HCA: Hermit Crab Association

First off, Happy holidays to all. A part of me feels corny for starting off like that, but I can live with that akward feeling if it meant I could spread some good vibes.


My actual reason for posting is because I accidentally filled my spray bottle with salt water instead of fresh water. I have a 50 gallon tank and currently only use coconut substrate. Money has been tight (smh, seems like it always is) so I haven't had a chance to get a proper UTH. Instead I use a heated moonlight bulb to keep the temps average. Im sure we all know how fast it zaps the humidity...and I unfortunately have been caught up with school and other personal issues and didn't have the fore site to ask anyone else in the house if have been spraying. I looked at it today and It was really drying up. So I filled up the spray bottle and made another mistake of using salt water instead. I sprayed darn near the entire bottle because I figure they cant have too much humidity considering im using a heat lamp.

Can someone please fill me in if they'll be ok or do I have to get new substrate?

I am grateful for any help. Thanks so much.




ps. Happy holidays





Since you've come to the emergency forum, we know you want a fast answer to your question. In order for us to figure out the problem as quickly as possible, we ask that you answer the following questions as best you can. Some of them may seem odd, but they're all designed to give us the information we need to give you a good solution for your problem. The things in the [ brackets ] are there to make this post easier to read once submitted. Thanks!


1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?


2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read?


3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?


4. What types of water are available (fresh or salt) and how is the water treated (what brands of dechlorinator or salt mix and what ratio is used to mix it)?


5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?


6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?


7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?


8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?


9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?


10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?


11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?


12. How often do you clean the tank and how?


13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?


14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?


15. Is there any other information you would like to share that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)?


16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.


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If this is the only time you have used salt water to mist it, I would not be too concerned. The reason it is recommended to use fresh water to mist, is because the salt can build up over time. Misting with salt water once (or more) is unlikely to cause any problems at all.

When I first started keeping crabs (around 2008), some protocols called for misting with salt water and also mixing the sub with saltwater.

Like curly mentioned the water eventually evaporates and leaves the salt behind eventually building up to higher concentrations. I wouldn't be concerned for one or two mistings with SW by accident.

Misting with saltwater isn't a bad thing much less an emergency. I heard that if you spray with salt water it is GOOD and spraying the tank with salt water PREVENTS MOLD. So you have nothing to worry about. (I am still new to having crabs but I still know A LOT about crabs.) I recommend doing some research on crabs I did a lot of research and now I know a lot about my little Hermies

As stated above, misting regularly with salt water can cause a build up of too much salt. Fresh dechlor water should be used for misting, which should be done with a bit of caution so as not to cause a flood.