Available Substrates for your tank
- Where to buy it
- How to use it
- How to clean it
- Pros and Cons
Sand (play sand or beach sand)
- Play sand can be purchased at most hardware stores
- Sift it and then pour into the tank, 2 - 3 inches deep, moisten SLIGHTLY
- Sift it, bake it in the oven at 350F for 20 minutes, cool thoroughly before returning it to the tank
- Its cheap, easy to use, easy to find and the crabs love it. On the downside, its messy and gets everywhere.
Calci-Sand
- Most pet stores sell it or buy it online
- Pour it in to the tank, 2-3 inches deep
- Sift it, bake it in the oven at 350F for 20 minutes, cool thoroughly before returning it to the tank
- If offers calcium to the crabs. On the downside, its expensive, its clumpy, it smells bad when its wet.
Forest Bedding/Eco Earth
- Most pet stores sell it or buy it online
- The package will tell you how much warm water to add to the material. Place it in a large enough container to allow it to expand, A LOT. Don’t make it soggy, make it slightly damp. It should be light and feathery when you run your hands through it. Add liberally to your tank.
- It can’t be reused, throw it out and make new
- Its cheap, easy to use smells earthy and the crabs seem to enjoy digging in it. On the downside, it’s messy!
Coral Sand
- Most bigger pet stores carry some version of it
- Rinse it, dry it and add to the tank 2- 3 inches deep
- Rinse it, dry it. Bake it if you want, same as the sand
- Very attractive, offers calcium to the crabs, not messy and the crabs can still dig. On the downside, it’s expensive and will not clump to form a molting cave. It also takes a long time to dry out.
Gravel
- Pet Stores or anywhere with fish supplies
- Rinse it well, bake it same as the sand and then add to your tank
- Rinse and bake to sterilize and clean
- Its cheap. On the downside, it stinks when wet, crabs don’t seem to like it, its difficult to dig in and not good for molting. Gravel is a POOR choice of substrate.
Moss
- Crabs love to hide in moss and eat it.
- Use reptile moss - Some floral and moss for crafts have been treated with chemicals. Spanish moss may be treated with pesticides.
- Moss is not a substrate alone, but it's great to add to other substrate to raise humidity. Some crabs like to molt in moss.
- Rinse it well in dechlorinated or salt water. Add to tank moist to help to raise humidity. Spritz it with dechlor or salt water when humidity is low.
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