Favorite Saltwater mix?

[BAB]

Stepping AWAY from the saltwater for a moment....

I don't see how dechlorinator can remove anything, as it just stays right there in the water. Maybe it can neutralize ome metals? I don't know. All I know about dechlorinator is that it causes chlorine to dissipate into a gas form.

Okay... so doesn't chlorine dissipate into the air over time anyway?? So with this being said... couldn't I just fill a bowl of water, let it sit out for a few days and then use that water because it's now "dechlorinated"?

Just asking because I've ALWAYS wondered this but never knew how to put it across... It's an IDEA right now. I do not know if it works that way or not.

[Guest]

That does work to dechlorinate water, and, used to be, "aging" water was the recommended way to make it safe for fish tanks. The problem now is all the heavy metals and other toxins in tap water, which DON'T dissipate. Supposedly, the dechlorinators bond to the heavy metals, making them less toxic, and making them larger particles that sink to the bottom, and that can be caught with a good filter. In terms of crabs, though, generally, it just means that they sink to the bottom, since most crabbers don't have power filters in the water dishes. The better dechlorinators intended specifically for hermit crabs, lizards, etc etc, pre-suppose that you aren't filtering, and they tend to be more of the "make it less toxic" side, making them different ions, or molecules that are easier for the body to handle, as well as making bigger particles.

[Guest]

Back onto the salt water again...

I buy sea salt from the supermarket which comes from dehydrated 100% pure sea water.

Is this ok?

[Guest]

Conceivably, if it isn't Iodized, could be alright, but the problem is knowing how they dehydrated and processed it. Some methods good, some bad. It probably isn't terribly much more expensive for the Doc Wellfish, but I don't see how it is terribly different from something like the Doc Wellfish's, either, other than we know the Doc Wellfish is aquarium-safe. Depending on species of crab, I would personally be leery of using any of the *just* NaCl products, since that wouldn't really be enough, and definitely make sure to mix it fairly strong, but as long as it is sea salt made from pure seawater, nothing else, *probably* wouldn't hurt...... Sodium chloride is sodium chloride, but processing can add other undesirable stuff to it.

[DustAndEchoes]

i think the biggest problem with salt for humans is the presence of anti-clumping agents.

[Guest]

I'm out of salt for my hermit crabs. I use HBH. It lasts a few months! I forget the price, but it's cheap.

[Guest]

cisnegra:I did not find any post on this topic obnoxious or rude. I do understand why you would explain in advance since without the body language and voice inflections you just don't know how someone might take it...

A super interesting topic!!!! I really enjoy reading stuff like this.

I mix 1T of Doc well fish to 1 bottle (2 cups) of bottled Spring water and add 1 drop of Wardley CHLOR OUT (Directions add 5 drops to every 1 gallon water).


I am going on a bigger scale soon and hope to use water pools instead of water dishes. I want to use the best brands of salt/declor/vitamin mix. What are you using? I haven't seen any declor in the stores for reptile use... maybe I need to look again... can anyone give me a name and brand? IO is bad... so which salt mix looks to be the better choice right now?

I am going to try to keep up with your research posts but I think doing my own is out of my league, so I humbly ask for your opinions on the brands to buy.

[Guest]

I use the same stuff for crabbie saltwater as I do for my salt tank. Hate to admit it, but I'm lazy, and if I'm mixing up a few gallons twice a week for water changes anyway, adding one more gallon doesn't take any more effort. I use (right now) Oceanic brand salt, and Amquel dechlorinator. Like I said, same products I use for the fish, plus, I have 1.1 gallon filtered pools, so I don't have to change water but twice a week. (more work to set up, but a LOT less work to maintain. I use the same gravel vac I do for the fish on the freshwater, and a saltwater vac on the salt side, to get any debris off of the bottom, no worrying about taking it out of the 'tat entirely, and wipe down the inside with one of my organic cotton dishrags to clean the sides) One thing to make sure of is to NEVER use water that has been treated with an anti-algae product, as those are VERY toxic to invertebrates. I use Red Sea Marine Success Calcium +3 to get supplementation levels right. Some people use the Red Sea salt, and that seems to work well, and others are using the Catalina Water Company's "real seawater" to great results. Bio-Sea Marinemix, if you can find it, is tested as being almost as good as real seawater. The metal levels are better than most. I just haven't found it anywhere. One thing to always be sure of is to make sure it is VERY salty, never weaker than specified, if anything, stronger. A refractometer/hydrometer is your best friend!

[Guest]

Thank you! I really appreciate you sharing your expertise with me.

[Guest]

Right now I'm using Zoomeds I think or something like that that has dechlorinator right in it, which is awesome because the water pool uses up a lot of water.

[Guest]

I forgot the brand we use, but it’s equitant to the Doc Well Fish stuff. When we mix it up according to the package, it doesn’t actually taste salty to us. Should it? I want to make sure that the salt water is actually salty enough.

[Guest]

Ok so i am new to hermit crabs (land that is) but i too have a reef tank, i use RO water and coralife and have never had a problem keeping fish or inverts ( what i am willing to spend on them anyways) I read the info on what the city puts out on its water every year to keep up on what comes down the Mississippi. City water supplies are no longer allowed to use straight chlorine to treat their water, it mixes with the organic materials left in the water and can create gasses that cause cancer. so now they are required to use Cloramine. This is still bad for fish and other sensitive animals including inverts. i recommend using amquel, (that is what i use for my fresh water tanks that need harder water leaving RO out of the question) stress coat works well too but i don't know if it helps hermits the same way it helps my Bruce ( a severum for you fish keepers out there). Because using the clormine instead of the chlorine gas you can no longer leave out the water till it is good or you would be leaving it out over a month to let it decompose on its own. also i do not know that water treatments break down any heavy metals. so i have no knowledge on that note.

this is what i know from experience and chemistry classes. i hope it helps some one.

[Guest]

I didn't even think about a chlorine change... I use Deer Park bottled Spring Water. The brand I use doesn't use any chemicals to clean the water. They filter it and use UV lights (I just called). So I don't think I would then need any declor products right? Wouldn't bottled water be the better option (if cost is not an issue)?

[Guest]

there are no government regulations on bottled water and if you were a fish keeper you would want to test it for nitrates, but i don't think that matters to hermies. UV sterilization takes out all of the micro scopic "bugs" plus some things and in my opinions is one of the best ways of filtration. i am guessing that your bottled water is fine or if you wanted to use a water that said 'distilled' you would be OK too. they are all clean.

[Guest]

The problem with "distilled" is that it is so inert that without supplementing back in, there aren't ANY minerals and such in it. Same with the RO, as I'm sure you know, that's why there are so many products to re-mineralize and electrolyze your RO water. As long as it's chlorine free and doesn't have terrible levels of heavy metals, it should be alright, tho, just keep in mind that hermies do NOT have nearly the excretory capabilities of higher order animals, so most of what goes in them, stays there, for good or ill.