The Hermidifier

In answer to your question:
There's nothing living in the bottle, but in the large tank to the left are three hermit crabs; Blossom, Mermaid Princess Unicorn, and Rocketship. See if you can guess who named who.
We've had Rocketship for a few weeks, and after reading a book on hermit crab care, the oldest informed me that
A) Hermit crabs are social creatures that pine away without friends,
B) Hermit crabs need 4 inches of sand to burrow in, and
C) Hermit crabs NEED HUMIDITY, Mommy, without it they will SUFFOCATE, and by the way Mommy what's humidity?

So I had to move Rocketship from his very decorative, adorable, and bone-dry fishbowl into a ten gallon tank, and we picked up some little friends for him. I will admit that they do seem happier now, moving around and eating their spaghetti with every appearance of men unexpectedly released from prison. I would never have thought that hermit crabs could project happiness or thrilled excitement, but believe me, they do.



It's El Hermidor in Spanish.

Very possibly the coolest thing Mr. Legs has made for me yet.
One tube goes from the pump into an air stone at the bottom of the bottle, and the other goes from the top of the bottle into the crabitat, providing lots of moist air for them to breathe. We ganked the idea from another website.



I reeeeeally need a light to put underneath the bottle. That would look awesome.
The atmospheric difference is pretty obvious now; when I put my hand in the tank, it feels like...Well, exactly like going outdoors, actually, warm & steamy. The crabs have gone from immobile shells to curious little explorers.
The kids really enjoy them. They use their Little People fences, castles and houses to make a big crab-coral and set them all loose inside. We're also learning about gills again, and a little bit about crab anatomy.
Instead of a regular story book, tonight we read the first chapter of "Hermit Crabs: Your Healthy and Happy Pet" (not my idea of satisfying pre-bed reading, but what do I know?).
I have this wierd urge to aquire living things; usually I buy plants, but what I really want is another puppy. Intellectually I know it's a stupid idea, since we already had the experience of two dogs when Charlie was here, but emotionally I feel the stirrings of my inner Crazy Cat Lady. At least the crabs are pretty much non-intrusive.