Jeongbeureu Hermit Crabs: Recreating Nostalgic Stationery Store Breeding Environments as Gifts for Elementary Students

YouTuber Jeongbeureu, reminiscing about the 'stationery store hermit crabs' commonly seen in front of elementary schools in the past, recreated them in a modern breeding environment and gifted them to children. Through a video released on September 18, 2026, Jeongbeureu revealed the process of creating breeding sets that replicate the appearance of the hermit crabs sold in stationery stores in the past, and visiting the vicinity of an elementary school to deliver them directly to children.

Nostalgic Stationery Store Hermit Crabs, Recreated with Modern Breeding Sets

Jeongbeureu recalled memories of various creatures such as chicks, tadpoles, hamsters, and even lobsters being distributed at stationery stores during his elementary school days. While the hermit crabs sold at stationery stores back then were in an environment that was not easy to manage, Jeongbeureu personally manufactured breeding containers similar to those from that time to gift memories to the children.

The breeding set was prepared by filling containers with sawdust, featuring a design that evokes nostalgia from the past. In the video, Jeongbeureu explained, "I worked hard to make them almost identical to the old stationery store hermit crab containers," noting that once the lids are closed, they look very similar to the past. In particular, emphasizing the importance of the sawdust, he showed himself searching for and preparing sawdust with a texture similar to the past, saying, "It really looked like this." A total of 12 sets were prepared, which went beyond simply distributing creatures to include a process of educating the children on proper breeding methods.

The hermit crabs in the video had various shells, and Jeongbeureu added a personal memory, saying, "Friends with these kinds of shells also ran faster." He also recreated a lively breeding environment by showing the hermit crabs sticking their bodies out from inside their shells to eat.

Visiting the Stationery Store in Front of the Elementary School and Meeting Children

Jeongbeureu visited the area near the elementary school filled with past memories, carrying the self-made hermit crab sets. He shared the changing street scenery, where once there were enough stationery stores to have four in a single alley, but most have disappeared as the number of students decreased. Through a conversation with a stationery store owner, he confirmed the changed environment, hearing that "it has been a long time since hermit crabs have come in lately."

After the school bell rang and the children finished school, Jeongbeureu gifted the hermit crabs to them. The children reacted by saying they knew Jeongbeureu's YouTube, and Jeongbeureu went through the process of checking if the children could raise hermit crabs and seeking consent from their guardians. Out of approximately 12 sets, 7 children received education and adopted hermit crabs, and the children cheered as they received the gifts. Jeongbeureu expressed a sense of bond with the children, saying, "They are our juniors."

Key Guide for Failure-Free Hermit Crab Breeding

In the latter half of the video, Jeongbeureu shared specific breeding guidelines to raise hermit crabs healthily. Since hermit crabs are omnivorous, it is good to give various foods such as crayfish feed, fish feed, cooked rice, and anchovies in small amounts, and since they require both freshwater and seawater simultaneously, he advised placing two water bowls or supplying them alternately. The video captured the hermit crabs moving to eat and changing their shells.

Particular precautions are as follows:

• Precautions during molting: When a hermit crab goes underground and does not come out, there is a high possibility it is molting, so you must never dig the ground to check. If you touch an individual undergoing molting, there is a very high risk of death.
• Creating a breeding environment: Sufficient sawdust must be spread for molting, and as the individual grows larger, the height of the sawdust should also be maintained high. Additionally, considering their characteristics of inhabiting tropical and subtropical regions, maintaining an appropriate temperature (mid-to-late 20s degrees Celsius) and using UVB lighting is recommended.
• Shell management: Extra shells should be placed in the breeding container so that the hermit crab can find a shell that fits its body. It is good to add more when the hermit crab feels a sense of space inside the shell.

Jeongbeureu stated, "Nowadays, good feed is available, and if you know the management methods, you can raise them well without killing them easily like before," and recommended encountering various species of hermit crabs through platforms like Kiwohae. Regarding the life cycle of the hermit crab, biological characteristics were also mentioned, such as mating and laying eggs through the reproductive organs inside the shell, and the process of spending time in the sea after hatching before living on land.