Real sea water

[orangefire]

Im on vacation at the beach and I was wondering if some real seawater would be a nice souvenier for the crabs.

The sea is the gulf of mexico, which doesnt have hermits as far as i know.

Will this water be a safe treat or a deadly toxic soup for my crabs?

[pandaincognito]

There are marine crabs in the water in the gulf. But I think its too marine for land hermit crabs. I wouldn't advise it. Maybe if you are close to where a river empties out into the ocean? Or perhaps a marsh? The waters more inland (not too far of course) are more brackish, which is what you use for pet hermits. Even then, I would strongly advise against it. Depending on where you are on the coast, a lot of plants are along the coast line (from all the way down in deep south Texas up into Louisiana) and most of those plants manufacture plastics. They often dump their waste into local waterways (mostly their man made ditches, which unfortunately still leak into natural waterways)

[soilentgringa]

I wouldn't give them any sea or other water from outside, simply for the fact that all of the organisms in the water dying off can produce ammonia or other wastes that could cause the crabs to become ill. In a closed environment like a crabitat, the water can go bad quickly.

[orangefire]

There are marine crabs in the water in the gulf.)

Sorry I meant land hermits, I by-catch plenty of marine hermits while fishing for blue crabs. Sometimes ill pull up a pot of nothing but 15 or 20 hermits of all sizes from tiny to beyond jumbo, but they all go back in the water.

Anyway thanks for the replies, I had a feeling it wouldnt be safe, but I was really hoping I could bring my crabs back something from my trip. Oh well.

Thanks again.

[pandaincognito]

Go into some of the stores along the coast line. Im sire you can find them something to put in their tank. Both gas stations at our popular beach sell shells, sand dollars, stone sculptures (the sting ray sculptures are amazing looking, next time I go I want to get one for my betas tank), fishing nets. They sell all kinds of souvenier kind of things. Its where I got godzillas shell. I bought it for another crab thats down for molt, but you snooze you lose..so yeah lol

[wodesorel]

But I think its too marine for land hermit crabs. I wouldn't advise it. Maybe if you are close to where a river empties out into the ocean? Or perhaps a marsh? The waters more inland (not too far of course) are more brackish, which is what you use for pet hermits.

Hermits need full ocean-strength sea water, not brackish! It should be mixed according to package directions for marine fish.

But yes, the worry is what kind of pollutants are in the water, and of course the plankton and other organic things in the water dying off and rotting which makes the water chemistry unsafe really quickly.

[pandaincognito]

But I think its too marine for land hermit crabs. I wouldn't advise it. Maybe if you are close to where a river empties out into the ocean? Or perhaps a marsh? The waters more inland (not too far of course) are more brackish, which is what you use for pet hermits.

Hermits need full ocean-strength sea water, not brackish! It should be mixed according to package directions for marine fish.

But yes, the worry is what kind of pollutants are in the water, and of course the plankton and other organic things in the water dying off and rotting which makes the water chemistry unsafe really quickly.

Awe poo, some one on this site told me just a tablespoon per gallon I thought that was only brackish

[mool]

I think it's a 1/2 cup per gallon. I mix 2T into 32oz.

[pandaincognito]

My poor crabs! Now I know! When I get home this evening I have to make more anyways, so ill make sure to do it right this time! ^•^ thanks for correcting me guys