Though the sand crabs are sustained by salt water when they live in the ocean, they can adapt to fresh water when living in a home tank environment. Unlike their close cousins, hermit crabs, sand crabs feed in the water, which is impossible to recreate at home in a fish tank.

Like fishes, crabs use their gills to absorb oxygen from water. Some crabs live almost exclusively on land and most can survive out of water for notable stretches of time. As long as a crab’s gills stay damp, oxygen will diffuse from the atmosphere into the water on their gills.

The sand crab rides the waves up and down the beach. To feed, it quickly burrows backwards into the sand with its powerful legs, specially adapted for burrowing. It leaves only its featherlike antennae exposed to filter small food particles from the retreating waves.

The crab’s shell helps to protect it, like a suit of armour. As long as it is wearing its armour, the crab cannot grow. It has to get rid of its shell, and grow a new one, in order to get bigger. Crabs and lobsters have tough shells that help to protect them.

Breathing Out of the Water It is thought that crabs above water blow bubbles to keep oxygen flowing to the gills—the crab draws in air, which passes over the gills and supplies them with oxygen, but since the air is going over the moist gills, it forms bubbles which are released near the crab’s mouth.

A growing hermit crab will eventually need a new shell when his old home becomes a bit too snug. The homeless crab can be left without a shell if he can’t find a suitable replacement. In other cases, a crab may abandon his shell while he’s still scoping out suitable living arrangements.

A molting crab will be stuck to its shell. Whereas, a dead hermit crab will be rigid and loose. So if you shake the shell and the crab falls out easy, it’s a pretty good sign that your hermit crab is dead.

You could soak the shell in a 50/50 mix of bleach and water for several days, and then rinse it thoroughly; soak the shell in a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water for several days, and then rinse it thoroughly; or boil the shell for five minutes and cool it completely before introducing it into the crab habitat.

When a hermit crab is out of its shell—either because of a molt or another environmental cause—it’s stressed and vulnerable. Your crab needs protection from the other crabs in the habitat, as well as a little coaxing so that it will return to its shell. The molting cycle can take up to one month, so be patient.

You may need to remove other hermits while they are molting so they are not disturbed. If you disturb them they could fall apart as they are very soft. Their new extremities could fall off leaving them without a feeder claw for a whole cycle. Usually they do not survive this if they are disturbed.

Don’t pick them up every day First of all, hermit crabs do not particularly like being handled. They are not the kind of pet you take out to cuddle. Sorry if that’s what you were looking for. Like many other exotic pets, these crabs tend to get stressed out when they’re handled too often.

Hermit crabs have surprisingly good memories. As per Ethology, your hermit crabs will remember their tankmates and the social hierarchy within the habitat. This suggests the same will also apply to human owners. Hermit crabs will not recognize humans by sight.

Never, ever buy a hermit crab. They are not “starter pets” or trinkets. Crabs are complex, sensitive animals who want to live in the wild, not in a cage. Even the most well-meaning person who purchases crabs will never be able to give them the life that they deserve.

Don’t be afraid to play with your hermit crabs. The more you handle your crabs the more they will begin to trust you. Always try to remember to move slowly around them since they have compound eyes and detect movement very easily. Always keep an eye on open claws and their relation to you.

That makes it confusing when your hermit doesn’t react to the sound of your voice or a loud TV. Hermit crabs don’t have good hearing. They can only detect low- to mid-range frequencies and only those in a nearby radius. They use their antennae and the sensory hairs on their 10 legs to pick up vibrations.

Like all crustaceans, hermit crabs pick up on acoustics through vibrations. This includes music. There is no scientific evidence that hermit crabs actively listen to, or enjoy, music.

Chirping by itself is certainly not bad for hermit crabs. However, it is possible that the reasons hiding behind certain chirpings can be bad.

Hermit crabs chirping is basically their a signal saying, “Hey, don’t disturb me!” A few situations that could cause chirping would be any sort of fight or crabby dispute. They might bicker over a shell or one crab might be crawling over another.

Normal crab-to-crab behavior. When crabs are having “feeler fights,” they are actually smelling each other. Pushing contests, also, are a way they get acquainted. They will run up against each other and wildly wave their antennae and sort of “flick” their legs and claws out at each other.

Recommend vegetables (spinach, carrots and romaine lettuce) and noncitrus fruits (mangoes, coconut and papaya) as treats. Nuts, seaweed, brine shrimp and fish flakes can also be offered as treats. Provide carotene and calcium supplements (such as cuttlebone).

Hermit crabs have interesting ways of talking to each other ,and to people sometimes, using their behavior, sound, and motion.

Hermit crab babies hatch from eggs. Mama Crab carries them around until they change color from a rusty brown to light blue, at which point they’ve finished developing. Many animals have more than one offspring at a time, but hermit crabs, have many in one effort. …

Hermit crabs thrive in a tropical environment. Despite their name, hermit crabs are social creatures and can live together in pairs or groups. Choose a terrarium with at least 5 gallons of space for every 2 crabs. The terrarium should have a hood to keep humidity in and keep your hermit crab from escaping.

I think it’s def a possibility. He may be getting curious about who/what you are. I’ve got 2 of my crabs that I wiggle my fingers at, and they will wiggle their antennae back in my direction. I try to do it every day to just say “hi” to them.

You can avoid disappointment by following a few guidelines to ensure the crab you pick is as healthy as possible.

1. Look for crabs that are active.
2. Choose a hermit crab who’s in his natural shell.
3. Eliminate crabs who are out of their shells, even if they haven’t left them completely.
4. Count the crab’s legs.
5. Smell the crab.

Here’s another reason to invest in a pet hermit crab–they can do tricks! If you are an attentive owner capable of patient training, your hermit crab can respond to the sound of its name, “talk” to you and even walk on a leash! Read on to learn more.

Good Hermit Crab Names

• Crusty.
• Hardball.
• Hardy.
• Helmet.
• Hermit.
• Homey.
• Home Boy.
• Motley.

Hermit Crabs grow through moulting. If you notice a hermit crab pre and post moult you will see very little difference, but over ten or twenty years it is quite significant. Another way to tell age is to look at the thickness of antennae and the little ‘teeth’ on the cheliped/grasping claw.

Sand is the substrate of choice for hermit crabs because they like to burrow down into it. Playground sand, which can be found at home improvement stores, works well and is inexpensive, though aquarium sand is fine as well.