QuestionQUESTION: I currently have three hermit crabs from the same store (PetSmart) one is huge! The size of a large golf ball and the smallest is the size of a quarter, about. So I want to get two more hermit crabs. Should I get them in the same pet store? Also, how should I introduce the new crabs to the older ones? I've had these three crabs for a week and a half.
Thanks for Reading!
Patty =)
ANSWER: It would be alright to introduce two more crabs, if your tank is large enough for all the extra shells, each crab should have a choice of 3 shells so it can decide what it likes and doesn't like. If you do get more, be sure to get some that are sized between your largest and your smallest, so they can use similar sized shells... Hermit crabs can get along pretty well, so no introduction is really needed... they don't get in many fights at all and certainly not over having a new friend, they prefer to stay with lots of friends than not, so they accept new ones quite easily, just be sure the new crabs aren't trying to steal the shells off of the old crabs, otherwise, everything should be fine. Good luck weith your new crabs.
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QUESTION: Well, I heard that when crabs get too stressed their legs come OFF! O.O I don't want that to happen when I get new crabs! I currently have a 10 gallon tank I think. I do have a coconut hut, mister, gravel, LOTS of shells (4 natural ones of different sizes, my Mom and I are going to go get more today). My hermit crabs that I have now have never fought but like 2 years ago I had about 5 hermit crabs and two of them fought to the death one night! In the morning I saw crab legs and eyes and claws everywhere! What do you think happened?
AnswerOh dear. Gravel isn't very good for hermit crabs, I am afraid. Gravel has very sharp and rough edges and they can in fact crack a hermit crab's exoskeleton, causing them to possibly die. You can buy sand very cheap at a home improvement store, they sell sand box sand there for a VERY cheap price (if I remember correctly, roughly 5-10 dollars for a 50 pound bag) you won't need the whole 50 of course at first, but store the extra in an air-tight containter and then as you clean the tank for poo and food, and if for some reason you get mold or whatnot, you can just refill as needed or dump the whole tank of sand and refill without having to worry about going to buy some more... As for your other crabs, hermit crabs are notoriously cannabalistic, after a crab dies, it is considered food, not friend any more, it is possible that just out of bad luck, those two died of illness or stress (or mites even, mites kill crabs seemingly overnight, it's happened to me before) and the other 3 crabs, upon finding them dead, ate them... Hermit crabs certainly shouldn't fight THAT viciously, tearing each other apart and moving around the cage in the way you described to get their body parts everywhere, but they do tear up food and drag it around to eat it away from other crabs so they don't have to share... My neighbor's son had two crabs and after he got bored with them, I took them and introduced them into my colony which I had had for a long time, over a year, and nothing happened at all... in fact, the next night, they were all piled up under the hidey hut fast asleep the next morning, so I don't think you have anything to worry about. Good luck with your new crabs and I hope everything turns out okay for you this time around.
