Its
a rare creature for a pet indeed. But watch how it chooses its shell and changes it to fit its personality, then you see a Transformer in the making. I am not an expert like some in USA keeping dozens, since a craze started there with huge imports from Ecuador. But in total, I have reared different hermit crabs for 2 years. My longest record is keeping one for more than a year. And these are cr
abs not bought from pet shops, but handpicked by me in the multitudes available at the beach in Malaysia and Japan. Yet, there are tips necessary to ensure they stay happy and healthy to keep you intrigued when you are bored. Hermit crabs are very low maintenance pets - just 1 hour care a week is needed. I don't adore them as pets and I do not think they make good companions. But, they can be as fascinating as the Transformers you 
place on your bedroom shelf. Yet, this one moves and chirps! This tip today is not a daddy tip, but I thought of just rambling on something unique. The Japanese call this otaku (オタク), when you are a fan of a hobby and become a subject matter expert on it to the extent that what you write or say sounds like foreign language. Here goes... so now you know hermit crabs chirp through a vibration from their body.
a rare creature for a pet indeed. But watch how it chooses its shell and changes it to fit its personality, then you see a Transformer in the making. I am not an expert like some in USA keeping dozens, since a craze started there with huge imports from Ecuador. But in total, I have reared different hermit crabs for 2 years. My longest record is keeping one for more than a year. And these are cr
abs not bought from pet shops, but handpicked by me in the multitudes available at the beach in Malaysia and Japan. Yet, there are tips necessary to ensure they stay happy and healthy to keep you intrigued when you are bored. Hermit crabs are very low maintenance pets - just 1 hour care a week is needed. I don't adore them as pets and I do not think they make good companions. But, they can be as fascinating as the Transformers you 
place on your bedroom shelf. Yet, this one moves and chirps! This tip today is not a daddy tip, but I thought of just rambling on something unique. The Japanese call this otaku (オタク), when you are a fan of a hobby and become a subject matter expert on it to the extent that what you write or say sounds like foreign language. Here goes... so now you know hermit crabs chirp through a vibration from their body.
First tip,
pick the survivors. Do not pick those at the sea water, but pick active ones near the edge of the beach, near to rocks and trees. Those near sea water may be species that need a lot of sea water and you need to have an eye to differentiate the species. Next, pick another 4-5 crabs of compatible sizes. In fact, pick its friends. Hermit crabs unlike its name, does not live alone like a hermit. They play in groups as a safety net t
hat if there are no new shells in the area, then they can switch each others' shells. Also, accumulate some of the local sand the hermit crab you picked is used to, and ensure there is sufficient coral sand as that forms part of its calcium intake. Do not forget a few nice empty shells almost similar to the one your crab has or slightly larger. The survivors if you pick them correctly, would survive 8
hour car rides or even 5 hour plane rides. After that, unpack them into an acquarium and put a shell of mineral/distilled water that is free of chlorine for them to play or sip a drink from. The crab only eats once a week and anything works. Their favorites are popcorns, coconut, banana, papaya, sweet potato, cereal, seeds and the list grows. Watching them eat is next best to watching them ch
ange shells. You can even hold food on your finger near them, be still and see closeup how they sniff and eat of you. The other way, a crab locates food is by seeing other crabs eat. Once a week, clean the acquarium of remaining food and put them on a nice platter of water at their shell level, so they can play in a new area and bath themselves and try to climb out and run away. This exercise makes them active and happy. Oh yea, and I don't give them names. They hardly get my attention unless I am real bored and that's quite rare. So not such an otaku after all.
pick the survivors. Do not pick those at the sea water, but pick active ones near the edge of the beach, near to rocks and trees. Those near sea water may be species that need a lot of sea water and you need to have an eye to differentiate the species. Next, pick another 4-5 crabs of compatible sizes. In fact, pick its friends. Hermit crabs unlike its name, does not live alone like a hermit. They play in groups as a safety net t
hat if there are no new shells in the area, then they can switch each others' shells. Also, accumulate some of the local sand the hermit crab you picked is used to, and ensure there is sufficient coral sand as that forms part of its calcium intake. Do not forget a few nice empty shells almost similar to the one your crab has or slightly larger. The survivors if you pick them correctly, would survive 8
hour car rides or even 5 hour plane rides. After that, unpack them into an acquarium and put a shell of mineral/distilled water that is free of chlorine for them to play or sip a drink from. The crab only eats once a week and anything works. Their favorites are popcorns, coconut, banana, papaya, sweet potato, cereal, seeds and the list grows. Watching them eat is next best to watching them ch
ange shells. You can even hold food on your finger near them, be still and see closeup how they sniff and eat of you. The other way, a crab locates food is by seeing other crabs eat. Once a week, clean the acquarium of remaining food and put them on a nice platter of water at their shell level, so they can play in a new area and bath themselves and try to climb out and run away. This exercise makes them active and happy. Oh yea, and I don't give them names. They hardly get my attention unless I am real bored and that's quite rare. So not such an otaku after all.
Anyone else have wild crabs as pets? Do share your tips as well. Notice how Transformers eyes the vehicle they are fond of based on the size of its body before it transforms. Same goes for the hermy, though it transforms for a newer shell more frequently.
(Photo
s show 4 hermit crabs I picked from a beach at Ishigaki island and 2 of them wrestling to switch shells. After 4 long days, one determined crab succeeded and the other realized the other shell was to its liking anyway. That's a crab's life - they have goals, you know. Also, showing them feeding on corn and having their weekly bath. Others show the Palace of Versailles in France).
s show 4 hermit crabs I picked from a beach at Ishigaki island and 2 of them wrestling to switch shells. After 4 long days, one determined crab succeeded and the other realized the other shell was to its liking anyway. That's a crab's life - they have goals, you know. Also, showing them feeding on corn and having their weekly bath. Others show the Palace of Versailles in France).
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