We draped a towel over the hermitage last night to make sure Jerry had appropriate darkness (the room was lit) and this morning when I took off the covering the back climbing wall had fallen over. The crab was solidly tucked away in its shell but there was sand in its food dish so it had been around and about. I tried to get the climbing wall back up and thought I had but a half hour later I went over to check and see what the crab was up to and there was a swift movement as the crab retracted its claw from the climbing wall, back into the shell, a swift enough movement that I jumped and screamed and so we both scared each other. I then tried to reattach the climbing wall which had again fallen over but no dice, the suction cups just won’t stick. So I taped the climbing wall at the top.
Going then to the web, I read that it is best to have two hermit crabs.
I read more at the websites of hermit crab lovers about how they need room to run and play and lizard ladders etc. And we needed extra sponges and a humidity gauge. Now I was beginning to wonder if we would end up going the way we did with our gold fish. We bought two small ones and were sold what we were told was a more than adequate aquarium and then when I read around I found out it was a piece of crap and thus we ended up with this large aquarium on a stand and despite the care invested we’ve lost 3 fish of 5 in 4 years.
One of the fish recently developed fin rot. This particular fish has had a hard time of it the past year. I’d thought it was home clear, the fish looking fine the past two months, then suddenly this week there was fin rot! I think we’ve stopped it but the rot ate a full inch and a half of its three inch tail (off the top).
Frankly, I’ve not enjoyed the gold fish as much since the Big D died. He was huge. And had loads of personality. We all had a personal relationship with that fish. Then one day he died.
We have to struggle with the water. It’s difficult here, though we use the recommended treatments.
Mr. Hermit Crab and I spent ten minutes staring at each other. So at least he was now not running when he saw a person, but he sat there facing his corner looking forlorn.
I read they have personalities. Some are outgoing and some are not. Some burrow and some climb. Some pinch and some are cuddly. And I read that they are not solitary creatures. They’re not hermits at all.
“The hermit crab needs a companion,” I told Marty.
Back to the pet store went Marty.
“Oh, no,” said the girl today. “They shouldn’t have sold you just one.” She also expressed dismay over the small tank we’d been told to purchase.
I think they do this on purpose. The person buying the new fish or hermit crabs or lizards, they sell to that newbie the most basic crap that’s not going to work out at all. That person goes home and finds out they have just purchased and set up a bunch of crap. They go back to the store, determined to make a better home for their pet, and another quick sale is made.
Sarah has a very different personality from Jerry. Sarah crab didn’t even flinch when I picked it up and transferred it to the small tank. It went over and climbed over the shell of the Jerry crab and stuck its face down in there and proceeded to make acquaintance. Jerry became briefly active and gregarious, then Sarah decided to explore everything and climb everywhere and Jerry returned to quietly staring out the side of the tank.
We have now a new ten gallon tank waiting for the crabs but there is no room for it. Marty said why not on the table and I said no, we gotta have a table. Yes, I know most of the time we don’t see the surface of the table because it’s covered with H.o.p.’s clay but we gotta have a table. So tomorrow we’re going to get rid of the low bookcase behind the futon and replace it with a tall one and with more shelving we’ll have a place to tuck the tank in the bookcase behind the table.
These are turning into very expensive hermit crabs.
P.S.: This makes no sense. How weird is it to have a pet that you uncover its habitat during the day while it’s resting, then at night you cover it up so they’ll think its a dark-of-the-moon beach and that’s when they eat, drink and party?
These are insects. Big insects with shells. They have no eyelids. They don’t blink. Since when did big beach insects become popular pets? Why are we spending money on these things? When Fred and his waterbug cousins come scuttling in under the back door of the kitchen and wave their antennae at me, I try to run them back outside, not because I’m against killing bugs but because I don’t like to squash crunchy things, and then if they don’t run outside, then I squash them. So, why, when Jerry and Sarah wave their antennae at me, do I think, “Oooo, man, you are so strange…but your little bug eyes are kind of cute.” Why?
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