before you even THINK about getting a crab, I recommend you get an aquarim. Two small hermit crabs fit nicely in a five-gallon- a ten gallon is best though. If you want more crabs, you may have to get a bigger tank. Plastic or glass it preffered. Wires are usually not good as hermit crabs are expert escape artist.

 

Your aquarim will need a cover of some kind, but make sure there is ventalitation!!

 

In your aqaurim, you will need substrate, food dish(s), saline dish,  freshwater dish, a cocohut or some sort of "home", extra shells, things for them to climb on, and water declorinater.

 

 

substrate is the stuff that lines the bottom of the tank. You can use sand, gravel, or EcoEarth. I would HIGHLY not suggest using gravel- if a piece gets stuck in a crab's shell, it is highly irritating.

 

You can use playsand. If you get sand from the beach, make sure to bake it(yes, bake it) to kill microorganism(that's a good idea with any type of sand, but DEFINETLY if you get free beachy sand) I have a mixture of beach sand and  calci-sand, which has extra calcium(which hermit crabs need), but it is expensive and if you're just starting out I would go with playsand.

Calci-sand that I use:

 

 

You can also use EcoEarth. I am not actually sure what this looks like, but the crabs seem to LOVE it and so do the owners. http://www.petdiscounters.com/customer/product.php?productid=1157564&cat=0&page=1

 

Hermit crabs like a variety of foods, but we'll get into that later. Right now, before buying your hermit crab, you need a food dish. Some pet stores, such as where I got my FIRST hermit crab, gave you a tiny little cage, a free food dish, and a free water dish. However, just in case the petstores DON'T... you can use your own little nicknackes for food and dishes..just as long as it's NONMETAL!!!! this is EXTREMELY important!

 

the same products above go for water dishes.

 

 

most crabs NEED saltwater- Purple Pinchers don't NEED it, but it can be benificial to them. you can use any non-metal dish for a salinity dish, along with sea salt from a petstore. DON'T use table salt, no matter where it says it comes from. Hermit crabs need SEA salt.

 

 

 

This is not a "necessary" item, but your hermit crabs will probably thank you for it.

 

 

 

Hermit crabs are named hermits because they live in other's shells. They NEED extra shells in case there's starts getting to small. Natural shells are best, but some of the painted ones are fine- just make sure they are not chipped or broken- these can hurt a crab's abdomen! Plus, finacially, some places painted shells are cheaper and most have no choice.

here are a few types of shells to look at:

 

 

stuff to climb on is loved by hermit crabs. They love to climb! Wood is good, as long as you bake it before putting it in there. Driftwood. I have a piece of petrified wood and they are constantly climbing on it! Most pet stores don't have "hermit crab" toys, so you have to get invented! Several rope-bird toys are great for hermies, along with many things in reptile section.

driftwood(plastic-fake) 

 

 

this is a MUST!!!! Tap water(unless you live in the US country) has chlorine in it, which can KILL crabs! Buy a small bottle at a time so it won't go bad and follow the package directions.

 

 

Hermit crabs are social animals, and is suggested you buy at least two, not just one!