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Hey there, My Names ***** as you all know... and I've been owning crabs for quite some time now. Not as long as others, but there quite popular pets and I'd love to show you one! Sadly, I couldn't bring one In because Its dead of winter and It probably can't survive In a Kritter Keeper for two hours. they should always be In a ten gallon tank, unless for a short period of time.

In the crabbing world there are many experiences, and Many doubts. some times you could be scared you did something wrong, Because Everyone makes there mistakes occasionally, even the experienced crabber. Currently crabbers all over the world are all united and hooked up through the HCA. When crabs first came out as legal pets, not much was known About them, and this Is why they kept dieing actively. Believe it or not, We now have the Information! Crabs can live older then sixty years. it Is believed that they can live longer In the wild, It Is often said "There Is no way to tell a crab's age." Well, we know the age of our largest crabs, there at least thrity, probably In the mid thritys. If you can some how count the rings on the antennae like my sister did, then ..wow. So thats all there Is to crabbing, right? You learn a bit about history, there age, - your done your ready to own crabs. WRONG.
Crabs can be taken care of very well, actually! theres a lot to learn and we're only beginning. However, most pet stores you go Into WON'T have the proper lay out, you can always try and convince the Employee to make some changes. hehe.

Crabs need at least a ten gallon tank, and should never live alone. they have groups of over 100 In the wild! WOW! They often aren't found alone, and are scavengers. So yes, yo can leave there food In there for awhile but once it starts to mold theres a sign you should defiantly take It out. Some of the key facts of there diet Is:
Meat, Fruits, Veggies, Honey, and Cuddle bone! Honey Is one of the only things they can actually have with sugar In It. Its an energy booster and helps them In there time of need! They need meat otherwise they WILL eat eachother. it also must be unseasoned and buttered.

The most stressful times for you and your crab would have to be either Molting, Or going 'Naked'. Sadly, Molting Is a very common thing considering they need to do It to live. And Dropping there shell, well, Its actually quite shocking to see them out of there shell for the first time. It can be scary, too. There Abdomens are very sensitive and before touching your crab Its VERY Important you wash your hands And dry them thoroughly so that you can rinse off any lotion or Perfume. then, you can either get the crab carefully Into an ISO, Or you could attempt to curl the abdomen carefully Into the shell. theres a few different methods but lets not get into details. Its stressful for both you and the crab - simple as that.


Crabs have very Interesting Behavior, They have feeler fights and don't really grasp the concept of "Going around" anything, or anyone. Its very.. er.. Interesting to watch these little guys boot around the tank. The more the merrier! ;D There are some strange behaviors but don't get scared - Its probably nothing. However If a crab Is grabbing another by the shell and rocking back and forth, TAKE ACTION. Take the 'Bully' and put him In an ISO with food water, etc etc for about 1 hour. then put him back In --- they'll get the picture. I swear! there like kids!

The downside to owning crabs? Thats got to be the pinching.
These things can GRAB! The fastest way to get them to let go Is grab a jug of DECHLORINATED FRESH WATER, and Dump It on the crab over the sink, careful that you can catch It and It won't fall. The crab should let go, make sure It doesn't pinch again and stick It Into the tank. yes, Its ok to scream but I wouldn't suggest It, however I do it everytime They pinch me. The Crab's don't usually want to hurt you, Its just the way they are. There scared, or Threatened and feel the need to pinch you.

Bath time, Oh the Joys of bath time! I don't even want to BEGIN on this, but I will. Crabs need baths If you don't have a large salt water dish where they can bathe themselves. when I bathe my crabs, they love to try and pinch me. haha, its kind of funny.. but at the same time not. when a crab with the pincher BIGGER then your thumb Is trying to grab you, you aren't going to appreciate that. you can keep them under for about five to ten seconds. Whatever you feel more comfortable on.


Humidity, and Heat!
Crabs NEED Humidity and heat, because they come from very warm humid climates and actually have gills on them! If you don't have any Humidity In there they'll Die, and thats.. not really wanted. Is It? You should usually get a heat lamp around 100 watts depending on the Size of the tank. Also a Humidity and Heat gauge Is also a priority. most of the time, They'll have an "Optimum" area where you can check what temperature / Humidity level It should be at.

Crabs are not Immune to many fumes. they cannot be around Paint, Smoke, Perfume, Any type of odd smell. Food, yeah, they can smell food. what do you think they find on the beach?