How do hermit crabs die?

Answer 1

All species of hermit crab need to have access to both freshwater and saltwater. You will need to provide two water dishes for the crabs.

The dishes should be deep enough for your crabs to submerge, but make sure they are able to get out. If you have large and small crabs together, you can put small rocks or a small sponge in the water dishes so that it is deep enough so large crabs can still submerge themselves, but small crabs will not become trapped in the water dish and drown. You can buy aquarium salt for marine fish (not Freshwater Fish) from most pet stores and a little goes a long way. Never use table salt because the iodine in it is poisonous. Most hermit crab brand salts are also table salts. Use a brand like Instant Ocean, Oceanic, etc. The water needs to be dechlorinated. The chlorine, chloramines and heavy metals in most tap water can kill hermit crabs by causing the gills to blister (causing eventual suffocation). Aging the water will remove the chlorine, but not the chloramines, so dechlorinator is a must if you use tap water. However, Zoomed water conditioner is not effective and should not be used. If you don't want to dechlorinate tap water, you can use spring water instead. However, make sure nothing has been added to the water. For example, Dasani water contains magnesium sulfate "for taste", and that is bad for the crabs.

Answer 2

Its ok if its just for a couple days, but like forever. If you never put SEA salt water in the tank the hermie might become unhealthy, the saltwater keeps its exoskeleton hard. Im not sure if it would die, but there are foods they can eat to help their exoskeleton harden.

Its strongly recommended, but if you cant have it in the tank, feed the hermies things like egg shell, and other things with calcium, it will also help harden ur hermies exosceleton.

Answer 3

by Tenacious D