HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hello. I’ve been using a freshwater and salt water conditioner that was made for hermit crabs. I just grabbed it for convenience while I was working on getting things set up. I’m ready to set up proper pools in my new crabitat and I want to make sure I’m getting it….
So both pools need to be treated with a primer/conditioner …then use instant ocean to make one of them a salt-bath correct? Once I use a primer with tap water, is it then considered freshwater and ready for use or does it require another product? What products do most crabbers use?
Thanks!


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Also, do I use freshwater to clean food dishes and new additions to the crabitat?
I’ve also been using the freshwater to spray the tank. Is this correct? Thanks.


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tapwater treated with prime is considered good safe freshwater.

straight tapwater i "think" can be used to rinse and clean items, the residual should not be enough to harm them. (i'd follow JT's advice instead on this one)

Yes you spray with freshwater.. many wet down their substrate with salt, but you can't keep spraying with salt water because the buildup would eventually get toxic.

Seachem prime water treatment is the standard recommendation for hermit crab keeping, as is instant ocean salt water mix. You use the prime to dechlorinate and treat both.

You are right in that ideally you use prime treated tap water to wash/treat anything the crabs touch and for misting water.

Just to clarify the terms, you are treating the tap water with a dechlorinator. Seachem Prime is a commonly used brand, but there are others that will work too.
And the salt the crabs need is marine salt. Instant Ocean is a commonly used brand, but again there are others out there.

Here's the 'water' care sheet that tells you everything you need to know, and then some:
viewtopic.php?f=127&t=92553

I use tap water to clean dishes and pools.

Thanks everyone!


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