Hermit crabs are interesting creatures that many people have started to keep as pets. You might be interested in hermit crabs.
However, you could be a bit hesitant about buying one. Is a hermit crab really going to be a good pet?
Below, you’ll learn about hermit crabs and some of the reasons why people love keeping them as pets. Learning more about hermit crabs should make it easier to decide if owning one as a pet makes sense in your situation.
Learn everything that you can so you can make an informed decision. This way you’ll know that you’re getting a pet that you’ll truly cherish.
1 – Hermit Crabs Are Inexpensive
One thing to know is that hermit crabs don’t cost a lot of money. You can buy hermit crabs from local pet stores at a very inexpensive price.
Depending on the type of hermit crab that you want, you might be able to get one for as little as $3.00. Some fancier types of hermit crabs might cost as much as $25.00.
Regardless, it’s not going to break the bank to buy a pet hermit crab. When you compare the cost of buying a hermit crab to the cost of adopting a cat or dog, it’s easy to see that getting a hermit crab is more cost-effective.
Of course, you’ll need to buy equipment to be able to care for a hermit crab properly. You’ll need a tank, a light, a heater, and you’ll likely need some type of humidifier as well.
Even so, it won’t be too expensive to get everything that you need. Once you have the proper equipment, the cost of maintaining a hermit crab’s habitat won’t be much at all.
Feeding the hermit crab won’t be expensive either. For many, hermit crabs will be cost-effective and fun pets to own.
2 – Easy Maintenance
Another reason why owning hermit crabs as pets is great involves maintenance. Some pets can be a bit of a chore to care for, but that’s not the case with hermit crabs.
Hermit crabs are low-maintenance pets that don’t require constant attention. If you don’t have a lot of time to spend caring for pets, hermit crabs might be your best bet.
You need to feed the hermit crabs that you buy, but you don’t have to constantly fret over them. The hermit crabs can be left to their own devices.
They don’t need as much attention as many other common pets. For this reason, it could be a good pick when you’re someone who is away from home a lot.
3 – Feeding Hermit Crabs is Simple
One of the reasons why maintenance is so easy with hermit crabs is that they don’t eat a lot. Since they don’t need a lot of food to thrive, missing a feeding or two isn’t likely to cause harm.
Feeding these pets will be easy no matter what. They’re either omnivorous or herbivorous depending on what type of hermit crab you buy.
You can easily get commercial food products that are meant to give hermit crabs ideal nutrients. It’s also possible to feed them certain cut veggies and fruits.
It shouldn’t ever feel stressful to feed your hermit crabs. You won’t have a tough time even as a beginner.
4 – Hermit Crabs Don’t Take Up Much Space
If you’re living in a smaller home, it might not be easy to keep large pets. Cats and dogs won’t always be practical when you’re living in a small apartment or a tiny home.
Hermit crabs are different because they’re rather small. The habitats that you keep them in won’t require too much space overall.
Being able to have a pet that doesn’t take up a lot of room is great. For many, this is going to be among the best options.
If you don’t have a big home, you might prefer owning small pets such as hermit crabs. While there are other options such as hamsters or gerbils, it’s easy to see the appeal of hermit crabs when you look at how easy they are to maintain.
5 – Hermit Crabs Live for a Long Time
Did you know that some hermit crabs will live for as long as thirty years? You could enjoy caring for your new hermit crab companion for decades if you do a good job caring for it.
These are easy creatures to care for, but you do need to put in some effort. You must give the hermit crabs an appropriate environment while ensuring that the humidity levels in the tank are high enough.
This is easier when you use some type of small humidifier. Keeping the temperature and the humidity levels right will make it easy to keep your hermit crab in good shape.
Some people who buy pet hermit crabs will only keep them alive for a few years. This is because they make mistakes and don’t give the hermit crabs the best environments.
If you make sure that things are done right, the hermit crab should live for a long time. These crabs can die when they’re molting if you’re not careful, but you do get used to leaving hermit crabs alone when they molt.
6 – Hermit Crabs Have Interesting Personalities
It’s also true that hermit crabs have interesting personalities. These pets are going to be so much fun to observe.
You’ll have a good time watching them climb and interact with the environment. They are curious creatures that will often do things that you’ll find to be entertaining.
It’s nice that they’re active pets since you’ll often be able to watch them in motion. Different hermit crabs will have different personality traits, too.
Depending on what you’re looking for in a pet, this could be a perfect fit for you. You won’t be interacting with hermit crabs in the same way that you would dogs or cats, but they can still be fun.
7 – You Can Handle Hermit Crabs
You can handle hermit crabs so long as you do so safely. To handle a hermit crab, you’re supposed to hold its shell with your dominant hand.
You then allow the hermit crab’s legs to touch the palm of your other hand. Your hermit crab will grow to trust you over time.
It might try to pinch you when you first attempt to handle it. You can keep it from pinching by raising it up and keeping it from being able to touch your non-dominant hand.
They like to play, too. You can give the hermit crab toys that it will play with in its environment.
These crabs love to climb things and they’ll have a good time interacting with toys that you place in the habitat. Overall, these pets can be a lot more fun than many would imagine.
Hermit Crabs Like Having Friends
With a name like “hermit crab,” you might expect that these creatures would prefer solitude. This is not the case.
Your pet hermit crab is likely going to be happier if you choose to keep it in a habitat with friends. Consider buying two or three hermit crabs at once.
This will ensure that the hermit crabs can play together and interact with each other. The crabs will get lonely if they don’t have friends to play with.
You can avoid issues with fighting by ensuring that there are more than enough climbing spots, multiple shells of different sizes, and other things in the tank. It’s good to keep at least two or three hermit crabs in your habitat when you wish to have the best experience.
They Are Kind of Stinky
As you’d expect, there are downsides to owning hermit crabs as pets. For instance, you’ll find that hermit crabs are kind of stinky.
The hermit crab habitat will start to smell bad if you don’t clean it. You need to do regular cleaning sessions to keep the habitat from getting smelly.
If you put in a bit of effort, this won’t be a huge deal. However, it’s still worth noting since some will find it to be an annoyance.
Final Thoughts
Hermit crabs are good pets, but they won’t be a perfect fit for everyone. You can interact with hermit crabs a bit, but they don’t respond to humans too much.
It’s possible to play with them a bit by giving them toys, but you’re really just watching them play rather than interacting with them. Some might prefer pets that you can form a deeper bond with such as cats or dogs.
Regardless, it’s easy to see the appeal of hermit crabs when you dig into the information above. They’re easy to maintain and they don’t cost much money.
You also won’t have to dedicate a huge amount of space to a hermit crab habitat. These pets won’t take up much room in your home and they’ll be rather practical for those who live in small environments.
Feeding hermit crabs is easy and they can even live for a really long time. If you do your best to care for your pet hermit crab, it might live for many decades.
It’s best to keep at least two hermit crabs together. These pets can get lonely if kept alone.
Whether a hermit crab is a good pet for you or not will depend on various factors. After reading the above information, you should be able to come to your own conclusion.
Jeff has always enjoyed having pets, but as a child, he was drawn to his family’s fish tank. Being able to maintain a small ecosystem and observe the behaviors and interactions in the underwater world peaked his interest early on and has kept him hooked until this day. On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything he’s learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium.