While many hermit crab owners realize the importance of providing Ocean Water to their pets, there is a question over which type and which specific product is the best. To answer this, I got Instant Ocean and Reef Crystals enriched blend by Aquarium Systems, Doc Wellfish’s Aquarium Salt, and Aquarium Salt by Jungle. I have gotten a container of Distilled Water to test the products in.
Now, I will disclaim right now that I do not have access to a laboratory of equipment. All I have to test with is a test kit by the name of Marine Master Saltwater test kit. This test kit was not the most expensive, not the cheapest. The test kit can test for pH, Nitrite, Ammonia, and Nitrate. Nitrate/Nitrite is both forms of Nitrogen that is on its way to be coming ammonia. Too much of both of these are deadly to both humans and animals, but are the final stages of the breakdown of waste products from living things. This is a critical part of marine fish keeping, and which is why it was included in the test kit. However for the sake of Hermit Crabs which consume the water, and the fact that nothing is living in this water, testing for pH is the only test that is logical.
What pH is defined as is a measurement of the concentration of hydrogen and hydroxide ions, as well as measures how acidic or alkaline it is. The scale ranges from zero to fourteen. Seven is the ideal number for that is neutral. Less than seven is an acidic solution, and greater than seven is alkaline solution. A good ocean water mix should have between 8.0 and 8.3 pH as that is what the ocean’s pH is. For the sake of this test, I am using this as means to discover if anything else is present in any of the waters.
I also got an inexpensive hydrometer for this testing. What a hydrometer is a means of measuring the amount of salt in water. Natural Sea Water is about 3.5%, yet this is affected by a variety of factors including water temperature. According to my research, marine tank owners tend to want their salinity to be between 1.021-1.024 and since the marine tank owners animals live in imitation ocean water I defer to the range that believe to be best. It has to be tested within a container that allows for the meter to float, which with it being a rather long glass tube posed it own challenges. Eventually I found containers that would work and they were boiled to sterilize them.
For a truly fair test, I decide to use distilled water. Distilled water is water that has no additives in it. Unlike tap or well water which will have minerals or other items in it which I figured could effect the results, I decided to go with as pure of water that I could find.
The first thing about The Doc Wellfish and Jungle products is terms such as “General Tonic and Stress reducers” or “Tropical Fish Treatment or with a remedy” on the packages. The Jungle product even gives a nice set of instructions on how to use this product to clean the tank. Neither the Jungle nor Doc Wellfish products truly give a method of creating ocean water. Which is what the hermit crabs are in of needed. Now the Instant Ocean product just explains that it comes close to being a natural ocean environment. Crystal Reefs also makes the same claims, but that their product also has added calcium.
The looks of the products vary. Doc Wellfish salt is shaped like large crystals. The Jungle Product has smaller crystal. However the Crystal Reef product has tiny crystals and Instant Ocean is a powder. From the standpoint of having to dissolve these products, Instant Ocean would appear to be the easiest to do so with. However, it turns out that all the salts were quickly and easily dissolved, Doc Wellfish only requiring a bit more stirring than the other products in the distilled water.
Now, both Instant Ocean and Reef Crystals give the instructions of a half cup to a gallon of water. There are sixteen cups in a gallon. There sixteen tablespoons in a cup, which meaning eight tablespoons in a half cup. Also there is a ratio of three teaspoons per tablespoon. Now to make a cup of ocean water with these products, I worked out that sixteen cups of water divided by twenty four teaspoons equals about one and half teaspoons. For a cup of water, I would need to use one and a half teaspoons. Now for the Jungle Salt and Doc Wellfish, I figured out that the directions of one tablespoon per five gallons worked out to about less than one-tenth of a teaspoon per cup. Plus, the ratios seemed a bit small, that I was not sure my hydrometer would be able to trace it. So I decided that one quarter of a teaspoon to four cups of water would have to work.
Then containers with the mixtures would also be given a chance to sit overnight to give the salt time to mend with the water and measurements taken. Although the packages claimed that the water would to be pretty much ready to use right away. My research suggested that allowing the water to rest prior to use. Also considering the amounts that most hermit crab owners use, any effects of the ocean water sitting would have an effect. This would show what the levels as if they water had been sitting for a bit. I know that with my thirteen hermit crabs it takes about a week to go through one cup of water.
The first test results were interesting taken after about an hour from the time the water was created. Instant Ocean landed in the center of the 1.020 to 1.030 range. Crystal Reef measured 1.034 to 1.036 ranges. This is higher than the preferred range for salt. Jungle’s salt, in spite of the ratio being higher than what the packaged suggested turned out to be ranking very low salt content of 1.000. Which when I tested my drinking water, is the same amount of this. Doc Wellfish tested to be 1.002. The next day, the hydrometer show no results when I tested the Jungle water. However, the Instant Ocean and Crystal Reef stayed the same with regards to the results I had gotten the day before. I waited a few more days and tried again. The result with Crystal Reef had changed, for the salt level had stabilized within the proper range after four days.
The pH test worked my changing the Ocean Water color. Instant Ocean and Crystal Reef measured a pH of 8.0 after creation and remained stable at this for the next few days. I could not get a reading for the Fresh Water Salt products. They had less than 7.8 pH content in it. The pH for Doc WellFish continued to decrease as well as for the Jungle Product, as I could tell by the color, but was not able to measure with my kit.
I would say the besides the fact the Ocean Water Mixes designed for Marine Tanks do contain more items in it than the products designed for Freshwater tanks. That the fresh water products would require a lot more salt than their packages suggest to create ocean water and are also missing the “something” that cause the pH in the marine products to stabilize. The Jungle Salt even breaks down to not even being in measurable in the water. The fact that Instant Ocean was within range for everything from the start it might be the preferred product to use. Yet, Crystal Reefs could be modified with the addition of some more fresh water to fall within the proper range. However, after sitting four days, it came into range on its own. If I had added the water would have made it back out of range for being too low in salinity.
The main conclusion I came to was that there is something different about the products that are used/designed for Marine Tanks. Something is present in the water that makes the pH stay stable and not decrease. For this reason alone, I advise that people use a Marine Salt mixture, and since most people may not have access to a hydrometer, mix the mixture light so as not to burn the hermit’s gills with too salty of water, considering that tap water also might contain a trace of salt in it.
For further information regarding freshwater salt mixes vs. ocean/sea water mixes that has been recently discovered, please see the end of Ocean Mixes at: How do I mix ocean water
Special credit thanks to Wendy at Hermit Crabs R Us for compiling and sharing this list!!
After mixing all ocean/sea mixes leave sit for at least 12-24 hours prior to offering to ensure that all the crystals have dissolved.
Crystal Sea Marine mix Bioassy Formula
The site from which I purchased this mix indicates 1/4 lb or 1/3 cup will yield 1 gallon. I found it to only be 1.016 SG when mixed this way. I tested it using 2 different hydrometers-one that was also purchased at the same site as the salt mix. I mixed it using 1/2 cup and got 1.021. (I add an additional tablespoon for my C. Perlatus to raise it 1.023)
* 1 1/2 tsp per 8 oz (1 cup) water
* 1 TBSP per 16 oz (1 pint)
* 2 TBSP per 32 oz (1 quart)
* 4 TBSP per 64 oz (1/2 gallon)
* 8 TBSP per 128 oz (1 gallon)
Instant Ocean
The package indicates to use 1/2 cup (which=8 TBSP) per gallon.
* 1 1/2 tsp per 8 oz (1 cup) water
* 1 TBSP per 16 oz (1 pint)
* 2 TBSP per 32 oz (1 quart)
* 4 TBSP per 64 oz (1/2 gallon)
* 8 TBSP per 128 oz (1 gallon)
Oceanic Natural Sea Salt Mix
The package to make 5 gallons indicates .29 lbs/gallon. I measured the package and it was approximately 2 1/2 cups. Which is 1/2 cup per gallon or 8 TBSP
* 1 1/2 tsp per 8 oz (1 cup) water
* 1 TBSP per 16 oz (1 pint)
* 2 TBSP per 32 oz (1 quart)
* 4 TBSP per 64 oz (1/2 gallon)
* 8 TBSP per 128 oz (1 gallon)
* This is the salt I am currently using and 8 TBSP makes a specific gravity of 1.021. I use an additional tablespoon to raise the specific gravity for my C. Perlatus. I also provide Doc Wellfish crystals in the food dish as well.
Red Sea Salt
The package directions indicate 2.8 lbs. dissolved in 10 US gallons, which is .28 lbs for 1 lb which again is basically the same as Oceanic 1/2 cup per gallon (or 8 TBSP)
* 1 1/2 tsp per 8 oz (1 cup) water
* 1 TBSP per 16 oz (1 pint)
* 2 TBSP per 32 oz (1 quart)
* 4 TBSP per 64 oz (1/2 gallon)
* 8 TBSP per 128 oz (1 gallon)
Tropic Marin Sea Salt
The package instructions indicate 151 grams = 1 gallon. 151gms x .0353 = 5.33 ounces.
5.33oz/8(oz in a cup) = .66 or 2/3 cup per gallon. There are 31.68 or 32 tsp in 2/3 of a cup.
* 2 tsp per 8 oz (1 cup) water
* 4 tsp ( 1TBSP+1tsp) per 16 oz (1 pint)
* 8 tsp ( 2TBSP+2tsp) per 32 oz (1 quart)
* 16 tsp ( 5TBSP+1tsp) per 64 oz (1/2 gallon)
* 32 tsp (10TBSP+2tsp) per 128 oz (1 gallon)
So basically all of the dry salt mixes tend to be 1/2 cup or 8 TBSP per gallon of water. If you are unsure if your sea water is salty enough or too salty you can purchase a hydrometer which measures specific gravity. The specific gravity of sea water varies depending on location, but is generally somewhere between 1.020 and 1.025. To get an accurate result with your hygrometer, the water should be around 77 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you are offering both a de-chlorinated fresh water dish as well as a de-chlorinated salt water dish, you needn’t worry if the mix is too salty. The crabs can adjust their shell water accordingly. If you have C. Perlatus, saltier water is more beneficial as their shell water has been shown to be much higher in salt content than those of other species.
In addition, if the salt water dish is not salty enough, they will need to obtain natural sea salt from other sources such as their diet. One option is to provide a small pile of the Sea salt crystals with their food.
Here is some additional reading about specific gravity (versus salinity)
Additional information added to Wendy’s compiled Ocean mix, by Marie (aka ladybug15057)
Both the ZooMed Part 2 and HBH hermit crab salt mixes were tested for salinity levels. If mixed per the products instructions, they do not register a salinity level on a hydrometer. Land hermit crabs should be offered an ocean/sea water pond with a salinity level of 1.021-1.024.
ZooMed Part 2 has a yellow dye within it, something a hermit crab does not need within their diet. Within this product, it does not contain an ingredient to remove heavy metals from tap water, as well as ZooMed Part 1 fresh water conditioner does not contain a heavy metal neutralizer.
HBH Hermit crab sea salt Ingredients: sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium chloride, potassium iodide
It contains the wrong form of calcium and it contains normal table salt ingredients sodium chloride/ potassium iodide. HBH salt mix also contains a highly corrosive magnesium chloride that is used to stabilize the iodine. (Thanks to SUE, RFCrabs for this information regarding HBH salt mix)
It is not known for fact whether either of these Salt mixes for hermit crabs are made with freshwater salt mix or ocean/sea water mix. This includes the Glub Salt water sold for hermit crabs.
