The land hermit crabs make really great pets for everyone regardless of age or even if you are male or female. One of the best things about the hermit crabs is the lack of attention they require, as opposed to the dogs, cats, birds and fish. The hermit crabs are considered to be one of the lowest maintenance of the exotic pets on the market today. There are a few hermit crab facts you will need to know to keep your new pet healthy.

If you live near the beach, you are really in luck. You can obtain them for free, just go get one. Some of the souvenir shops along the beach will also have them. If they do, you can even find the hermit crab food and the cage to transport them to your home in. But if you are not near the beach, some of the pet stores will carry the crabs and the hermit crab supplies that will be needed to maintain them in a safe, crab friendly environment.

First of all the hermit crab cage should not be the small, plastic carrying case that the crab was placed into to transport him in. But keep this, as it can be transformed in an isolation tank for molting even into a hermit crab hospital if you think the crab needs to be separated from the other hermit crabs. The terminology hermit crab is a false term as the crabs travel in packs that often times exceed over 100 crabs. So if it is possible for you, try to keep as many crabs as you can. A 10 gallon fish tank will support several crabs.  The hermit crab supplies are very reasonable in price and the great thing is not a lot of supplies will be needed to start with.

The cage should be clean and roomy. They do like to climb and roam around. Drift wood is good for this. Along with the food and water dishes, some of the other hermit crab supplies you will need is extra shells. As the crabs molt, they are growing and will need to change the size of their hermit crab shells. Having a few of the different sizes will make it easier for the crabs to pick a new temporary home. Crabs like to dig and tunnel is it is important for the bottom of the cage to have a substrate of sand or coconut fiber to dig in. There is also hermit crab sand available, but it is a little bit expansive. Any type of sand can be used as long as it is clean. The fifty pound bags of sand can be purchased at the local hardware or home improvement stores. Just make sure it is dry, no funny odor that may indicate contamination,or that no insects are present. Before placing in the cage, the sand could be mixed with the coconut fiber or what is called forest bedding. These may come in hard bricks that need to be soaked in water before use. Soaking in saltwater will help the crabs to increase the needed minerals as they will eat some of this fiber. Always follow the instructions on the bag.