File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
so I just got my gf a hermit crab for her b-day
what can she expect from this pet? any basic hermit crab knowlage would be most appreciated
>> tigerfeather !CrwtTbFNxQ
How irresponsible of you to not only buy a pet without knowing how to take care of it, but also give it away to someone that, perhaps, may not want to commit themselves to taking care of another life (unless she told you already that she wanted one, in that case shame on her for not reading up on the animals first).

Pets as gifts anger me.
>> Anonymous
>>101192
...it's a fucking hermit crab, practically a pet rock that moves
just mist the thing with water, feed it food you can buy at almost any supply store, and make sure it has extra shells for when it molts
>> what the devil? !28EM5Z7uV6
>>101192
i know what you mean. being the animal nerd that i am, i always get calls from people who know me because they don't know how to look after an animal. especially people with orphan livestock. all well and good when its well, but as soon as it gets sick they have no idea. if you dont know how to look after it, dont get it.
>> Anonymous
Temperature no lower than 72°F. Consistent low temperatures can kill a hermit crab. Don't allow them to bake in a window, either. If they get too hot they will die. Signs of overheating are a musty smell and discharge of brown liquid.

Put a small sea sponge in there, and tell her to keep it soaked with water.

I'd recommend getting another hermit crab as well. They're sociable animals; don't like to be alone. Also, you need an extra shell in the cage/aquarium for each crab...hermit crabs don't stay in the same shells their whole life.

Make sure she removes the chlorine and other harmful chemicals from water.

She also needs to bathe the crab once a week. Dechlorinate the water, put it in some kind of bowl. Then put the crab in upside down, so when he comes out, the water will rush into his shell. If he doesn't come out, leave him in for 3 minutes, then take him out.

There's a lot of work that goes into any animal...for a gift, I'd recommend sticking to something like sea monkeys.
>> Arwen
>>101192

I have a puppy that was a gift. But she was gotten for me as a gift because I asked for one, and because I had full knowledge beforehand on how to care for one.
>> Anonymous
Now your girlfriend has crabs.
Haha.
I'm not funny. :-(
>> Anonymous
>>101209
you're funny in a corny kind of way
cheer up :D
>> Anonymous
boil up some water and melt some butter
>> Anonymous
OP's a fucking dipshit for buying his girlfriend a pet he doesn't know shit about, and is too fucking dumb to buy a book about hermit crab care along with it.

I sure hope your GF wanted a hermit crab beforehand and wants to take good care of it
>> Anonymous
>>101244

Chill the fuck out. It's just a fucking crab. What a fucking douche.
>> Anonymous
irresponsible OP is irresponsible
>> Anonymous
It doesn't matter one damn bit whether its a cheap easily replaceable animal or not, don't give us that BS
>> Anonymous
>>101257
Yes it does, the amount of effort/money put into care for an animal is directly proportional to how much it costs.
>> what the devil? !28EM5Z7uV6
>>101270
yeah, all those dumped puppy xmas presents you get for free are real easy to look after...
>> Anonymous
i used to be really scared of hermit crabs when younger, lol, i hope your gf aint
>> tigerfeather !CrwtTbFNxQ
>>101257
Agreed.

>>101200
Then obviously my statement doesn't apply to you.
>> Moo !XBOXgikTFw
HIT IT REALLY HARD WTH A PAN THAT WAY IT DOESN'T HAVE TO SUFFER A SLOW DEATH AT YOUR MOUTHBREATHER HANDS.
>> Anonymous
/an/ will obviously care a lot about animals even if they cost a pair of bucks.

I have to agree about the "suprise, it's a pet to take care of!" thing. I really hope she actually wanted a small pet to take care.

Anyway, taking care of hermit crabs is easy. They need an terrarium tank, some sand, a bowl of water with a sea sponge and basically almost any tropical food. Don't buy that 10 bucks expensive "hermit crabs food", they don't like it and everytime I regret spending 10 bucks for that shit.

To keep humidity (which should be between 70% and 80%) just spray water inside the terrarium 3 times a day. Watch out for insects or fungus because they love humidity and food in the same place! Buying another hermit crab is strongly recommended cause they are usually in groups.
>> Anonymous
you can expect it to stop moving about a week from now
>> Anonymous
They rly like popcorn.
>> Anonymous
You guys are stupid hippies.

if this was a puppy, maybe, as it stands the hermit crab was going to die a slow death in those stupid mall kiosks anyway
>> Anonymous
OP here. I bought my girlfriend a hermit crab because she's a whale, and I thought something that lives partly in the water would keep her better company then some sort of other small animal.

I took the advice you guys gave me and went out to buy a book about how to care for hermit crabs. But while I was out my girl friend sat on it.