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21 14:53:31

Question
QUESTION: Hi,I'm going to get a hermit crab and I think my cage is to small and I cant find the box it came in.So how do I know that its the right size for my hermit crab?And one more question,will my hermit crab get lonely after a year or so because ounce i buy him I cant get another one till another year passes.(I'M BUYING MINE AT PETCO)

ANSWER: Really, the smallest you should go with a hermit crab is a 10 gallon tank. This is the smallest that you can fit everything in comfortably. All hermit crabs need a buddy, they live in huge colonies in the wild and really will need to be with friends. It has been documented that lone crabs can die of lonliness.

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QUESTION: and do hermit crabs need a cuttlebone because at petco they gave me a sheat and it recemended it?

ANSWER: They do need a calcium source but in a pinch you can boil an egg and give them the shell. They enjoy eating the yolk too!

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QUESTION: sorry to bother you but i have more questions.how long do medium sized hermit crabs live for?And what is an IOS tank and how do I put them in it when their molting?And how many hermit crabs do you have now and how old are they?

Answer
how long do medium sized hermit crabs live for?

In good conditions they can live for a very long time. I know several crabbers that have had their crabs for 5-7 years. I know of one woman who's two crabs are 35 years old!


And what is an IOS tank and how do I put them in it when their molting?

If you have moist substrated that they can dig in in like sand or fiber bedding and it is twice as deep as your largest crab you do not need to isolate them at all!


And how many hermit crabs do you have now and how old are they?

I have between 15 and 25 crabs in a 90 gallon terrarium and they range in age from very very young to very very old. The longest crab I have had in my posession was about 3 1/2 years.

You can see my tank and read more about crabs on my website www.naturallycrabby.com