What Made You Decide?

[CudaCrabby]

Ok just alittle curious here as to what made you all deside to become hermie owners and what was it that you were so drawn to them about?
Me, well i use to own hermies off and on since i was little and lived in Florida-thats where i was born, anyways over the yrs i was drawn to them not only because they were easy to care for but intresting and also they are very personable. I desided to get back into them once i had found out how to properly care for them and set them up much more better and natural as well but also because the fill a big void in my life, they give me much joy and happiness and also times of sadness but most of all not only do i learn from them but they bring lots laughter into this house as well.. We get many many hrs of entertainment as well as hands on experiance plus they never argue back with ya or give ya grife about doing simple house chores like the rest of the family does. LOL!! I love my hermies and i truely belive they are happy with there living conditions even though its not freedom in the wild we make them as comfy as possible.. They just seem to warm the heart and look at you with those devious beedy eyes who knows what the chirp to each other about, maybe a plan to take over the house someday and boot mom out.. LOL!!! There are some small studies i am working on and hopeful sooner or later it will not only benifit the hermies but also help the owners better care for them as well...

[Love4HermitCrabs]

Mine is kinda long but worth reading, LOL Ok here we go, I hade just quit smoking for about 4 days and my Sister called me and asked me if I wanted to go to Petco with her to get crickets for her son's 2 Bearded Dragons and I said sure so any way we are waiting to be helped and this little old lady walks in and says to one of the Employee's"Oh I see that you moved the Hermit Crabs" I was like who in their right mind would have a Hermit Crabs for a pet, LOL any way I followed her to the Hermit tank and watched as she carefully pick up each one and said no not that one, no not that one either I was like come on Lady just pick one already. So finally she found one that she was happy with so she bought it. Well when she left the tank I went over to see what the big deal was and all I saw was these little rock looking these moving around so I of course asked if I could hold one and the second that I looked at that Hermie it was love at first sight and I just had to have one (one yea right, lol)so I told myself that if I didn't smoke any cigg's for 1 full month then I would get one. That whole month all I could think about and talk about were Hermit Crabs, so one month later the Family and I went to Petco just to "look" and we came home with 2 hermies and no idea how to take care of them. And now a year later my Hubby and I are the VERY proud Mommy and Daddy of 49 Hermit Crabs... Neither one of us have touched a cig sence....... We couln't afford both habits any way,
Sandra

[oimsofunny]

We went to Galveston, Tx two summers ago for vacation. While we were there my kids found some crabs while playin in the ocean. They sat their for an hour just playin with them in the sand and ocean water. They wanted to keep them but as that was our first day there I said NO. For 4 days they would find some when we went to the ocean. While we were there, did some checkin around and found out that we couldnt take those as they wouldnt live. Since then all I have heard is that they want them. This year for my youngest daughters bday, she decided the only thing she wanted was hermit crabs. I told her that she wouldnt get much of anything else as it seemed like would cost alot to get everything.. BOY was I RIGHT.!!! lol.. My oldest daughter has some interest in them but not like my youngest daughter. She is already asking when we can get more.. hehe.. and as they tell me.. I dont have any yet. They claim them all.

[CudaCrabby]

Awwwwww it just warms the heart reading everyones story, please keep the posts commin as its awsome we can share with each other how we got into owning and carring for our much loved hermie kids.. You both have very touching and wonderful stories.

[lilyofthevalley]

Everyone's story is really great! Congrats on quitting Love4

As for me, I don't really have an exciting story. I had seen hermies years earlier in a pet store at the mall, and I thought, "Who the heck would want one of those for a pet?" Then about two years ago, my boyfriend and I went into a petco to get supplies for his scorpion, and I saw the hermie tank. I instantly fell in love. I was really attracted to the idea that they switch shells. All of the hermies had pokemon and cinderella painted shells and I thought that was so weird and cool (I'm a big overgrown 6 year old haha). I went home and did some research on hermies, and I became obsessed! Almost everyday I would read websites or message boards learning everything I could. I talked incessantly about them to my boyfriend.

Finally, months later on my birthday, we had plans to go to the movies. He came to pick me up early because he said he had to pick up some food for his mother's parrots before we went. When we got there he suprised me by saying to pick everything out, because he was buying me hermies and the entire set up. Awww it was so sweet. I would have never gotten them on my own, because I was a little leery to take care of a pet that wasn't a mammal. I'm so glad he did that for me, it was one of the best presents I have ever received.

PS- As for the painted shells, I never ended up buying or having any, because of the issue of paint possibly being toxic and chipping. I still think that the shells are really neat, but won't offer them to my own hermies.

[ReganShaw]

Well, we started quite a number of yrs ago. We were on Vacation in Wildwood, NJ, and we always walked the boardwalk! There were some hermie setups along the boardwalk and decided on day to get a couple. We ended up spending some money, getting four crabs and a large wire cage (we had no idea then). We feed them and gave them tap water everyday for the next year. The next summer we went down the shore and got more, we had to come home and buy a new cage, but started reading about them first, and found out we needed an aquarium. So anyhow.....30some crabs later we are addicted, and I can't walk into a store that sells them without wanting them all.

[Tammi\'scrabs]

Well, here's my story, lol
I took my 8 year old son to a fair I grew up going to, and couldn't wait to let him play the fish game. Well they changed it, now you can win goldfish or hermit crabs... well of coarse an 8 yr old is gonna pick the crab. so we had to pay extra for a small KK to bring the guy home. (they put him in a small cardboard box first)
That nite we did a search on the net to find out more about this crab. the next day we went to a pet shop and dropped $70 on a tank, buddy and supplies. And I've been addicted ever since!!!!
Currently we have 10, and as soon as 3 come out of ISO in the 20 gal. I am going to pick up a few more

[CudaCrabby]

Awwwwww these stories are so heart warming, keep them commin people..
Tammi, thats so wonderful you did manage to save one from that fair and im very glad you checked into how to properly care for them right away...

[silvercamaro77]

My boyfriend bought me one because I had been depressed for a while, and needed something to take my mind off things. Boy did they ever!

[Eric]

always bought Hermit Crabs on the boardwalk every year in Wildwood NJ as a child from 5 to 16 Years Old. That was one of the best things about summer vacation, hermit crabs! Especially as a younger child. Unfortunately I did not know half as much as I learned over the years then as I do as of now. I turned back into them when I was around 19, almost 6 years ago. I think at first it was a childhood thing but then when I really started learning and finding people more like myself it became a hobby and then yes, an obsession...LOL. Hermit Crabs are great in every way. If somebody ask me what did I like the most about them I would have to say there very long life span possibilities with the proper care. I always look for pets with long lives that can possiblie out live myself, very cool!

Cappa