HCA: Hermit Crab Association

My crabs are slurping up the water like crazy the past week. Today alone, I have gone through 32 ounces of water. 20 ounces salt water and 12 ounces of fresh water. I'm really surprised by this. Since I'm new at this, is it common? I was surprised I had to replace so much water in my pools. I increased the size of my fresh water pool because of this. I went from the round tupperware to the soup & salad size gladware. They are loving it.

I know they balance out their shell water, taking up salt water followed by fresh water and vice versa. I know they "drool" water when they tunnel. I do make sure my sand is "sand castle" consistency and I check to make sure it hasn't dried out. If it seems dry I add salt water to it.

Is this normal? Is it a sign of impending molting? Is there something more I need to do for them?

I'm not sure about the amount of water they're taking in, but I wanted to comment that you shouldn't be adding salt water to the substrate. It's fine & recommended for the first time you mix it as that can help prevent mold, but you should use fresh water after that. The water evaporates out & will leave the salt behind, so continuing to add salt water can increase the salt content in the substrate more & more, which can burn you and the crabs.

I am wondering what your heat set up is like. Sounds like you are going threw a high level of evaporation.


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That is way too much water! If there is sand on the edge it creates a wicking effect and will suck it into the substrate. With that much missing I'd be checking to make sure the bottom of the tank wasn't flooded. I have 60 crabs and they barely go through 3 ounces a day, and that's under heat lights.

I agree with wodesorel, the way hermitcrabs drink and utilize their water you shouldn't be loosing that much just due to hermitcrab activity alone.

I usually have to top my pools off once or twice a week because I have a bubbler going and they are directly under my overhead heat source so the water tends to evaporate at much higher rate but I've never had to replace more than four ounces at a time even with the bubbler and heat lamp going.

Like wodesorel said I would be checking the bottom of your substrate for flooding that this point.