If you are a member of online Hermit Crab forums, Facebook groups or read crab care blogs online, you may come across some words related to the hermie world that you may not understand the exact meaning of.
Perhaps an experienced owner is talking about something using the hermie lingo, maybe you are too shy or embarrassed to ask what they mean. That's cool, we got you!
Below we go over some of the most commonly used terms and shortened abbreviations for commonly used words in the wonderful world of Hermit Crabs.
A
Arthropod - Any of a phylum of invertebrate animals (as insects, arachnids, and crustaceans) having a segmented body, jointed limbs, and a shell of chitin that is shed periodically
Air Pump - A pump used to push air through the airline and into the air stones or sponge filter causing the bubbling effect
Air Stones - Small compacted stones that air is blown through to cause bubbles in the pools
Additives - Substances added to foods to prolong shelf life and enhance flavour
Above Sub Line - A term used for your heat source placement, it must be placed above the substrate line in order to not dry out or burn the substrate
Air Line - A plastic Hollow hose that connects to your air pump and air stones/sponge filter to push air through to create bubbles
Aquatic Plant Matter - Plants that are found in the ocean such as various seaweeds
Antennae - A pair of long, thin sensory appendages on the heads of insects, crustaceans, and some other arthropods
B
Bubbler - This is what is placed into the pools to create the bubble effect
Beta-carotene - A pigment found in plants that gives them their natural colour
Breeders - Owners who have successfully bred Captive Hermit Crabs
Black Tips - The black nails on the end of a Hermit Crabs walking legs, a clear sign they have been moulting
C
Caliper - A digital device used to measure the opening size of shells
Coenobita - Hermit Crab species
Coenobita Variabilis - The Australian Land Hermit Crab species
Crabitat - Hermit Crab Tank, Crab Habitat
Clean Up Crew - Insects that are placed into your tank to keep it clean by consuming poo, old food, bacteria etc. Usually, Springtails or Isopods
Chelipeds - The Hermit Crabs large claws at the front of their body
Check Valve - A two-way valve placed into your airline to stop water from moving up the line and back into the air pump should there be a failure
Coir Peat - A natural fibre extracted from the outer husk of the coconut, used to mix into the sand for the substrate
Calcium Sand - A white sand that sets hard when it comes into contact with water, this should never be used inside your tank
CBB - Captive Bred Babies
Chitin - A polysaccharide which makes up the cell walls of fungi and exoskeleton of insects
Carotenoids - The pigments found in plants, algae and bacteria that give them those bright yellow, orange, and red colours
Captive Breeding - Breeding Hermit Crabs in captivity at home
CSJ - Crab Street Journal (Hermit Crab blog)
Commercial Foods - Hermit Crab Labelled foods found at pet stores or Aquariums
Calibrate - Checking a hygrometers accuracy
Coffee Jar Method - A makeshift kreisel tank made using coffee jars to raise spawned Zoea
Changing Pants - Changing Shells
Crustaceans - Invertebrates with a hard exoskeleton
Colour Enhancer - Foods that can enhance the colour of your Hermit Crabs exoskeleton, usually from Carotenoids
Crab Con - A Hermit Crab conference based in the US, also virtually worldwide
Chirping - A noise that a Hermit Crab makes when they are extremely stressed
D
Distress - When a new Hermit Crab digs down into the substrate and stays there for weeks on end to calm down after their stressful ordeal
D - Shape - The opening shape of a Hermit Crabs shell, has a letter D shape appearance
Dig Down - When a Hermit Crab digs down into the substrate
Dropping Limbs - When a Hermit Crab has lost a limb (leg or claw)
Deep Pools - Pools that are deep enough for a large crab to fully submerge
E
Exo - Short for Exoskeleton
Exoskeleton - A hard outer covering that protects the body of Hermit Crabs
Enrichment - The action of improving the quality of your crab's life by placing plants, activities etc. into the tank. Environmental Enrichment
EE - Short for Eco Earth, similar to our coir peat, but is usually used overseas in the US
F
Fish Egg Crate - A hard plastic crate like material, often used for pool ladders or climbing walls
Fresh Pool - The pool in a crabitat that contains fresh, treated water
Foraged - Searching for foods, Hermit Crabs will forage in the wild for food
Food Mites - Mites that are solely there for the foods in your tank, they are no harm to your Hermit Crabs
G
Gastropod - A type of mollusk, a snail.
