HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi! I'm semi-new to hermies and I was given a 50lb bag of all purpose sand. My question is do I need to wash and sanitize it?

Tysvm

I never have. So long as the sand is clean and dry it's okay to use straight from the bag.

However, watch out for contamination with chemicals, those things cannot be washed out and it's safer to start with a new bag. For $4 it's not worth the risk if you aren't sure if it's been exposed to something harmful.

It's new....just really dusty....is that ok? The dust? Ty!

Once it's been moistened the dust won't be a problem, and since it needs to stay moist it won't cause issues going forward. All sand is dusty to start with, just be careful and try not to breathe it in. If you have asthma or lung disease a mask is a good thing to have on hand for the initial setup, I've set my asthma off good by not wearing one before.

I use it straight outta the bag too...though I'm careful when I buy it to pick bags that are dry and have been kept inside.