summer, (don't use the hamster ball for this) you may take your crabs outside. Put them in the grass and make sure the grass isn't sprayed with pesticides. I'm not sure which plants may harm your crabs, so keep your crabs away from other plants. Make sure you watch the crabs, especially if your crabs are near the road.

Hamster Ball

I think I read this on another site...but hamster or not get a hamster ball! Hermit crabs love to use them. I bought one 2 days ago and enjoy putting my crabs in it. Not only can they run around, but it is safe. No one can step on the crabs and the ball can't fit in small spaces. ALTHOUGH it can fit under cabinets, dressers, etc. Make sure you put big ones in, the small ones aren't strong enough to push it!

Just as Promised

Just as I promised, I got pictures up of Claire and King. I put all of them here so you can see them all together. King, (bottom) Claire (smallest picture) Bug (middle) Miranda (above) and Willy (top left).