Ocean/sea water elements are different than those of freshwater. Hermit crabs need the elements that are found in ocean/sea water to remain healthy:
Written by Travis Wease Tips for saving money and having a safe crabitat:
First off there are certain things that you can’t really skimp on when it comes to setting up a safe and fun crabitat. Things like a heat source whether it be lights or a UTH, substrate has a cost, although some are cheaper, humidity gauges, temperature gauges, and the tank itself has a cost, but here are some tips to save money and use items that you may already have laying around the house.
1.Look on Craigslist or Freecycle for tanks. Sometimes you can find them at Goodwill or other re-use stores very cheap. Most Wal-Marts sell a 10 gallon tank for 10 dollars, and that is the smallest I would recommend to house Hermit Crabs in.
2.Hidey huts can be made out of a lot of things. You can use a coffee mug turned on its side, a small plastic cup, and what I like to use are small Terra Cotta pots used for plants. Another thought is to buy a coconut from the grocery store and break it in half. Once you have all the milk, and meat out of the coconut you can cut a hole in the half and have a homemade cocohut for your crabs as well as some food for them. Another thing you can make a hidey out of are Lego’s.
3.Decorations are the same way you can use a lot of things to decorate your tank. Silk plants can be used, if you happen to have an aquarium a lot of the decorations for an aquarium can be used in the tank as well. Dollar stores, or Wal-mart, or crafts stores often have hanging vines that can be used with suction cups to hang in the tank as well. Cholla wood can be found in stores as can be used for climbing and the crabs love it and are known to snack on it. Another thing I use is cuttlebone. I stick the whole piece in my tank and the crab can climb on it and it is great calcium for post molters, lava stones are popular as well.
4. Shells can be found at dollar stores, craft stores, Wal-mart, and many online stores a lot of time quite a bit cheaper than you will ever find in a pet store.
5.Food/Diet is one area that you definitely don’t want to neglect but it is also an area you can save money as well. A lot of the foods we eat can be given to the crab as long as no pesticides or preservatives or seasonings of any type have been used. Also no table salt should be used or offered. Many of the fruits and veggies though are great for the crabs and some of their favorites. There are many online stores that sell great food and products and are very reasonably priced and ran by some very good crabbers.
6.Dishes can be made out of just about anything. You can use large clam shells for food or even things like tops of jars like plastic peanut bar jars, small Tupperware bowls, and lids from Tupperware bowls as well.
These are just some areas meant to help save money but there are many others as well. If you know that you or your neighbors do not use pesticides on your yard you can get things from there as well. Oak and maple leaves are very popular with crabs, dandelions are another favorite. Barks from oak and maple trees are great as well. Roly poly bugs can be put in the tank to help keep the substrate clean and don’t bother the crabs. Dollar stores have various containers and baskets that can be used in crabitats for hidey huts and dishes, containers for substrate.
On occasions one may find that when they do an antenna count they seem to be missing a hermit crab? Where possibly could it be? All empty shells have been looked into, including doing the precaution of turning the shells upside down and placing water within them. There have been occasions when a hermit crab has changed shells and fits so far down within it they are impossible to see. By placing water within the shells and turning them hole side up, if the shell moves hole side down a crabber knows there is a resident within it.
Could he be hiding that well in the crabitat? If one has looked within every tank item, including the little crevices some items have, as well as completely sifted through their substrate inch by inch there maybe a chance he has escaped.
Even if one feels this is impossible for the hermit crab to do because none of their crabitat items come close to the top of the tank, unless one has a screen lid to cover the top of the tank it is possible for the hermit crab to have escaped. They are expert climbers and are even capable of climbing the silicone on the inside of the tank corners.
Now the whole inside of the tank has been checked. Each item has been looked at inside including the holes of any and all logs and huts within the tank. The substrate has been gone through as well as all empty shells have been looked into. Hermit Crab count is still missing one.
Look around the outside of the tank, including around the legs of the stand the tank is on. Make sure to check all wiring around the tank and what maybe leading down from the tank. Check under couches, chairs, tables, beds, plants, along the wall of the room and other rooms close by. Check curtains, closets, within shoes, under refrigerators, in bathrooms or where it maybe warm and a bit humid. If you have other pets, check around the water and food dishes.
When it gets to be dusk, place newspaper or aluminum foil along the edges of the wall on the floor. Place some smelly food (eg. Sardines, shrimp, krill, tuna, etc) on the paper/foil as well as a water source. Sit quietly in a very dim room, or a dark room and listen carefully. It may also help if you have a flashlight handy so if you do hear a scooting across the paper/foil you will be able to turn it on and see where the sound is coming from. This method may take a couple of nights for one to find their hermit crab, so one does need to be patient.
Here are a few ideas/tips from other Crab Street Journal members:
Grant wrote:
I imagine you would want to consider their needs and plan from there:
Mine always head for dark areas when I let them roam.
Limit the dark areas to a place you can easily corner them.
Remove all electrical wires from the floor and other things that can be used for climbing to make sure that they stay safely on the ground.
In the dark area(s) set up for them maybe place some food, maybe even a fan to provide a breeze to draw their attention to the area.
If you plan on hanging out and wait: set up some glasses or things that their shell will clank against.
Daethian wrote:
Grant in a research article I was reading last week or so about the amazing sense of smell of hermit crabs, the researchers actually set up large fans at night and the crabs consistently traveled away from the fans. Even when it meant they were travelling away from their home sea. Where without the fan blowing they tended to almost always naturally orient toward their home sea. They can definitely smell ocean water.
