On occasions one may find that when they do an antenna count they seem to be missing a hermit crab? Where possibly could it be? All empty shells have been looked into, including doing the precaution of turning the shells upside down and placing water within them. There have been occasions when a hermit crab has changed shells and fits so far down within it they are impossible to see. By placing water within the shells and turning them hole side up, if the shell moves hole side down a crabber knows there is a resident within it.

Tips for saving money and having a safe crabitat:

First off there are certain things that you can’t really skimp on when it comes to setting up a safe and fun crabitat. Things like a heat source whether it be lights or a UTH, substrate has a cost, although some are cheaper, humidity gauges, temperature gauges, and the tank itself has a cost, but here are some tips to save money and use items that you may already have laying around the house.

In 2006, an editor from World Book's Animals of the World contacted Stacy Griffith and Vanessa Pike Russell to ask for permission to use some of their photos. Permission was granted and the photos are found in the 2007 volume titled Purple Pinchers and Other Hermit Crabs.

Setting up a proper crabitat can be expensive even with a 10 gallon tank and the bigger the tank the bigger the price tag for stocking it. With some planning and creativity you can upgrade to a large crabitat without going broke. This article is about ways to save money when setting up as well as some common mistakes to avoid.


The first thing I can’t stress to people enough is that there are places you can shop that are far cheaper than a pet store!!

There may come times when a crabber finds they must leave their hermies for a few days, or wish to go on vacation and are concerned about their hermies being cared for.

To go for a week end, most can ensure with reptile reservoirs the hermit crabs will have the water they need as well as food if a little extra is added to the food dish. Make sure the foods that are left will not spoil/mold in a couple of days.