I would Save Them If I could!!!

Report on pet stores that are either doing a great or terrible job of looking after their hermit crabs on display.
Post Reply
POPPIT
Zoea II
Zoea II
Posts: 219
Joined: 05 May 2015, 17:26
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 4
Total gallons: 69
Total tanks: 3
Location: Melbournes Western Suburbs

I would Save Them If I could!!!

Post by POPPIT »

Hi All.....About 1 week ago i went to a pet store called Aquarium Supermarket & Pet Warehouse in Derrimut(Western suburbs of Melbourne) and they had large Aussie crabs one i would even say was a jumbo size....They are kept in a type of reptile cage with a mesh lid, no heat from what i could see....They had water and food but as the crabs were large and the water dish quite small so they would be lucky to soak a leg or two in, they also had pretty dry if not completely dry substrate that is like a coconut fibre but a rough one....The jumbo crab which i wanted to take home was in a shell big enough to cover his bum and thats it although they did have a good selection of shells big enough for him but maybe he is too stressed or sick to change....The other two crab were also in shells too small and all of the crabs were in the same position(possibly a trying to retract position or maybe just a frozen position)with their eyestalks down next to their claws completely unmoving...In fact i actually wondered if they were still alive....If you live near this store and would like to take home a crab in desperate need please go and have a look....Thinking about this is tempting me to squash all three of those crabs into my 6gal iso if they are still there or still alive....Its my first time seeing very big crabs and its a shame it wasnt the best experiences!!!...I might try and pay a visit to the store soon to see if they are still there and ill ask them if i can take a pic of them.....The jumbo had a purplish claw from memory and i remembered thinking if it was a PP but we cant get them here and the PP bodies are skinnier, he was darkish in colour too i think
User avatar
appps
Zoea III
Zoea III
Posts: 292
Joined: 15 Jul 2011, 13:01
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 6
Total gallons: 57
Total tanks: 1
Location: NSW
Contact:

Re: I would Save Them If I could!!!

Post by appps »

It's a hard one. On one hand we want to save them, on the other that just makes the pet shop think that sold well and they then get in even more to suffer the same fate.

Perhaps a copy of correct crab care dropped in to them would be something you could try?
Annette
Carer of 5 Australian Land Hermit Crabs
Fili & Voldemort since 12/07/2011
Turbo since 29/09/2011
Frederickson & Kai 12/02/2012
and our new addition Stripey Ninja 25/10/2014

Our Crab tank setup & Journal -http://crabbycreatures.wordpress.com
POPPIT
Zoea II
Zoea II
Posts: 219
Joined: 05 May 2015, 17:26
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 4
Total gallons: 69
Total tanks: 3
Location: Melbournes Western Suburbs

Re: I would Save Them If I could!!!

Post by POPPIT »

Its very true and a vicious cycle....I dont hold out hope of pet stores investing time into making sure they have a heat source, thermometer/hygrometer and humidity.....Im not sure how pet stores can stock animals they know nothing about and yet we need a special license to own them....If i go there again i will make suggestions of the proper set up but i doubt they will take in what i say....The store where i got my crabs from have water pools of good size big food dish climbing trees not that great type of sand but they do have a heat bulb on a thermostat(not on the last 2 times i went there though) and they have half a mesh lid with the other side open, no humidity or hygrometer, they are in the reptile bit in like slide out tanks.....Pet stores should have to go to care courses on the animals they will be "fostering" and there should be an inspector that randomly visits to check the care being given......I want to take home every crab i see now that i think i have the basics down lol.....Shame i cant
User avatar
appps
Zoea III
Zoea III
Posts: 292
Joined: 15 Jul 2011, 13:01
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 6
Total gallons: 57
Total tanks: 1
Location: NSW
Contact:

Re: I would Save Them If I could!!!

Post by appps »

Yeah, I don't think I've ever bought anything from our local store that they knew diddly squat about. Including goldfish.

I once tried telling them the naked crabs were a bad sign but you could tell she thought I was an idiot and patiently explained to me that was how they changed shells. Sigh
Annette
Carer of 5 Australian Land Hermit Crabs
Fili & Voldemort since 12/07/2011
Turbo since 29/09/2011
Frederickson & Kai 12/02/2012
and our new addition Stripey Ninja 25/10/2014

Our Crab tank setup & Journal -http://crabbycreatures.wordpress.com
POPPIT
Zoea II
Zoea II
Posts: 219
Joined: 05 May 2015, 17:26
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 4
Total gallons: 69
Total tanks: 3
Location: Melbournes Western Suburbs

Re: I would Save Them If I could!!!

Post by POPPIT »

Thats exactly what i was afraid would happen if i tried to tell them how to care for them....Some of them think they know what needs to be done because they have worked in a pet store for a while....There is a very nice man at the store where my crabs are from so i might mention care tips to him when i see him.
Post Reply