CtryLuv wrote:
here are the things I have listed on my site.
* Check dark, damp places, such as bathrooms, laundry rooms and closets. They will try to find a place where they feel safe and where there is more warmth and humidity than anywhere else in the house.
* Place a nice smelly food that your crabby enjoys out in the open. Place it on something such as wax paper, tin foil or paper so that when he crawls on it, you can hear him.
* If you have other animals watch them. Cats and dogs are very good at knowing when there is something around that isnt there usually. If they seem to be sniffing around somewhere, or trying to get to an area they dont normally go to, check it out.
* Also check under certain appliances such as refrigerator and washers. These are dark warm places hermies might like.
* Look up high. Alot of people have found their crabbies scaling curtains and drapes. Anything you have that they can climb, check it out.
Not sure if those are just repeats of others listed above, but these are things Ive picked up over the years. Ive only had one escaped crabbie “Bob” and of course he was just strolling across house like he owned it, so he didnt apply to any of the above, but Bob was a macho hermie, hehehehe.
Question
· What foods are good for hermit crabs?
· What foods are bad for hermit crabs?
· Fruits – Fresh or Wrinkly? I've read alot about fresh fruits being in their diets, which I use alot of BTW. But I've read alot about people putting in fruits that are old and wrinkling up. Is one better than the other?
Answer
· What foods are good for hermit crabs?
Alfalfa
Almonds, crushed
Amaranth (Ancient grain – calcium)
Anchovy oil
Apple and natural, unsweetened apple sauce
Avocado
Banana
Barley (calcium)
Bell peppers (red, yellow, orange, green or purple)
Bee pollen
Bilberries/Huckleberries
Blackberry leaves
Blackberry
Bladderwrack
Blueberries
Broccoli and leaves
Brown rice, soy, wheat or 7 grain cereal
Brown rice
Canteloupe
Carnation flowers
Carrots (carotenoids)
Carrot tops (vit. E)
Cauliflower and leaves
Celery leaves
Chamomile flowers
Chard
Cherimoya
Cherry
Chicken bones
Chicken, cooked and unseasoned (smash the bone for marrow access)
Cholla wood
Cilantro
Clams
Clover blossoms and leaves
Coconut and coconut oil
Cod liver oil
Collards (calcium)
Cooked eggs
Cork bark
Corn (on the cob, too)
Cornmeal
Cranberries (dehydrated)
Cucumber
Currants
Cuttlefish bone, powdered
Dandelion flowers, leaves and roots
Egg, scrambled or soft boiled
Eggshells
Extra-virgin olive oil
Fish flakes w/out chemical preservatives
Fish Oil
Flax seeds (crushed)
Flax seed oil (small amounts infrequently)
Frozen fish food (esp. algae, krill and brine shrimp)
Garbanzos (calcium)
Grape Leaf
Grapes
Grapevine (vines and root)
Green and red leaf lettuce (not iceburg; dark green)
Green Beans
Hempseed Meal
Hibiscus flowers
Hikari products: brine shrimp, krill, crab cuisine, sea plankton (no preservatives)
Honey (organic, or at least locally produced, for anti-microbials)
Honeydew Melon
Irish Moss
Jasmine flowers
Kelp (calcium)
Kiwi
Lobster with crushed exoskeleton
Mango
Marigold flowers (calendula)
Marion Berries
Mint (but not peppermint!)
Most organic baby foods
Mushrooms
Mussels
Nasturtium flowers
Nettle (wilted)
Oak Leaves and bark
Olive and olive oil (extra virgin)
Oranges
Oysters (zinc)
Pansy flowers and leaves
Papaya
Parsley (calcium & vit. C)
Passionfruit
Peaches
Peanut butter (avoid sugar, corn syrup and hydrogenated oils)
Pears
Pecans
Pecan bark
Pineapple
Plain calcium carbonate powder
Popcorn (unseasoned, unflavored, unbuttered)
Potato (no green parts, including eyes)
Quinoa (New World grain – calcium)
Raisins (no sulphur dioxide)
Raspberry
Red raspberry leaves (highest bioavailable calcium source + vit. C and trace minerals)
Rolled Oats
Rooibus
Rose petals
Rose hips (high in Vit. C)
Royal Jelly
Salmon
Sand dollars
Sardines (calcium)
Scallops
Sea biscuits
Sea fan (red or black)
Sea grasses
Sea salt
Sea Sponges
Sesame seeds (crushed)
Shrimp and exoskeletons
Spinach
Spirulina (complete protein and chlorophyll source; highest in beta carotene)
Sprouts (flax, wheat, bean, alfalfa, etc.)
Squash
Strawberry and tops
Sunflower Seeds (crushed), flowers and leaves
Swamp cypress wood (false cypress, taxodium sp.)
Sweet potato
Tangerine
Tomato
Tuna (zinc)
Turnip greens (calcium)
Violet flowers
Walnuts
Wasa All-Natural? Crispbread (Oat flavor)
Watercress (vit. A)
Watermelon
Wheat grass (magnesium)
Wheat (calcium)
Wheat germ (B vitamins)
Whitefish
Whole Wheat Couscous
Zucchini
* This food list is mainly adapted from Summer Michealson and Stacey Arenella’s book, The All-Natural? Hermit Crab Sourcebook, and expanded on by Julia Crab and others
What foods are bad for hermit crabs?
While it is true that crabs are scavengers with a wide repertoire of foods they can eat, there
are many plants and foods that just should not be fed to a crab. The foods on this list are to
be avoided. Some are toxic, some are insect repellents or used as insecticides, and some the crabs
just won’t go near, such as lemon — lemon won’t hurt them, but they certainly won’t eat it.
