Hermit Crabs?

[Madkins007]

I have done this and it worked well until the crabs out grow the shell and went looking for shell. The redfoots ate well then. Remember redfoots are opportunistic feeders and hermit crabs are natural prey in the wild.

I imagined my redfoots doing this and laughed so hard. Typical Redfoot.

I have watched my crabs change shells several times without risk. Mine, at least, changed at night when the torts were sleeping. So far, while I have lost crabs to other things, I have not lost one as a snack yet... knock on wood. (But, as I mentioned, it would not bother me a bit if they did!)

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I think the hermit crab idea is pretty cool. I'd like to try it as well. Do you think you could also add earthworms to help mixup and clean the substrate?

I've heard of people putting critters such as pillbugs(rolly-pollies) in there living vivariums(a self-sustaining ecosystem with live plants and animals) with dart frogs and geckos. Idk how well that would work with larger animals though. I do have a worm compost with red wigglers( basically earthworms but more tolerant of warmer temps) and I usually put left over food, old hay, and my tort's waste in there and they turn it into compost.

If you can provide a soil/sand mix to support it, you can make a nice 'bioactive' substrate where worms, sow bugs (pillbugs), and micro-organisms work together to digest wastes, eat pests, and change the characteristics of the soil. https://sites.google.com/site/tortoiselibrary/the-work-shop/substrates-1

 

[BowandWalter]

What stops the hermit crab from climbing out of the enclosures? I had one when I was really little, he was a master escape artist.
How long do they typically survive with a tortoise? I had Hermann from when I was 6 to fairly recently, but he was fully grown when I got him, so I'd mostly be guessing his age.
Also what kind do you put in tortoise enclosures? Because I was a nerdy 6 year old I did a lot of nerd searching, I know that the type Hermann was (which stays fairly small) needed 6-8 inches of burrowing space, how would you replicate that? Just lots of hides?

 

[shelloise]

I would be concerned that a hermit crab would hurt a tortoise. I have had hermit crabs for years and have gotten pinched hard a few times .. Not fun

 

[Masin]

I found only tree crabs at the stores here, they require less water than a hermit so it was more appealing....yet thus far it's been a waste of money! He has come out of his burrow one time and did not bother eating etc just ran around and went back to tunneling. Lovely.

 

[Vicki78]

Would it be safe to put hermit crabs in with my Indian Star?
Would just a small bowl of salt water be suffice for the crab?
Would the salt water harm my tort of he drank some of this?
Would it be best if I took the crab out for a day & soak it separately?
Sorry for all of the questions but aquatic animals are very close to my heart along with torts

 

[Yuttt]

Hermit crabs... Ugh. Bad memories of keeping them, and then they died in a few months, and my room smelled horrible for a week. I don't know what happened. It was a long time ago.

 

[bholmes88]

As far as cleaning crews go I have isopods and a small species of wood roach living with my tortoises. I very, very rarely have to clean old leftovers out. It is usually completely eaten by the following morning, they also eat any feces. Another good benefit is they help keep the ammount of springtails down. I highly suggest adding a colony of isopods to any humid cage. They have modified gills so if it becomes even dry they will all die.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Back when I kept fish,(a long time ago, in a land far, far away) I had oscars. With them I kept silver barbs that were the trash collectors. Happy fish they were, eating all the scales and what not leftover from the oscars feeding! Everyone was happy for a good year, then one night the oscars realized that those other fish were food items.
In the morning, I found fins and bits floating and one terrified silver barb hiding in the rocks/plants. Not real sure if this is a good analogy, but it seems worth noting. If it is carnivorous or omnivorous and it can fit it in their mouth, I think it will end up as an expensive food item that you'll miss seeing running around.
Keep us posted with updates, both positive and negative please.

 

[crussellii]

As far as cleaning crews go I have isopods and a small species of wood roach living with my tortoises. I very, very rarely have to clean old leftovers out. It is usually completely eaten by the following morning, they also eat any feces. Another good benefit is they help keep the ammount of springtails down. I highly suggest adding a colony of isopods to any humid cage. They have modified gills so if it becomes even dry they will all die.

This may be a stupid question, but how do you change your substrate and find all the isopods?

