HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi there, I was scrolling through Petsmart to look for things for when I get my hermit crabs, and I've been looking into getting pre-mixed solutions. I found this one by "Thrive". Does it work/Is it safe?
https://www.petsmart.ca/reptile/cleanin ... 55930.html
Thanks

Sorry I accidentally posted the Freshwater Solution. Here is the saltwater solution:
https://www.petsmart.ca/reptile/cleanin ... 55929.html

According to the hca water care sheet, premixed solutions like the one you mentioned are not sufficient for a hermit crab's needs:

"Salt sold specifically for hermit crabs do not contain all these elements, and some even have artificial colors and unneeded chemicals added to them that can be harmful. They are also mixed at too weak of a concentration to be helpful, and are normally drastically overpriced."

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$7 for that is insane! As CrabbyLover already mentioned they generally aren't ideal for hermit crabs even though it's sold for them. It's an easy ploy for stores to cash in on people who don't do their research.

Your best bet is to purchase a small box of Instant Ocean and a small bottle of Seachems Prime. That way you can make your own eaters! For about the price of one bottle of that stuff you can make 10 gallons of saltwater and treat way more water! A small bottle of prime will probably expire before you use it all!

Seachems Prime:
https://www.petsmart.com/fish/food-and- ... 17551.html

Instant Ocean: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004PB8V56/re ... QYQ1G?vs=1

I didn't see the standard instant ocean at Pet Smart or Amazon. The reef crystals has more trace elements and minerals for coral and it's also safe for hermits too. It's what we use for ours.

Thanks for telling me! I already have dechlorinator. I live in Canada and instant ocean only comes in huge packs and are really expensive. I will try tho!

It doesn't have to be instant ocean, it just needs to be a salt for mixing water for marine aquariums. There are like a dozen major brands out there that all do the same job!

Out of curiosity, I saw this the last time I was at petco. And I've been curious ever since. It seems like it could be a decent option since its actually sea water? Sorry didn't mean to jump in here, but it's kinda about the same thing.

Can it be used for saltwater since it's what you use to fill a salt water tank or would this not be okay?

Imagitarium Pacific Ocean Water:
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostor ... cean-water

I am not familiar with the Imagitarium Pacific Ocean Water, but found and answer from Wode, on a thread from 2016:

The saltwater you're using is good! However, salt doesn't evaporate along with the water, it concentrates and eventually crystalizes out of the water. By adding more saltwater without removing the super concentrated brine left behind, your ending up with a salt solution that is multiple times stronger than ocean water.

Beckanai wrote:Out of curiosity, I saw this the last time I was at petco. And I've been curious ever since. It seems like it could be a decent option since its actually sea water? Sorry didn't mean to jump in here, but it's kinda about the same thing.

Can it be used for saltwater since it's what you use to fill a salt water tank or would this not be okay?

Imagitarium Pacific Ocean Water:
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostor ... cean-water

Imagitarium is perfectly fine to use as a marine saltwater.


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Thank you both, it seems like a better solution to where we can keep it as well. I'll just make sure to dump out the old every few days and keep it clean.