Aconite (Monk’s Hood)
African violet leaves
Alder bark
Aloe vera (interferes with potassium absorption)
Amaryllis
American Hellebore
Anemone/Windflower
Aniseed
Avocado leaves
Azalea/Rhododendron
Bindweed
Bird of Paradise Flowers
Bluebonnet
Bottlebrush flowers
Bougainvillea
Boxwood
Buckthorn
Buttercup
Carnation leaves
Castor Bean
Catnip
Cherimoya Seeds
Chrysanthemum
Cinnamon
Citrus (leaves and branches to be avoided; part of the evergreen family. The fruit is fine)
Columbine
Compost (unless 100% organic)
Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) (contains cyanogenic glucosides)
Crocus
Crown of Thorns
Cube Plant
Custard Apple (young fruit)
Cyclamen
Delphinium
Derris
Dieffenbachia
Dill
Dittany
Eucalyptus
European pennyroyal
Evergreen (pine, cedar, juniper, etc.)
Feverfew
Fleabane
Garlic
Geranium
Golden Pothos
Green hellebore
Hemlock
Holly Berries
Ivy (of any kind)
Juniper Berries
Kalanchoe
Larkspur seed
Laurel
Lavender
Lemon Balm (Sweet Melissa)
Lemon Grass
Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)
Mayweed
Mistletoe
Morning Glory
Oleander
Onion
Oxeye daisy
Papaya seed
Parsley Seed (fruit)
Peace Lily
Pencil Tree Cactus
Peppermint
Philodendron
Pine or cedar wood or needles
Prickly juniper
Pride of China fruit
Prunus species trees (apricot, bitter almond, cherry, cherry laurel,
nectarine, peach, plum) Fleshy fruits are edible, everything else
contains a cyanide-like compound and is fatally toxic, including
seeds, wood, leaves, bark and flowers.
Red Emerald
Rosemary
Sago Palm
Sanseveria
Schefflera
Stargazer Lily (Lilium x Stargazer)
Sweet Flag
Tansy
Tea Tree
Texas Mountain Laurel (Sophora secundiflora)
Thornapple
Thyme
Tobacco
Verbena
Vinca
Wild Angelica fruit
Wormwood
Yew
Yarrow
· Fruits – Fresh or Wrinkly? I’ve read alot about fresh fruits being in their diets, which I use alot of BTW. But I’ve read alot about people putting in fruits that are old and wrinkling up. Is one better than the other?
Answer by: Kerie
Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 7:52 am
The crabs like it fresh, and they like it wrinkled. Mine also like stuff that’s gone mushy from being thawed after freezing. Alternating fresh and older fruit is a good way to vary their diet. The sugars and other compounds like terpenoids in the fruit will tend to change composition and break down for different flavors as the fruit ages. If it’s citrus fruit, though, you should always let it sit until it is wrinkly. The peels contain substances like limonene that act as insect repellents. Limonene breaks down quickly in the fruit peel as it ages, so letting it go wrinkly makes it much more attractive to the crabs. Citrus has compounds in the pith and stringy stuff that are extremely beneficial to crabs, such as beta carotene, and so citrus should be offered them on occasion, in order to promote a healthy diet.
If one has the room to offer a pond deep enough that their hermies can completely submerge themselves into, one does not have to bath their hermies.
Even though I do offer the deep ponds for our hermies to submerge in, I do still bath our hermies. This is a post I had done on Hermies Group from November 2005, so it has been over 2 years now since I have used stresscoat in the bath water: (but I did use stresscoat for almost 4 years for bathing)
Hermies_Group
I have went back to an older post I had done about the way we bath our hermies. Reason being, even though we do still bath our hermies,
it has been almost a year since I have used stresscoat in their bath water and they have been doing very well without it. So when reading this bathing method, please do remember, I no longer use stresscoat.
Thanks!
When we bath our hermies we use almost 1/2 U.S. gallon o> water, and I put 2-3 drops of Stresscoat to the bath water. I do preheat the bath water to take the major chill off of it. (till it is ‘tepid’, not warm, but no major chill to it) I fill the bath bowl until it is deep enough to completely cover the largest hermie of that tank so their antenna’s and eyestalks all get the benefit of the stress coat. (One should never add stress coat to water that has already had a dechlorinator added to it. This is a double dose of a dechlorinator and can be harmful to the hermies.)
We very gently place the hermies in upside down so when they right themselves back up, the water flushes all the gook out of their shells. We leave them in the water scooting about for no more than 1 minute. (no need to do it any longer, good chance they could become stressed over it) We also do this prior to reintroducing our molters to their tank mates again.
There are some crabber’s who do not bath their hermies, but they provide a deep enough water source within their crabitat’s where the hermie can completely submerge themselves and soak in the water, fill their shells, or bath themselves. I will mention that those
who do not bath their hermies will give their molters a dip in the deep water source in their main tank so that molter will smell like
the others, and to help wash off the molt smell which can cause the tank mates to be aggressive to the molter.
However when we do bring the hermies home they are to receive a bath. This helps with a couple of things. Some pet stores will bath their hermies upon arrival with tetracycline water. This is suppose to kill any bacteria’s that the hermies may have, and to rehydrate them. The tetracycline is harmful to the hermies and can actually create more harm to them if not flushed out of their shells. So a bath when they get to our homes does flush this out of their shells. It also helps us to rehydrate the hermies as well, along with checking to see if they have any pests or any other problems/illnesses.
Daethian writes:
Should I bathe my hermit crab?
Well the answer to that depends on who you ask! This could be one of the most hotly debated topics in the crabbing community. I’m not going to give you a answer, but I will try to offer both sides of the argument and you can decide for yourself.
