Drinking water and saltwater question

[erikleeson]

DIfferent species of hermies come from different parts of the world.
So if you keep more than one species of hermit crab, one native to Atlantic ocean and one native to Pacific, wouldn't both need their own saltwater dish each with a salinity they would see in the wild?

[ladybug15057]

When one offers an ocean/sea water pond with the salinity level of 1.021-1.024 and offers a fresh water pond, the hermie is able to mix the waters to a ph (ion) balance that is comfortable to them. But if the ocean/sea water isn't mixed at the salinity level above those who do want/require the higher salinity level are not getting what they need. Here at my home we have 5 different species of hermies. PP's, E's, Indo's, Rugs, and Straws. I mix one bottle of dechlor (distilled) ocean water and offer it to all the tanks and iso's. In my main tank I have the PP's, E's, rugs, and indo's... my straws have their own tank as well as my Jumbo's.

[ladybug15057]

hi, im going to be a new hermie owner. Is there a difference between tap water and actual drinking water? If there is i really need to know. Thanks

Looking at the info with the postings in this thread, it is hard to tell who is from which country? But if anybody is from the U.S. my local news channel did coverage on the bottled drinking waters a couple weeks ago. Here is the link to the broadcast, and to the left there is also a video one can watch:

http://kdka.com/health/bottled.water.pu ... 40885.html

Kind of scary really.

[crabbylvr336]

is bottled water okay for hermit crabs (land hermit crabs).

[jacobshaner]

I know I will hear poopoos on this but I don't use salt water in my crab tank. I tried it. several times and my crabs just do not like it! They don't even like when I spray them with water. I felt guilty for a while because I thought I was doing something wrong. But they just don''t seem to like it.
Now, I do supply a bath with fresh water and sponges that they can soak in if they desire, but usually they just sit on the sponge and drink. I have had them almost two years now, and they have both shed and changed shells. IT must be possible that some crabs don't need or want the salt water.

[emmac350]

That is not correct, jacobshaner. Our crabs are from coastal regions where they have both fresh and salt water available to them almost all the time. Your crabs need to have both types of water to maintain the proper salinity level within their 'shell water.' This is the water they keep in their shells to keep their gills moist. I have also observed them using both types of water when dampening the sand for their molting burrows. They try to get the proper salinity by mixing the water until it's how they want it. One time I had a crab actually completely empty the saltwater bowl while doing this. Without having the proper salt water available, your crabs will eventually die due to basically malnutrition.

I am curious as to what kind of salt water mix you made for your crabs - was it a saltwater aquarium mix? If not, your crabs probably ignored it because it didn't contain the right minerals for them and they basically didn't realize that it was even salt water. Also, just because you don't ever see the crabs in something doesn't mean they don't use it - I never see my crabs in the shell shop but the shells scattered around lead me to know they do use it. I've only seen my crabs drink twice, once from fresh and once from salt, but I still offer it because I know they need it. I've never observed them eat, but I still give them food. Saying that they don't need it because you've never seen them do it isn't a good reason. Your crabs DO need salt water to help them live the longest, healthiest life possible for them. Also, you said that you "tried [salt water] several times" - how long was it in the tank each time? If you don't just put their fresh water in there every so often but leave it in all the time, why would you take out the salt water and not leave it in?

My final comment is that most crabs don't like being sprayed. Mine hate it. Spraying should only be done when your humidity has bottomed out and you need to get it up quickly. One should also never spray a crab directly. Spray ornaments in the tank (like driftwood or cocohuts) because these will give off humidity as they dry. The way I think of it is this - I don't like getting sprayed in the face with a hose, so why would I do that to my pets?

[ladybug15057]

I agree with Emma on this in regards to offering ocean/sea water. (hermies here do like their misting when we take them out for their exercise in the baby pool)
But hermies also need the ocean/sea water to help them to retain fluid between their old and new exo for easier shedding of their exo. It also helps to provide trace minerals that would otherwise be lacking in their diet. (and yes this includes a proper well balanced diet) Making a mixture between the ocean and fresh water within their shells help to kill/control certain bacteria's/molds the hermie is subjected to from living in such a warm humid climate, along with helping them to control their shell waters temperature. (that also helps them to regulate their body temperature) The salinity from the ocean mix also helps them with their metabolism and the digestion of their food.
Studies were done a few years ago as to those PP's who were not offered an ocean/sea water source. The studies showed that those who were lacking the ocean water recycled their urine for the salinity within it. (YUCK!)