how much will hermit crabs + stuff cost all up?

Question

hey all,

im 13 and im saving up for a hermit crab.

but i don't know how much all of this will cost.

so far, i have 20 dollars, which i know is no where enough, but soon i will be getting a job, so how much will a tank etc cost all up?

a list of what i will need will also be MUCH appreciated.

Answer 1

The crabs themselves are cheap, and you only need a small tank to keep them in, I think it only cost us about $25.00 in australia for the tank and 2 crabs (they prefer to have company). The food is really cheap, or feed him something from the fridge, such as small pieces of meat, oats and cereals, raisins, coconut. You don't have to purchase much for inside the tank, either white sand or shavings, one bag lasts ages. You can make water containers out of old lids or something, but they are not allowed to be to deep or slippery as they can drown. Get climbing equipment from your beach , lake or river. They like branches, rocks, big shells, coconut husks, just about anything no poisonous and not slippery. They enjoy having a change of decorations regular, and get quite excited when you clean and redecorate.

the only large expense would be a warming light, if you live somewhere cold. They come from a warm climate and are very delicate with regards to temperature and careless handling.

Answer 2

Honestly, they don't cost a lot.

You don't need heaters, just keep them in a warm room.

You can use a 10-gallon tank, or a big cheap tupperware thing.

A top is not needed unless you have other pets that will mess with the crabs.

The sand doesn't cost a lot, neither does the food, and both last forever.

A small shallow dish will do well for water.

You might have to buy distilled water if you don't have it at home.

Their shells are not a lot either.

You should get more than one hermit crab, they like company. The most expensive I've seen them is 6 dollars for a small one.

You can use wood blocks or driftwood, and depending on where you live, that's free. They'll use it to climb on, and will even eat it. They love to climb, so get anything they can climb on.

Answer 3

The sponge is fantastic yet putting a shell in there with water is stated. replace their nutrients out each and every 3 or 4 days. they like vegetable (carrots and coconut) and you would be able to place products of meat in there too (without seasonings of direction). Wait some days and enable them to get used to their new habitat earlier choosing them up and fidgeting with them. Hermit crabs are nocturnal so they are going to be maximum energetic at night yet they'll come out interior the day. Hermit crabs are frightened of shadows. of their organic habitat a shadow capacity seagull and in addition they are going to bypass lower back into their shells or disguise. yet your cat being there won't possibly have an impression as long as she would not flow too plenty or forged a shadow.

Answer 4

Sure the crabs themselves are cheap, but they have a start up costs in the triple digits($150 probably).

The 10 gallon(absolute minimum tank size) tank itself should run you around $10-$15.

I'm not sure how much a glass or plexi glass lid costs.

An under tank heater should run you $21. An 8 watt should heat the tank nicely. You can also try a heat lamp(I'm testing one out this weekend. ^-^ ).

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752652

Eco Earth is a very cheap substrate, one brick is $5 and should be sufficient enough to fill the tank(online it's cheaper). As much as I hate it, you can also try a good quality play sand from a home improvement store. In Texas, a 50 pound is around the same costs as an EE brick.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752603

A 5-gallon bag of sea salt to make salt water(a MUST for hermit crabs) will costs between $4-$6. It'll last a while, so you don't really have to worry about that expense too much.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754897

Smaller bottles of water conditioner is cheaper than this $4 one.

http://www.petco.com/product/105872/TetraAqua-AquaSafe-Water-Conditioner.aspx

This is a cheap thermometer and hydrogemeter, only $10.

http://www.petco.com/product/8193/PETCO-Thermometer-Humidity-Gauge-Combo-Pak.aspx

Shells for the crab are very cheap, go to a dollar store. If the dollar store is unreliable, go to Wal Mart or a craft store. It's $5 for a small bag of shells which is MUCH lower than most pet stores and other "hermit crab" vendors prices. 3 shells per crab. Painted shells should never be considered. They're expensive and can kill your crab when he eats the chipped off paint. Safe for humans does not equal safe for crabs. Don't try painting them in anything except safe to eat berry juices.

Buy three non metallic bowls for food, salt, and fresh water. One bowl is usually $5-$10.

The crabs themselves will costs $5-$11 dollars at a pet store.

You can go cheap on decorations. I've found a lot of nice plastic plants and plastic baskets to make a second level at the local dollar store(I used to buy shells there, but now they're all too small for my hermies. Hermies didn't get too big, the shells got smaller). Coco huts(hidey), coco walls(climbing wall), plastic plant(climbing toys), moss(good humidity increaser, snack, and digging area), pre-used fish/reptile caves(hideys and climbing toys), logs from the pet shop(both), ceramic unpainted pots(hideys), and legos(if you have any lying around, they can be hideys or climbing toys if you or someone you know is good with them) can decorate your tank quite nicely.For food, most of it comes from your local grocers and your local aquarium supply store/pet store. Commercial food is not an acceptable diet. They are scavengers in the wild and need a nice varied diet like we humans do. Fruits, veggies, meat, calcium foods(dairy in moderation/once a month, cuttle bone sold for pet birds, egg shell, honey), and other proteins(walnuts and such) should all be included in your hermies diet. This website is a big help with what they can and can't eat.

http://hermitcrabcuisine.com/

Save some money by not buying any "special hermit crab products". They're over priced crap. Sponges are a great example.