Camp One: Actively bathing their crabs by the flip and dunk method. This entails preparing a bowl of stress coat treated water and placing the crab upside down under water. The crab will, hopefully, pop out and right itself. Thus flushing out the shell of any matter. This is done on a weekly basis by most people who employ this method. The crab should NOT completely abandon its shell during its bath. Leaving its shell is a sign of stress. If one of your crabs exhibits this behaviour, I strongly suggest you discontinue bathing it in this manner.
Camp Two: Actively bathing their crabs by placing them in a shallow dish of water to wade around. Some use stress coat treated water.
Camp Three: Inactively bath their crabs by not really bathing them at all. Offering at all times shallow pools of fresh water and salt water so the crabs can wade in and bathe themselves when they choose to. No stress coat should be added to drinking water.
Pros of Camp One’s method:
* The crab’s shell is kept clean of any fecal matter
* The crab’s exoskeleton is kept supple by the stress coat
* The crab’s seem to enjoy the bath
* The crab’s are move active after a bath
* A bath can help soften the exo prior to a molt
* Requires no additional tank space
Con’s of Camp One’s method:
Hermit Crab Submerged
* The flip and dunk is not natural and causes great stress in the crab
* There is no evidence that stress coat is beneficial (or harmful for that matter)
* The flurry of activity after a bath is really a sign of a panicked and stressed crab
* Bathing too close to a molt can be hazardous
* Disrupts the delicate balance maintained in the shell water by flushing it all out and replacing with unbalanced water
Pro’s of Camp Two’s method:
Hermit Crab Wading
* All the same as Camp One, minus the stress of the flip and dunk
Con’s of Camp Two’s method:
* All the same as Camp One, being forced to wade in the water is still stressful
Pro’s of Camp Three’s method:
* This is the most natural approach to bathing
* The crab can clean its shell as needed
* The crab can maintain the balance of shell water
Con’s of Camp Three’s method:
* No exposure to stress coat (again there is no current evidence about the harm or help of using stress coat
My personal opinion is that you should not forcibly bathe your hermit crabs or use stress coat. There is no evidence to prove that stresscoat is even beneficial.If you have purchased new crabs, I suggest you give them ONE bath to make sure they are mite free before placing them in your main tank.
Special credit and thanks to Kerie Campbell for the photo of her Perlatus. This photo is and remains her property.
Originally posted on All Things Crabby the Hermit Crab Care Blog
Additionally, there is no hard evidence that adding stress coat to bath water benefits the hermit crab. If you prefer to use stress coat it should never be added to the drinking water in your crabitat.
If you do add stress coat to your hermit crab bath water, do not use a separate dechlorinator in the water. The stress coat acts as a dechlorinator. The stress coat will not be able to bond if you use a separate dechlorinator.
Hi yall! About how often do hermies change there shells? I provide them with shells all the time! Two of my hermies just changed there shell! They look really cute, but, anyway. I was just wondering. Thanks yall!
Ronni
Julia_Crab
Hi, Ronni,
Well, there is no exact answer to your question. Some crabs change shells all the time. My Fifi, a PP, after her first molt two months ago, has changed shells at least six times. She went hog-wild after I bought a lot of polished tapestry turbos on eBay.
Most of my crabs have either changed shells after a molt, or, in the case of new additions, immediately upon arrival because the shell they were in was damaged or painted.
Ecuadorians (c. compressus) are notorious for not wanting to switch shells. I had one switch right after I got him because his shell was too small, but of my other three, only one has switched. She has done so twice, again, only after molting. Of the other two, one has molted and has kept his original shell, and the other hasn’t molted yet. I sure wish he would, though, because the shell he’s in is possibly the ugliest shell I’ve ever seen.
Basically crabs will switch when they want to, and there is no hard and fast rule regarding when and how often. All you can do is keep a good supply of crab-friendly shells in your tank in appropriate sizes, and let them do the deed when they want to. Even if they don’t change into shells very often, they will spend a good deal of the time investigating every shell in the tank, whether it fits them or not. It’s one of their forms of entertainment, along with climbing, hiding and foraging. It’s best to keep at least three shells for every crab you have, one slightly smaller, one the same size, and one slightly bigger than the shell each crab is currently wearing, if at all possible. Also, having extras so you can rotate the stock occasionally will keep them more entertained and increase the chances of a switch.
Marchingbando
I have a crab, Sabastion (Sab), who is too be for his shell, no matter how hard he trys to hide two or three of his walking legs are parially out, but he refuses to change shells. Any suggestions?
MystikStar
One of my crabbies look like he really needs to change shells but he hasn’t yet. The shell he’s in is looks like its getting too small for him and yet he refuses to change into another one. He’s been in there for a while. I’ve got tons of shells for him and the others to change into. Is this normal? I’ve got all shapes and sizes of shells (all non-painted of course) and different openings. Owning crabbies isn’t as easy as I expected.
Jill
Ladybug15057
There are times this does happen. The crabber thinks the shell isn’t a proper fit, yet the hermie just refuses to change shells regardless of the selections provided. The most one can do is offer a large variety of shells, and if the hermie finds that perfect shell many times they will move when they feel they need to. There are times too that the hermie seems to be a bit stubborn about change, especially if it is an E hermie. Sometimes it does help if one boils the shells to get the scent off of them to encourage the hermie to relook the shells over. By boiling it makes them think it is a new selection of shells. A few crabbers have had some luck by putting the hermie in need into iso with a wide selection of shells to choose from. This might make the hermie a little more secure about changing shells. No need to be concerned over their original shell being shell snatched while shopping.
LolaGranola
Before boiling any shells I always let them sit in IO water for about 30 minutes. I’ve just heard too many stories about shells that look empty being , well, not empty. 30 minutes in the water will make even a stubborn crab emerge.
