Playing with hermies - when is play time?

[CrabbyJo]

I was curious, when you take your hermies out to play, when is play time?
I have made myself a rule that I will not disturb a hermie who is tucked away and possibly sleeping, but any hermie that comes out and is just messing around is "fair game". As a result, we haven't played much lately lol.

When do you decide it's play time?

[crabcrazygal]

well i do it when ever i have spare time, and my hermies are being active

[Hermie's rule]

I do it whenever I feel like doing it. If the hermies have been inactive for days, they're fair game for MOmmy.

[HermieLove19]

I find my crabs are most active around 11pm. Many of them come out of the woodwork to eat and climb and drink and look for shells. I don't give the hermies baths anymore but when I did that was play time. They're always so active after a bath that I just let them run around and work off all the energy.

[ladybug15057]

Play time (baby pool time) around here is usually after dinner when we have time to devote to the hermies. During this time we also scoop food and poo out of the tanks. So usually around 7 p.m or so, but those in premolt are left alone.

[Lette44]

In the winter I usually bathe them on a nice sunny day and like Marie, I've invested a plastic kiddie pool w/toys to let them play and dry off while I clean their tat. In the summer when its warmer, they get out to play more often. If they don't get bathed, they get a spray so their gills won't dry! Most like it, some act like they don't like it and only one will stay in his shell the whole time, so I've been just holding him in my hand and since he's the newbie, he just started coming out of that shell to look at me. It does take patience and understanding. These little guys have been through so much! They just need to feel safe and fed good food!!!

[youngcrablover]

Personally, I play with my hermies at least 3 times a day, but I normally will not do it if I see them tucked all the way into their shells, or burrowing. If I see half of their legs out, I know I won't COMPLETELY disturb them!

[emmac350]

Whenever they're out and about. Usually it's around 10 pm or so, but today, Nibs was out and about this afternoon so I took her out for a while. Just depends on when they're being social.

[CrabbyJo]

I'll tell ya my E's are never out and about lol. Occasionally I will catch Barnaby, a medium PP, and now I've decided every time he's out he's fair game! Wonder if he'll stop coming out lol. I get to see him maybe twice a week!

[emmac350]

Some of my Es are like that too...but my PPs are the worst. I occasionally catch a glimpse of the top of Rack's shell in a cocohut, but that's all I've seen of them for about a month now. The Es are my most active group by all means...which isn't saying much right now. I have come to accept I'll see them less often than I'd like for now because they're so tiny, they must molt pretty often.