They're annoying because sooooooo many people believe they should use it in place of a water bowl. They won't drown(put a rock in the bowl if worried), and need to dip in order to get some water into there shells. They breed bacteria and need to be sterilized daily. All they are is a pain in the butt. Don't be fooled into buying them.

Your humidity should be between 75%-80%. Misting your tank can increase your humidity, but it's a pain to keep doing it. Make a little hold in the corner of your substrate, and add water. Moist substrate should keep your tank's humidity good. Moss pits are great for humidity too. Hiawatha moss is good for them and can be found at craft stores. Get a little plastic basket with good quality suction cups(if you're worried, aquarium silicone sealant is safe to use as a glue) and stick the moss there.

Start up costs are the real big expense, after that it should be smooth sailing money wise.



Edit:

Sorry, you just have no idea how many people who ask this question think hermit crabs can live happily on a $20 start up costs. Please don't listen to Linda.

Answer 5

Well here's an approximate breakdown of the cost:

AT LEAST a 10 gallon long aquarium - $10

Hermit Crabs - (3.98)

Sand from Home Improvement Store - (3.00) AND/OR Eco-Earth brick - (5.00)

Salt water/fresh water/food dish - ($5.00 ea)*

Extra shells - (3.00 a package) **

Thermometer/Hydrometer - ($12.00-$24.00) - depends on the brand and whether you want digital or not

Hideys - ($1.00 - $20.00) - depends on what you're buying ***

10 gallon Screen Top - ($10.00)

Heating unit (either Under Tank Heater or Heat lamp + bulbs) - ($10 - $20)

Dechlorinator (to make fresh water) - ($3 - $7) ****

Aquarium Sea Salt (to make salt water) - ($10)



* - You can save money by not buying a food dish, and instead using a large clam that come in most shell packages. To not lose water though, I would suggest that you use proper reptile water dishes for fresh and salt water. These need to be non-metal.

** - Buy them from the craft store instead of the pet store. They're usually nicer looking and you can buy a bag for the same price you'd buy one or two at the pet store.

*** - You don't need to limit yourself to just what the pet store offers. Get creative! So long as they don't contain metal, they're safe for your hermies. Try clean plastic jars, tupperware containers, half-buried unpainted clay pots... whatever strikes your fancy. Or, if the season's right, try to make your own coco-hut (I plan to as soon as I see coconuts in the grocery store again)! You get the fruit of the coconut for your crabs, and a new home too! That isn't to say that you can't buy the reptile hideys for your crabs, I'm just saying that if you want to save money or be creative, go for it. Just make sure its all natural (meaning no paints or dyes, unless its food coloring).

**** - Make sure when you buy one, you buy one without stress coat OR slime coat. Slime coat isn't good for your crabs gills, and stress coat is only used when bathing your crabs (which isn't a necessity, and I would avoid doing it regularly. However, most crabbers tend to bathe their crabs when they first purchase them to prevent disease spread).



My suggestions:

Used fish net as climbing wall/bridge - ($2.00)

Plastic shower caddy - ($5 - $15 ea) - Depends on brand and size

Moss ($3.00)

Suction cups - ($3.00)



The used fishing net looks great, and is a very light and large climbing net for your crab. It's also cheaper than most pet store stuff, and I personally think it looks nicer, too.



The plastic shower caddies can be used to create second levels for your crabs. This gives them more room to explore, and enables you to have more space to work with. Most people use them for either shell shops (meaning where they place all the shells for the crabs if they choose to swap) or moss pits in them. However, they can be used for anything you can think of. The more floor space they have, the more room to go digging.



Moss is a good addition to your 'tat because it helps raise the humidity level. When buying moss, make sure there aren't lots of sticks and stuff in the package, and also make sure that it isn't spanish moss. It's usually loaded with dyes and stuff. It's easy enough to avoid--they make enough of it. Again, you have your choice of pet store or craft store to buy it from, however it will probably be cheaper in the craft store.



Suction cups - You'll need to hang up your climbing stuff somehow if it's meant to go on the back of your 'tat. Make sure they're heavy duty suction cups, and not the cheap kind--they'll fall off in the high humidity.





Total - ($122.86 - $181.84)



P.S. I put some prices in parenthesis because it's an estimate.



So unless you want to skimp on pretty much everything and have your hermit crabs die in a month or two, I'd suggest saving your money and purchasing hermit crabs when you have the money.

Answer 6

well, they don't pay much..... ummmm.... i'd save up 2 at least 50 bucks just 2 b sure! but, i've had 3 hermit crabs, and they're not very interesting...idk maybe they're your thing, but yeah! hope it helps!