TETRACYCLINE BATH —
Administer a Tetracycline Bath when the hermit crabs arrive at your store. The bath solution is made using one 250 mg capsule of aquatic Tetracycline dissolved in 1/2 gallon of room temperature spring water. Some of the solutions can be reserved for drinking water for the next three days. With the rest of the mixture, dip the crabs for no more than one minute. Allow the crabs to dry off before placing them on display.
BASIC CARE —
Remove the crabs from the display habitat twice a week and place them in a tub or basin where they cannot escape. This is a good time to feed and water them. Place their food on a plastic lid along with two dishes of spring water for hydration. Freshwater should be in the habitat at all times. Hermit Crabs are nocturnal. They will eat and drink throughout the night. In the morning, bathe them by submerging them in room temperature spring water for approximately 30 seconds. Allow them to drip dry before returning to the habitat. It is beneficial to bathe them the nights before your busiest days. Keep the habitat away from any direct sunlight. Land hermit crabs thrive in temperatures of 70 to 75 degrees. Temperatures below 60 degrees will cause dormant behavior. Temperatures above 75 degrees can cause the hermit crab to show signs of stress (i.e. loss of appendages, out of the shell, etc.)
DIET —
A balanced diet will consist of FMR CRAB FOOD & FMR CRAB TREAT. Healthy snacks such as apple, mango, or coconut (fresh or dried) can be purchased at a local health food store. Cuttlebones, oyster shells, or eggshells in the drinking water provide calcium which is essential for healthy molting.
HABITAT CARE —
The hermit crab’s habitat should be cleaned once a month. Wash any ornamentation. If using a substrate, remove all substrate. Replace with a new or washed dry substrate. Return hermit crabs to the habitat.
STORE DISPLAY RECOMMENDATIONS —
- A habitat floor free of a substrate in the store display makes cleaning easy and keeps the hermit crabs active and visible. (This is NOT recommended for a home habitat.) If the substrate is used, gravel or sand is recommended. Cedar, corn cob or reptile bark can cause the hermit crabs to dry out.
- Any type of ultraviolet lighting can cause dehydration in a hermit crab.
- Mist the hermit crabs with spring water OUTSIDE of the habitat. Misting inside the habitat can create excess moisture allowing bacteria to thrive. (A bacteria infection can be treated if caught in time.)
Following these simple suggestions should help keep the hermit crabs very healthy and result in satisfied Crabs and owners.
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