HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I've had my hermit crab for two days, done tons of research and just trying to do what's right for him.

I bought the coconut substrate and I bought some sand and mixed the two. I found a little bug inthe tank and only had t for 2 days!

I'd rather just go with the sand I figure it would be easier to spot bugs and how dirty the tha Tank gets and I want to keep it clean and as bug free as possible.

Only had him for 2 days, is this normal to have a little bug already?
And would it be a bad idea to have just sand in my tank?

This is not the right place for this post... Try posting this at http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... m.php?f=26. Good luck!

Also, I will answer this to the best of my ability, but I would still post it in the other place just in case.

Many people do what you do, mixing them, and many use only sand. When I see tiny bugs in my tank, I don't fret (don't you think there are bugs in the wild?). If I see a fly or gnat, I try luring them out using a mixture (recipes for these can be found online). If you mix together certain things and leave them outside the tank, the bugs will be attracted to the other place instead of the tank.

Also, if I were you, I would get another crab in at least a ten gallon tank!! I don't know how large your tank is, but most of us had bad tanks at two days and had to upgrade when we became more educated. PLEASE do yourself, your crab, and all of us a favor and look around! It will really surprise you how badly some people care for their babies. Good luck! I hope I helped!

Hiya!
Welcome to the HCA!

You can use just sand, just coconut fibre, or a mix of the two. The most popular ratio is 5 parts sand to one part coco fibre. More coco fibre in the mix will often help maintain humidity.

As for bugs... they are attracted to crab food & sometimes also the warm & humid conditions crabs need to thrive (your crabs need about 80% humidity & 80°f, right?).

The bug you found may have been incidental... just a random critter that wandered in. I wouldn't worry about one insect, unless it was an ant... those can harm your crabs. But eventually, all crabbers find food mites or fruit flies or some crawly thing in the tank. It's just a part of crabbing.

Here is a link about mites: most mites are fine & frankly unavoidable, but very occasionally you get a species that are bad for your crabs:

http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92530

Cleaning out the food bowl every day helps. .. but won't completely prevent bugs.

Also, many people add pill bugs (also called isopods or roly polys) that eat left over food & crab poop, helping to keep the tank clean.

If you bought your sand at the pet store, there is a very good chance it is calcium sand, marketed for hermit crabs. Unfortunately this is hazardous to the crabs because if wet and then allowed to dry, it can form a hard mass, and also can get into crab shells & joints. If you have calcium sand you will want to replace it.

If you got your sand at a hardware store (you have playsand), you are good to go!
Just be sure you have about six inches of sand all across the tank so your crabs can safely & happily moult!
Here is the HCA care sheet in case you haven't found it yet:
http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 51&t=92457

Tell us about your crabs & your tank!
And if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Hello! Welcome to the HCA

It depends on what the bug is.

Some people use just sand.


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Thanks everyone, and I noticed after I posted it was the wrong section. But thanks for the help! I picked up desert sand and got him a crab friend, it's been really interesting so far watching them!

No worries. [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES] Topic has been moved.

When you say 'desert sand', do you mean calcium sand, sold in a bag at a pet store, or regular sand from a hardware store?

Calcium sand is not recommended because it clumps & hardens when damp, & can get into the joints and shells od the crabs.