 

[arwengraff]

I have a Red-foot. Been keeping two hermit crabs in my enclosure. It works out about as well as other people on here have said. They come out at night devour Tsuro's waste and any leftover food. Occasionally Tsuro will nibble on the top of th shell but nothing major they have both gone through shell changes too. My Tort & one of the crabs even share a hide sometimes!

 

[DrewsLife727]

huh interesting.. im considering getting a hermit crab now..

 

[LuckysGirl007]

Hmmm...my daughter has been doing chores and saving up to get some hermit crabs. She has purchased everything but the crabs! Perhaps her crabs could come and "visit" in the torts home every once in a while. She wouldn't mind saving on food $$$!

 

[WinterDB]

Do you think this would work with a sulcata? Clean up sounds nice to me, I've had hermit crabs before, they lady said to buy more than one so I bought three. They were fine for about a week until I woke up one morning to find a massacre.
They all killed each other. It was heart breaking..there were crabs pulled out of their shells with legs missing. One was missing its head entirely..
RIP hellboy, Abe, and fester

 

[crussellii]

Can Russian tortoises and Hermit Crabs co habitate

 

[taytay3391]

Can Russian tortoises and Hermit Crabs co habitate

Good question..

 

[aznwinx]

I don't recommend this because one of my friends caught a Hermit Crab and he gave it to me. I had no where else to put it so I put it in my tortoise tank. So I left for about 10mins and i checked up on them.The crab was trying to eat my tortoise. So I don't recommend it. Its just my thoughts though

 

[porter]

I had two hermits in with my redfoots, was all fine until the crabs grew and had to move shells, this resulted in them being eaten

 

[Jessamy]

I got several Hermit Crabs to live with my RF hatchling. I think I am going to separate them though, my RF wants to eat them quite badly! He tries but they hide, run or climb so far (only 1 little guy seems not to be afraid, most hide). Larger crabs can pinch hard, but are generally passive and nocturnal(PP's anyway- E's are more active)), so there is some but not a lot of risk- such is life! Also, the crabs also only eat small amounts of food so I am trying pillbugs now.
I may just section off a section of RF tort table habitat, they say tanks are ok but I'm a bit skeptical of airflow.
Burke really really loves to hunt and eat worms so likely not all torts will bother the crabs, just be prepared they may. Also, all Hermits do need some salt water, at least 2 crabs, high humidity, and sand(look up which kinds)/organic soil/coconut fiber(some not all Spaghum ok) -not- paper, cypress mulch or gravel and they can live as long as a tort (40 yrs. !)if well cared for. All crabs are wild caught so should be considered a pet too(my opinion anyway) not only clean up.

 

[Jessamy]

I have done this and it worked well until the crabs out grow the shell and went looking for shell. The redfoots ate well then. Remember redfoots are opportunistic feeders and hermit crabs are natural prey in the wild.

I imagined my redfoots doing this and laughed so hard. Typical Redfoot.

I have watched my crabs change shells several times without risk. Mine, at least, changed at night when the torts were sleeping. So far, while I have lost crabs to other things, I have not lost one as a snack yet... knock on wood. (But, as I mentioned, it would not bother me a bit if they did!)

---

I think the hermit crab idea is pretty cool. I'd like to try it as well. Do you think you could also add earthworms to help mixup and clean the substrate?

I've heard of people putting critters such as pillbugs(rolly-pollies) in there living vivariums(a self-sustaining ecosystem with live plants and animals) with dart frogs and geckos. Idk how well that would work with larger animals though. I do have a worm compost with red wigglers( basically earthworms but more tolerant of warmer temps) and I usually put left over food, old hay, and my tort's waste in there and they turn it into compost.

If you can provide a soil/sand mix to support it, you can make a nice 'bioactive' substrate where worms, sow bugs (pillbugs), and micro-organisms work together to digest wastes, eat pests, and change the characteristics of the soil. https://sites.google.com/site/tortoiselibrary/the-work-shop/substrates-1

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I am using a bioactive and love it(worms, organic soil, plants from seed) substrate but my little tort got blood mites(I did use outdoor leaves etc.) any advice to prevent a recurrence? The soil was too wet because humidity was a struggle and I am adding pillbugs. Will pillbugs bother a burried crab?

 

[Master Ogway]

Man I was just reading about this too. I was gonna ask about adding hermit carbs to my red foots new table but then I found this haha.