My new addiction

To begin at the beginning, Shanna wanted a pet hermit crab. When we got to the pet store, we found out that hermit crabs are really social critters, so it would be better to get two instead of one. So home came Oprah and Hermie. Oprah is a big crab, and she was crammed into a tiny painted shell. About two days after she came home, she changed into a bigger one, much to our surprise. (We didn't realize at the time that Hermie was not a well crab. He went to that tropical island in the sky about a week later. :( Poor little guy.) Anyway, now that Oprah was alone, naturally she needed a friend. So home came Baby and Pinchy. Pinchy, true to his name, immediately pinches anyone that dares to pick him up. When he got home, he buried himself in the sand, and was unseen for weeks. In the meantime, I was driving Shanna crazy because I was constantly in her room, taking care of and watching the crabs. "Your obsessed!" she would say, "Eye rolls and big sighs" she would give. In desperation to get her mother out of her bedroom, she gave me the crabs, which she had lost interest in anyway. Well, a few weeks later, I was in another pet store, when I noticed that they treated the crabs horribly. No water, no food, bugs in the tank, so of course I had to take home Klinger and Radar. I thought Baby was small until I saw them. A few weeks later, Spider came home the same way. I just couldn't resist his sad eyes. He is a pretty big guy, and he was crammed into this awful painted shell way too small for him. The first thing he did when he got home was change into a new shell. Spider got his name from the speed in which he crosses the tank. (Note: while I am typing this Klinger finally dumped his ugly yellow shell and got into a new one.) So now there were six. They each have their own personality. Radar, like Pinchy, tends to bury himself for days or weeks at a time. So does Baby. Klinger is very friendly and outgoing. He is always climbing up anything he can get his claws on. I have found him crawling upside-down across the screen that covers the tank. Oprah is a big crab, but also friendly. She never pinches. She is also a great climber. (Note: while I am typing this, Klinger got back into his old shell. Guess he didn't like they way the new one fit. Darn.) So things were fine until I noticed Oprah seemed lethargic. She was spending a lot of time buried. One day a few months ago, I dug Oprah up to give her a bath. The next day, to my utter shock, she molted right in the middle of the cage. I thought she was dead! Then we noticed that what we thought was her dead body was just an empty crab suit. She was alive and well inside her shell, with a brand new exoskeleton. A few weeks later she was back to normal, even more active than ever. Since then, Baby and Pinchy have both molted with no problems. Unlike Oprah, after they molted they both buried themselves again, and haven't been seen in weeks. Last month, I was in the pet store (I shouldn't be allowed in there alone) when I saw Coco and Bashful. They came home and joined the gang happily. While I was in the pet store, I saw the strawberry hermit crabs. They were so much fun to watch because they are so active. They are always busy. They look just like strawberries in color, with big black eyes. But all of my hermies at home were Caribbean crabs (purple pinchers). Could I mix the two species together in the same tank? I did some research on the internet and found out it was no problem to have them together. But I already had 9 crabs in a ten gallon tank. And my bigger crabs really needed a deeper water bowl, so with the two water bowls, the three different food bowls, the cave, and the bridge, the tank was rather crowded. I obviously needed a bigger tank. But have you seen the prices on those big fish tanks? I started looking for used ones in the paper, but they were not much cheaper. As much as I loved my babies, how could I spend that much money? Then deliverance came in the form of Christmas money from Mom and Dad. I bought a brand new 29 gallon tank and stand. Now there was plenty of room for my strawberries. Choosing was the hardest part. I picked Big Red because he was the biggest crab I have ever seen in a tank. He needed a bigger shell so badly, but at least he wasn't in a painted shell. He looked right at me, and if I had to choose one word to describe his expression, I would say bored. Then I choose Newb because he reminded me of Klinger, tiny and climbing everywhere. Also, he was in terrible shell, so I figured it would be nice for him to come home where I have plenty of shells to choose from. So a few hours after they came home, Big Red (the name explains itself) got into the prettiest shell in the tank. He looks so good now! Newb is a newb because he still hasn't changed from that thing on his back, (It isn't even like a shell you would see a crab in.) even though there are plenty of shells. Also, he is constantly getting himself stuck in awkward positions, and falling. So here I am with 11 babies, planning on spending some time today (my day off) shell shopping for my Klinger, and cleaning the tank. Big Red has spent the last hour or so dismantling the second level. He pulled the plastic climbing vines off the wall, and shoved all of the extra shells off the shelf and into the food bowl area. Maybe he needs another friend, or more toys? :)