Hand-on bath or let them bathe themselves?

[Wai]

Should hermit crabs be bathed by people or just let them bathe themselves? I'm planning to make a pond for Jupiter since she hates me hand-bathing her. Should the pond be salt water or fresh? If it were to be salt water, do I still need a salt water dish in there for her? She always climbs out of the bath as fast as she can if I bathe her hands-on. How should I go about this?

[ayianna]

I personally hand bathe my crabs. I do not have room in my tank for a large enough pool of water for them to really get a good walking around in. My crabs seem to like being in the water, even though they try to climb out the side (and some even succeed now and then!). If your crab doesn't like being bathed and you have the option, I would say to let it be and put in a dish in there for them. ^_^ As for salinity, about half salt and half fresh water should be a good 'bath' for your crabs. That's roughly what I use for mine in their weekly bathing time and they seem to enjoy it better than the stress coat baths I used to give.

[happibunni42]

Let them bathe themselves. Bathing them causes stress which is not good. Have both salt and fresh water 'pools' for them to bathe themselves. You can have another small bowl for water but its not nessesary. Myn just sit on the edge and dunk their LPs in to drink.

[hermiesrokmysox]

I hand bathe. Hermit crab don't usually get cleaned all the way when they do it them selves (or maybe they do..). Well, nnot all in behind the shell and stuff...either way is fine really.

[suprahermit]

I let them do it themselves.

I have two bowls in the tank with regular nightly water changes most times after work, they both have river pebbles and the bathing pool has a sea sponge to crawl up on.

I have burried the bowls into the sand so the crabs have easy access in and out and if they don't want to emerce the whole body they can just stay to the side and splash about.

If I was more experianced in keep hermit crabs I would try a hand on bath.