Is it ok if my hermit crab drank salt water?!

[HermitCrabGirl03]

Hey so I'm just asking because this isn't really an emergency, but is it bad if they drink the salt water that they usually bathe in? Because my fresh water dish dried up and I just noticed and forgot to change it so one of my poor hermies was thirsty and started drinking out of the salt water pool I took him out and poured fresh water in the dish and set him in there so maybe he would drink it. I don't know if he got any fresh water or not. Will he die? Or will he be ok. I will make sure they don't drink it again, but will one time hurt? Thanks.

[jarteta97]

He'll be fine, hermit crabs can stay submerged in saltwater for hours, I highly doubt that they don't drink at least a little bit of it. Their bodies are likely adapted so that ion concentrations can be maintained in salty environments through osmoregulation.

[CallaLily]

Mine definitely drink both fresh and salt, as well as bathe in both. Perfectly fine and normal.

[wodesorel]

Yes, the elements in saltwater are an extreme benefit to them, especially in captivity. You want them to be drinking both fresh and salt! It needs to be a marine salt replacer for saltwater fish though, like Instant Ocean.