- Joined
- Feb 12, 2012
- Messages
- 892
ripper7777777 said:Yes they do well with small torts. Keep in mind they do need salt water, Equadorian more so than purple pinchers, this is from my own experience, the so called experts will say differently. I do not keep salt water in with the torts, just declorinated water. I give the hermit crabs a salt water bath once a week or so when I clean out the cage and stir the mulch. Truthfully I have no real idea if they want or need the salt water, but I still offer it to them just in case they do need it.
The crabs like lettuces and they love cuttle bones, they thrive in high humidity and seem to get a long fine with Tortoises, mine interact quite often.
I do use store bought Hermit crab food, but I only put it in after the torts have gone to sleep and than remove it in the morning. I have one Hermann that seems to really like it and I'd prefer DigDug stay on a tort diet.
The Hermit Crabs love the Cypress Mulch I use as a substrate, so really they mix well with my little guys. I do add a branch or two since they love to climb trees.
Oh and I find the torts will constantly move the empty shells around, I have no idea why but they do.
If your trying to set up a Terrarium, Crabs are perfect for it and you can use a water fall filter to create humidity or even just an internal small filter in a water bowl.
The tetrafauna filters come in fake rock and a log, you can get just the filter and use it as a water fall. They are cheap and clean the water, you will have to control the depth so the torts and others don't sink, but I have seen false bottoms made from plastic sheets with holes drilled in it. I have also seen tiny rock fountains made, where the water is held under a false bottom and the water has no depth it pours over rocks, this works well for a lot of frogs and really kicks out the humidity.
Think small version of this garden fountain
Hmmm I'm thinking I can get really creative with my torts habitat when I start building it > but I have a question regarding my hermits I got them for my kids because I had one as a child but it didn't live long I've had them since December and they don't DO ANYTHING lol they rarely come out of their log to even eat or drink. Now I know they are nocturnal but I monitor their water, cuttle bone and food bowls and such daily. and barely any activity. Also I did not know Dora was and Equadorian or a male at the time I got my purple pincher (no name) but later I found out they really don't like to be around each other just with their own species :-/ is anything wrong with them?