Help please :)

Questions about designing a terrarium.
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Wai
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Re: Help please :)

Post by Wai »

To counter the pet store guy's argument: True, hermit crabs do bathe in all sorts of ponds in the wild. However, our hermit crabs are in captivity. Once a hermit crab is kept in captivity, it is no longer free to eat or drink whatever it wants. The few foods and drinks that we limit them to must be varied and nutritious as compensation. A lot of the elements found in natural sea water are rarely found in foods; therefore the salt water pond is a good source of those elements. The so-called "hermit crab salt" mixes often contain less than half of all the elements that hermit crabs expect from sea water and they seem to be able to tell the difference between the two mixes. As Emma said, her hermit crabs weren't attracted to the "hermit crab salt" mixes, but they showed great excitement when offerred a proper salt water mix. Of course, he could argue that not all of the elements in salt water are essential, but if past experiences suggest that hermit crabs benefit more from having access to all the elements than not, it would be logical to use a proper salt water mix. Besides, why must hermit crabs have their own special "hermit crab salt" mix anyway? Why can't they use the same thing as fish in the sea? :S
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ladybug15057
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Re: Help please :)

Post by ladybug15057 »

I cannot speak for the hermie salts sold in Aus., but here in the U.S. those that are mixed per the instructions the salinity level does not even register on a hydrometer.
O/T has anybody tested the hermie salt sold in Aus?

Back on topic, to remain healthy hermies do need all the elements found in ocean/sea water and should read 1.021-1.024 when tested with a hydrometer. Living close to the ocean/sea they do have varied salinity levels, but the rain itself due to being so close to the ocean/sea also has a higher salinity level within it. When the rain evaporates it usually leaves the salt crystals behind as well which can make the salinity level in little tide pools higher too. When a hermie is in captivity if we offer the proper mixed ocean/sea mix they can go between the ocean and fresh water pond to mix their shell water to their liking/need.
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Wai
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Re: Help please :)

Post by Wai »

The single "hermit crab salt" brand I know that isn't sold in the USA is the "Happy Hermits Salt Bath Crystals", which was what I used when I first started crabbing back in 2003. I still have a small batch of it somewhere.
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Re: Help please :)

Post by ladybug15057 »

It would be interesting if there is enough of it to see what reading it gave when tested, if it gave any at all. But then the next question would be, "Wonder what 'elements' it contained compared to ocean/sea water?" (this could get to be expensive)
But here in the U.S. to buy a regular ocean/sea mix that is sold specifically for salt water fish tanks in reality in the long run is less expensive too than what the crap is they sell for hermies.
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CrabbyMamma
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Re: Help please :)

Post by CrabbyMamma »

Ergh. So after another VERY expensive trip to the pet shop today, the new tank is all set up. I worked out it is actually a 20 gallon tank, not a 10 gallon like I said early. But anyway, we have it set up with Carib Sea sand (sugar size), an UTH (more on that in the heating section shortly), you will also be happy to hear that I got proper aquarium salt! Plus a couple of hidey holes, climbing things, etc.

Thanks for all of your help so far, I am getting there slowly :) I have more questions, but will start some new threads so they are in the right places.
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Re: Help please :)

Post by Wai »

How much did you buy the Caribsea aragonite sand for? How big was the bag?
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Re: Help please :)

Post by CrabbyMamma »

I think 13.5kg? And it was $55. Seemed a lot compared to the $10/20kg bags of playsand I get for my kids sandpit, but all I had to compare it to at the time was the $75 we saw on that other website, so I figured it was ok.

The also had a similar thing (same brand) but called 'Live Sand' - do you know what that is, or if it is any better? It is apparently better for fish, but the guy truthfully told me he had no idea if it was for crabs or not.
Last edited by CrabbyMamma on 23 May 2010, 22:44, edited 1 time in total.
CrabbyMamma
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Re: Help please :)

Post by CrabbyMamma »

Oh, and we have moved two of them over (am just about to post about the other one) and they are clearly much happier with something in the new tank (I think the heat?) - one is fairly active anyway, the other one is the really inactive one.... they have been in there for 3 hours now, and except for about 10 minutes each in a hidey, they have both been exploring non-stop for the rest of the time.
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Re: Help please :)

Post by Wai »

I think the live sand contains bacteria too.
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ladybug15057
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Re: Help please :)

Post by ladybug15057 »

The live Caribsea aragonite sand does contain bacteria. Once it is washed and baked it does kill the bacteria. It is not known if the live bacteria is beneficial in a hermie tank like it is suppose to be in a fish tank. One thing about the Caribsea aragonite sand is that it can be washed and baked countless times for deep cleaning. My daughter has had hers for YEARS, and I have some too for as long.
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