Gonopores - The female Hermit Crabs sex organs
Greensand - A highly nutritious Marine sediment fed to Hermit Crabs as a supplement
Gravid - A female Hermit Crab carrying eggs
Gutter Guard - A plastic mesh type material found at most hardware stores that is commonly used in pools as a climbing ramp
H
Hygrometer - A gauge that measures humidity levels
Hermit House - Non-profit charity supporting Captive Breeding of Hermit Crabs
Hideout - A safe and dark place for a Hermit Crab to hide
HCA - Hermit Crab Association
Heat Mat - A black electrical mat that produces heat when plugged in and placed against the outside of a tank
Heat Cord - A long thick electrical cord that produces heat when plugged in and tapped to the outside of a tank
Hermie - Short name for Hermit Crab
I
Iso - Short for Isolation
Isolation - Housing a crab alone, usually in a smaller setup, container or mug
Insect Frass - Black Solider Fly Larvae poo
Internal Filter - A water filter that is placed inside the pool to filter the water
Insulation - A heatproof source such as car windshield protector, foam, foil etc. and placed over the top of your heat source to keep the heat going back into the tank
Insulation Tape - A silver heat proof tape that can be safely placed overheat sources to stick them to the tank without melting
Instant Ocean - A brand of marine salt commonly found in the US
J
Jumbo - Refers to a very large Hermit Crab that is in a shell opening of 3"+
Juvenile - A young baby Hermit Crab
K
Kreisel - A specially built tank made up of marine water and constant water motion to raise zoea in
Krabooz - A commonly sold Hermit Crab brand in Australia, not suitable for Hermit Crabs
L
LHCOS - Land Hermit Crab Owners Society
Leaf Litter - Leaves and plant materials often found on the ground in the wild that Hermit Crabs consume
Lipids - A form of Fatty Acids
M
Megas - Short for Megalopa
Megalopa - The third stage of a Hermit Crabs life cycle, they appear as tiny translucent lobsters
Modified Gills - Gills on a Hermit Crab that are modified to allow them to breathe on land
Marine Hermit Crab - A species of Hermit Crab that solely lives in ocean water and cannot survive on land
Moult Sac - A dark grey/black bulge on the side of a Hermit Crabs abdomen, used to store food and water for their moult
Moult Cave - A cave beneath the sand that a crab has dug for themselves to begin their moult
Moult - When a Hermit Crab sheds their exoskeleton in order to grow
Moult Camp - When a Hermit Crab is under the surface, moulting
Marine Salt - A specific sea salt for marine creatures, carries all of the necessary vitamins and minerals
Mixes - Handmade Hermit Crab foods
N
Naked - A Hermit Crab without a shell
Nocturnal - Active at nighttime
Novelty Shells - Shells that have been painted, toxic to Hermit Crabs
O
Oval - Shape - The opening shape of a Hermit Crabs shell, has an oval appearance
Omnivore - An animal that eats both plants and animal proteins
P
PPS - Post Purchase Syndrome
Prime - A water conditioner
Pleopods - Feathery appendages attached to the female's abdomen to hold her eggs
PP - Short for Purple Pincher
Purple Pincher - A nickname for the Hermit Crab species Coenobita Clypeatus, known for its large purple cheliped
Pellets - Pet store foods that have been pressed into a pellet, not appropriate for Hermit Crabs as a diet
Perspex - A thick acrylic sheet
Pesticides - A substance or mixture to kill, prevent or repel pests
Preservatives - A substance used to preserve a foods shelf life
Play Sand - Sand that has been prewashed, treated and bagged up for purchase
Prey Animal - Any animal that serves as a food source for another animal
Pants - A Hermit Crabs shell
Post Purchase Syndrome - What a shop brought Hermit Crab goes through once they have been purchased and arrive to a new tank, a very stressful situation for them
Q
R
Refractometer - A refractometer is an optical instrument that is used to determine the refractive index of a substance, measuring how light is bent as it moves through the substance. Often used to calculate the salinity of the saltwater pool
Round - Shape The opening shape of a Hermit Crabs shell, has a round circle appearance
Ratio - Shows how many times one number contains another. For example, 8 parts sand to 1 part of coir peat is an 8:1 ratio
Rescues - A Hermit Crab that has been rescued from another owner who housed them in inappropriate setups
Reptile Bedding - A tanbark type of substrate that is not appropriate for Hermit Crabs
S
Sub - Short for Substrate
Substrate - The sand/coir peat mixture that is placed into the bottom of the tank
Shell Jacking - When one crab attempts to steal another crab's shell
Shell Shop - An area of shells gathered together for your crabs to choose from
Shell Alteration - When a Hermit Crab pulls parts of their shell off to make it fit better and be more comfortable
Shell Size - Refers to the opening of the shell, not the actual shell itself
Surface Moult - When a Hermit Crab attempts their moult above the sand out in the open
Sponge Filter - A filter with an external sponge
Spawning - When a Hermit Crab releases its eggs into the salt pool, zoea are spawned
Strawberries - A nickname for the Hermit Crab species Coenobita Perlatus, known for its bright red and orange colours
Supplements - Specialist foods added to a crab's diet to complete their dietary needs
Sphagnum Moss - A dried moss that is safe for Hermit Crabs and can be dampened and added into the crabitat to aid in humidity
Salt Pool - The pool in a crabitat that contains salted, treated water
Sexing - Checking the gender of your Hermit Crab
Sizing Up - When a Hermit Crab checks the opening size of a new shell to see if it will fit them
Shell Grit - finely found ground shells, and miniature shells, a great source of Calcium
Safe Foods - Foods that can be safely consumed by Hermit Crabs
Sandcastle Consistency - Substrate that holds its shape when you push your finger into it
Straw Test - When you push a straw into the substrate, up against the glass to check for floods or substrate consistency
T
Topper - A second tank placed on top of your current tank
Thermostat - A plug in device known for detecting temperature changes, and keeping them at consistent levels with the tank
Transition Tank - A small tank with low substrate that has been set up for shelled Megalopa who are moving from water to land for the first time
Too Land - When a shelled Megalopa moves from their water to land for the very first time
Turbo - The name of a top shaped shell
Terrestrial - A living organism that grows or lives on land
U
UTH - Short for Under Tank Heater (although they should never be placed under a Hermit Crab tank)
Under - When Hermit Crabs are under the substrate
Unsafe Foods - Foods that are toxic to Hermit Crabs
V
Vacation Food - A long lasting food mix with specific ingredients to make it last longer in the tank without molding
W
Wattage - An amount of electrical power
Whelk - Whelks are any of several carnivorous sea snail species with a swirling, tapered shell
Worm Castings - Worm Poo
Water Conditioner - A liquid used to remove Chlorine, Ammonia, Chloramine, Nitrites and Nitrates from tap water
Welfare Check - Checking a Hermit Crab for sickness, disease, limb loss, discoloration etc.
X
Y
Z
Zoea - The larvae that hatches from a Hermit Crabs eggs, the very first stage of the life cycle
Zeaxanthin - Is a fat-soluble antioxidant carotenoid
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