Here’s one of my stubbornest.
Hermit Crab in a Snail Shell
Hermit Crab in a Snail Shell
I know you can kind of see him beginning to peek out in the first one because he was getting curious but when he’s fully withdrawn, he’s invisible and because that shell is so light, it doesn’t seem overly heavy when you pick it up.
Ladybug15057
Fantastic point to bring up LolaGranola! *Clap* There haven’t been many, but have been occasions when hermies have been boiled due to not being able to see them within the shells. There was one that I remember reading that was sadly baked too due to the crabber not seeing the hermie within the hole of a choya log. Sad By the time she heard the clunk in the oven it was too late. Doing a complete ‘head/antenna count’ should be done before boiling or baking.
Cajuncrab
do they change shells only after a molt? do i need to buy the same shell he has. it looks to be his origanal one. its old looking.
CrabbyMum
Shell switching isn’t necessarily always tied to moulting. Some will change right away, some prefer to stay in their old shells. If the shell they are in fits and they are comfortable in it, they will stay put until they find one they like better. Some will change for no apparent reason and some will switch often (sometimes several times a day – going back and forth to/from old to new shells). If yours is having trouble fitting into it’s shell when it pulls itself in, you’ll want to supply it with a few more (at least 2-3 to choose from) in bigger sizes. Also, some species tend to be more into shell swapping.
A couple of things to look for…
*Different species have different body shapes so you’ll have to know which you have. If a Purple Pincher, stick with shells that have a more round shaped opening. If a Ruggie, go for more oval or “D” shaped openings.
*For size, it will depend upon how much too small the current shell is, but start with at least an 8th to a 4th of an inch wider than they are currently in when you measure across (side to side) the opening.
*Look for clean, smooth interiors and make sure there is no debris from the previous inhabitant stuck inside. Boil them and shake to listen for anything rattling inside and/or use a small baby bottle brush to clean around the curve inside.
*Look over the outside of the shell too – if there are any holes that will allow water to leak away from the Crab’s body inside the shell, discard the shell or use it somewhere else for decoration. A hole in the shell will allow the crab’s body to dry out or sand and grit to get in, harming your crab. A dry crab can’t breathe properly.
*Painted shells or natural is a personal choice, but most here recommend avoiding painted shells at all costs. Paint can chip off and is toxic to crabs if they eat it. There are tons of beautiful natural shells available that are better for the crab’s health.
*Where to find shells? We each have favorite places to look but Naples Seashell company has been a good choice for us. Their shells are measured for you and I haven’t gotten any yet that were damaged or unsuitable. They have a whole section on just Hermit Crab shells. Other sources if you are willing to go digging, are craft stores. Look for mixed baskets and discard the unsuitable ones – using the good ones. These baskets often come with many shells in them and the oyster or clam shells make nice little treat or feeding dishes. Other tiny shells in the basket can be glued onto containers for decoration.
DragMuffn
Nearly all of my PPs, Strawberries, Indos and Ruggies greatly prefer turbos (round openings). The Ecuadorians really like the nerites, whale eyes and babylonia spirata (oval/D-shaped openings). I’ve posted this before, but there’s an eBay store, The Hermit Crab Shack, that has all natural shells at good prices, and Mike that runs it is very good about honoring requests about specific sizes, etc. Some of my crabbies have been in the same shell for nearly two years, and others switch on a regular basis. Happy shopping!
Ladybug15057
All our species of hermies Straw’s Rugs, Indo’s, and PP’s are in turbo shells too. Majority of our E’s are in turbo’s as well with only a couple who are in the shells with the D opening.
Get the odor out of shells? I know to boil newly purchased shells, but I want to reuse some of the shells that are smelly from a crab dying in it. So far, we’ve lost one of the Littles (PP = Faith) and I think another is not going to make it. I have her in iso and will wait til we are sure before dealing with it’s shell tho. But I tried soaking the ones that Violet and Faith were in because the odor was so strong in them yet and then boiled them. I remember reading how Vinegar can damage them so I didn’t use anything but declorinated water. Didn’t dare try soap or dishwashing liquid either. But once the water got to boiling the odor nearly drove us all out of the house. :sick: What should I have done? Is there a safe way to remove the odor?
I really want to get these shells clean because they are both usable shells. Violet’s was large and not particularly pretty on the outside, but the inside is in good condition except for the odor. Faith’s is painted and boiling removed most of the paint and the clear shellac or what ever the polish was on it. The size of that one is perfect for the other Little one and since I don’t have much in the way of tiny shells (waiting for a new order to get here), I really need it before she comes up from destressing. At least I HOPE that is why she is still in hiding…
HermEz
are you boiling with SALT water?
Ladybug15057
I just had a crazy thought that might safely work….ocean water will probably eat away the shine of the shell if there is any. But put some ocean water within the shell and leave it sit for a couple of hours. Shake out the ocean water, and here is the crazy part…put it in a baggy with a twisty tie on it and place it in the freezer overnight. Not sure if you have ever heard of it or tried it, (and it works too….if one has a smelly pair of tenny shoes, (or any shoes) and put them in a garbage bag and put them in the freezer for 24 hours it kills the stench of the shoes. Honest…it works with shoes.
CrabbyMum
Hmmm… Hadn’t thought of using salt in the water. Just declorinated and boiled about 5 minutes. I was tempted to try a weak bleach solution but was afraid of what that might do to the shell and didn’t want to risk not being able to get it all out of the shell. I would think that a crab with a bleached bottom would be crabby indeed. :blush:
I like the baking soda and/or lemon idea as they are natural and are natural deodorizers. Faith’s shell is a shiny spotted one (looks to be a Babylon Spirata type) so I’d like to preserve it if possible. Violet’s shell is a nonpolished Pica and the outside is sort of crusted with a stone like material that I was afraid would come off when it was cleaned – but it didn’t.
