HCA: Hermit Crab Association

My husband wants to smoke his pipe in our house or right outside on the porch (where the smoke filters in anyway). The tobacco is wet and produces very light smoke - he thinks it won't bother the hermies if we cover the tank. Can anyone give me their thoughts on this? Does anyone here smoke, or have a spouse who does? Will the hermies be okay if I let him smoke his pipe in the house?

Smoke can cause hermies damage, but if you cover the tank and close the door (if the tank is in a room) and smoke outside, it should be okay. You'll probobly want other people's opinions on this though, because I have never run into such a problem.

I smoke, but not in the condo... I would think that if you're using high quality water for your hermits, then you'd want your air quality to be high too.**********************************************Hermies:1 - Sebastian2 - Shelly3 - Sandy4 - Eff

If you look at this list: Chemicals Found In Secondhand Smoke, IMO it probably wouldn't be a good idea to repeatedly expose the crabs to smoke. I go out of my way to keep candles, sprays, and household chemicals away from them so it doesn't make sense to allow smoking around them.

Seeing as it is proven scientific fact that tobacco smoke is damaging and even toxic to ALL living creatures,then yeah, it would also be bad for crabs.

Nicole, I burn candles alot. Should I cover the tank when I have them burning? I haven't heard about scents from candles harming them.Dawn

Yankee Candles, which I really, fanatically like, are so dirty and leave black marks on the cabinets and the ceilings. So I keep them away from the crabs. Plus they do smell fairly strong. It's more a precaution on my part, along keeping them away from air fresheners and other chemical smells. I still burn candles, just not in the room that has the crabs in it.

Tobacco smoke will kill birds, and hermies are just about as sensitive as birds are. I definitely wouldn't allow those kinds of toxins around any of my pets. It might not kill them right away, but it will significantly shorten their lifespan. Secondhand smoke had been linked to cancer and asthma in cats and dogs (and other mammal pets), and crustaceans are a lot more sensitive to environmental toxins than mammals. If you're going to smoke, at least keep it to yourself rather than affect others (even pets) with it.

BUt you also have to consider that hermies dont breath direct air...they have gills and breath thru moisture. Also you must consider that since a hermit crab is cold blooded then their blood cells may not latch onto carbon monoxide like mammals and air breathing creatures do.Rob