Making Sure Your Hermit Crab Loves His Environment

Hermit crab habitat is commonly known as a 揷rabitat? A crabitat is usually made from glass much like an aquarium without the air pump. It is important that we make and maintain an ideal crabitat for our hermit crabs because just like other pets, they also want to have an environment that can mimic their wild habitat. Most people see the significance of setting up an ideal hermit crab habitat in order to keep their hermits longer and more alive. Here are some tips to give you ideas on how to make that kind of ideal habitat.

First you have to understand that the hermits require their surroundings to be perfect. The proper enclosure, substrate, humidity, decorations and accessories, temperature, lighting, and cleaning must be provided so that they can live a healthy life. To learn more about these factors, here are some hints, which you must take at heart.

Enclosure. Always prefer the glass aquarium and not the plastic. For smaller species a 10 gallon aquarium is enough for a pair. If you want multiple medium sized hermits, a 30 or 40 gallon can be the ideal size. Put woods or corrals inside their crabitat for them to climb and dry themselves.

Substrate. Choose substrates that are easy to clean and soft which can allow your hermits to make their tunnels easily. Terrarium sand and coconut fiber substrate are perfect for crabitats. You can also put crushed coral as an alternative but avoid gravel, wood chips or anything that they cannot dig.

Accessories/decorations. As hermits are playful and always love to climb, they will love anything that they can climb upon. You can put ceramic pots, sanitized shells, driftwoods or rough rocks.

Water dishes. An ideal number of water dishes for an ideal hermit crab habitat in one aquarium would be two ?one for the saltwater and one for fresh water. Base the size of their dishes to the largest hermit crab you have to accommodate all crabs that may want to take a bath.

Humidity. Hermit crabs have different gills than the fishes but they still need water to moisten it. If the air is too dry inside the aquarium their gills can dry out and may suffocate them. The relative humidity therefore should not be lower than 70%. To keep humidity levels, you have to keep the substrates always damp but not too wet. Keep the middle areas of the crabitat moistened always while the higher hills dry.

Temperature. Hermit crabs thrive on tropical climate so the temperature in their crabitat must not go below their body temperature or else their metabolism will be affected. Under tank heaters or 15 watt reptile heat lamps are ideal solution during winter. Also, always keep a thermometer in their tank to monitor temperature.

Lighting. Lights are always good for the hermits but daylights are more beneficial. Wattage is the most important factor when choosing lights. Use ideal wattage lamps so that the humidity will not drop below the appropriate levels. For example, a 15-watt bulb is ideal for a 10-gallon crabitat so the larger the tank the more wattage you need.

Cleaning. If you can do regular cleaning, your crab can enjoy their stay in their crabitats. To be able to clean their places properly always try to filter their substrate to remove debris and their wastes. Also, change their water and food when soiled and wash their dishes regularly.

In setting up hermit crab habitat, you really need to know the basics because crabitats are different in every nature. You may want to install artificial decorations or choose the natural materials. To get more great information that can teach you how to set-up ideal crabitats then please visit my site, I can even help with regards to choosing the right hermit pet species.