how much do you pay for hermit crabs?

[CrabbyJo]

Lucky girl! I am reading that Straws require more strict tank conditions than your typical crab, and the fact that yours are thriving is a testament to the amount of attention and care you must give them and their habitat. Good going!

[Foxydiva3]

LOl I do My Husband thinks Im a crab nut as much time as I spend on them,They Have A huge Variety of foods and The Humidity in the tank and sand is great. Ill Tell you Freeze dried Blood worms is one of their favorite foods and so are Salt less Walnuts. I Change their food every day and they also have a salt pond to dip in, All my species of crabs like the salt pond better then the fresh Ill do some pics and post!

[krabby_katie]

You are so lucky to have found straws that cheap!!! I bet they're very pretty. You'll definately have to get pics up.

[crabcrazygal]

yes must post pics, am very interested in what a "straw" is (the crab type, not the drinking type.lol

[emmac350]

Straw = strawberry crab. They are gorgeous crabs, but are much harder to keep than PPs or Es or any of the other more common crab varieties (need LOTS of room...a 20G long tank would only fit two small crabs, or so I heard...also are very finicky about their temp/humidity - a strict 80/80). Here are some pics I found online:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a167/ ... bchub2.jpg

http://www.animalpicturesarchive.com/Ar ... 213857.jpg

http://www.crabbytalk.com/wp-content/eating2.jpg

Aren't they gorgeous?

[ladybug15057]

You're right Emma, and straws are VERY active. I have 4 in a 40 gal breeder tank and honestly thing they could use more room as well. When they get out of the tank time they are ALL over that plastic baby pool I have and I lose count as how many times they climb the toys as well in that pool.
And when they molt... what a freaky thing too, they are beet bloody red:

Molt

when I got mine they were $10.99 a piece... with good ole sales tax tacked onto that too.

[Wai]

I don't know if I'll ever get the chance to buy a straw ever again. Last time I visited the Australian Pet Superstore, they had emptied their entire straw set up (including the substrate and dishes), leaving a blank terrarium.

Of course, I don't hate Aussie land hermit crabs, but I would love to have some variety to the species I have and the only alternative are the straws.

[crabcrazygal]

oh i get it, i was thinking that they were like this jumbo type species, silly me

[cootiesami]

I have to admit that alot of the hermit crabs i have gotten over the years were rescued from people who were unable to care for them. The cheapest i got were $3 each, in Adelaide we have a man who sells them at the Royal Adelaide Show, he knows that I dont like what he does, but he gives me a deal on seashells as he is a seashell supplier. And whatever is left over I end up adopting. SO I generally get 10 or more crabs, and about 2 dozen shells for about $30. The crabs he gets are micros and I am happy to say they are all still alive.

Hence the reason my stimulus money is going on getting a custom tank built. Cant wait!

[spidtat]

I paid, I think if I remember correctly, 4.99 for my Straws at Petco since they did not know the difference between species. Most of mine I paid between 3 and 6 dollars though a couple of micros for 1.99 and then the rescues/adoptees which were free as were the supplies that came with them.