Marie. Oh golly – I remember doing that with tennies when I was a girl. It really did kill alot of odors – we soaked them in baking soda water, froze them in the snowbanks in winter and then left them hanging on a line for a day or two. I’ll give it a try with the soda and the freezer.
CrabbyMum
Ok – I wonder… How about soaking in Hydrogen Peroxide? Just in case the odor is still there because there is something still stuck inside the shell that I can’t get at. Wouldn’t that bubble it out?
ladybug15057
I was a bit leery to post this link last night, but if you think something maybe stuck in the shell, (part of Violet or another previous critter) this maybe a route to try. But I would be very hesitant about any chemicals within the hermies shell. (one never knows if the shell will absorb them or not)
How to clean live seashells
It might be a good idea to check with local authorities where you will be gathering the sea shells as some areas prohibit the practice of collecting live specimens. If you are lucky enough to gather some live sea shells there are a few methods of cleaning that can be followed. Before starting to clean your live seashells you might also want to read through cleaning dead seashells.
1- Burying-This one is by far the easiest to do. Find an area in your yard where you don’t mind digging a hole and bury the seashells about 18 “( enough so animals will not dig them up). Let them remain buried until insects, larvae, worms, and bacteria remove all the tissue (a least a couple months). The longer the better. Go to step 5
2- Freezing- If number 1 is not an option then this method will work also. Place the seashells in a water tight bag and cover with water then place them in the freezer(just like you would fresh fish). When ready to clean allow the seashells to thaw at room temperature. After they are completely defrosted you should be able to grab hold of the animal inside and gently pull it out. Go to step 5
3- Boiling-Take a pot of water large enough to hold the seashells you are cleaning. Bring the water to a boil and let boil a few minutes(longer for larger or a great number of seashells). Using tongs and being careful not to burn yourself remove 1 shell and grasp with gloves or towel, so you don’t burn yourself, and gently pull out the animal tissue inside. Go to step 5
4-Microwave- This is an easy method if you don’t mind the smell in your microwave (my wife is not to fond of this method). The time you cook your seashells can really vary by microwave so really just try it until you figure out how long to put them in for and then treat them just like you would in step 3. Go to step 5
5-Bleaching-After no tissue remains soak the seashells in a 50-50 solution of bleach and water. There is no set time to let them soak because it various by the type of seashells and quantity of seashells being cleaned. Just make sure to remove them after the periostracum is gone. The periostracum is the flaky leathery covering that covers most live seashells.
6- Fresh water-Remove from bleach and rinse thoroughly with fresh water. If preferred you can rub the seashells with baby oil to give them a luster.
Notes of interest
1- If tissue should break off inside the seashells you are cleaning there are two ways to proceed. Shake the seashell vigorously trying to remove the extra tissue or sit it outside where flies, bugs and ants will crawl inside the seashells and remove any remaining tissue.
2-Operculums- This is the trap door of the shell that helps protect it from intruders. Many serious collectors like to keep this part of the shell to show that it was a live taken seashell
Operculums
3- Water picks- Sometimes on smaller seashells another method to remove the tissue is to squirt them with a water pick and the high pressure will push the tissue out. This will only work with smaller seashells.
4- Dental picks- A lot of times dental picks and other instruments are used to help in removing barnacles and other growth on seashells. These can be purchased at many seashell stores. Try checking www.seashells.com .
MAKE SURE TO WEAR PROTECTIVE EYEWEAR WHEN CLEANING SEASHELLS
Crabdad
does the smell really need to be gotten rid of though? I mean, for us, yeah, of course it’s WAY more pleasant to have a clean, non smelling shell for our crab to inhabit, but for the crabs, they probably don’t care. I guess that there’s a smell there for a reason – i wonder if there is some little decomposing bits of the previous crab still left. If thats the case, they probably do need to be cleaned. I know i’ve cleaned (just boiled) some shells, other’s I’ve just placed back in the crabitat – the crabs don’t seem to care too much.
Ladybug15057
Normally if there is a stench to the shell that cannot boil away when sterilizing it there is ‘something’ down within it. So it is best to try to get the odor to go away. As you said though, it probably doesn’t bother the hermies as far as the smell goes…but if there is something down within the shell it could harm their soft abdomen. I have had this happen a couple of times with new shells I have bought online. They appeared fine, no odor, but when I boiled them prior to offering them to the hermies oh my goodness the stink! :sick: After a few boils, an ocean water soak and another boil, not sure what it was but upon shaking the shell small bits of black substance came out of them. On one shell I had to do the ocean water soak a couple times and boil again after each soak before the stink went away and each time something black came out of the shell. :sick:
P.S. Sorry to say to, but this ‘might’ of been one of Violets complications too?
Crabdad
i guess that’s probably a pretty good rule to follow – if it smells, there’s something causing the smell and it’s best to get it out
Stormphyre
Perhaps I’m just stupid and didn’t know this, but, I had a shell that needed cleaning. It had some funky green spots inside that I’m thinking had something to do with when my hermit crab, Daes, who was occupying the shell died. I didn’t want to use bleach on the shell to get those spots out and I wasn’t sure boiling water would be helpful. I guess I should’ve tried vinegar first, but nope. I decided I’d try lemon juice. I left it sitting overnight and this morning I dumped out the juice. The shell it self was crusty (strange) and that could’ve been scrubbed off. BUT …the lemon juice ate a hole through the shell.
So, the conclusion? Do not soak your shells in lemon juice to clean them. At least overnight.
And the worse part? It didn’t even get rid of the green spots!
So I thought I’d just post this and save everyone a shell.
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