hermit crabs have not successfully bred in captivity to date though at least one person is working on it and seems to be getting close. Visit Tammy at The Crabbage Patch to read about her efforts to date.
There are people on the internet who claim they have bred their land hermit crabs successfully. They fail to produce proof of this of course. Marine biologists have not been able to accomplish this so I fail to see how a 12 y/o can manage it in his bedroom. Some employees at pet stores seem to like to tell their customers that their store has its own ‘breeding facility’ for hermit crabs. This is a bald face lie.
Now land hermit crabs can lay eggs in captivity. They won’t survive in nearly all circumstances. Hermit crabs lay their eggs in the ocean and this environment has to be reproduced perfectly for the eggs to hatch and live.
If someone claims to have done this, ask them for proof of the experiment.