New concerned owner

[Katy2024]

Hello! I'm so glad to find this group! I know little but have researched for a few weeks and tried to set up my tanks to greet new hermit crabs. I set up for stressed ones, but if they are settled in a healthy environment I will deepen the substrate. I have already purchased the eco earth and calcified sand.
Any suggestions for a source for healthy hermit crabs that are available quickly, near St Paul- Minneapolis. Minnesota?

Thanks for any insight and help.

[myllkti]

I have already purchased the eco earth and calcified sand.

Hi! Unfortunatelu, calcium sand is a no-go. You can either use just the eco earth is you have enough or for a cheaper option if you need more, you can add some playsand!

Any suggestions for a source for healthy hermit crabs that are available quickly, near St Paul- Minneapolis. Minnesota?

Check for rehomes! Here is one adoption board: https://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/p ... m.php?f=13 There are also some facebook groups and such, good luck!

[Katy2024]

Thank you! So the special Hermit Crab fortified sand is NOT good for them! Wow! I spent the extra money to give them more support. Good to know. Thanks.

[wodesorel]

Unfortunately hermit crabs are poorly marketed towards, with companies treating them more like living children's toys than specialty exotic pets. They require deep and moist substrate to tunnel into to safely molt, and calcium sands cannot be kept this way because they grow bad bacteria when wet and can harden like cement as they dry out over time. I can understand where the idea comes from, crabs do need calcium in their diets, it just isn't practical or safe for it to come from the substrate.

[Katy2024]

Thank you so much for explaining the why. That really helps. I only.opened one of ten bags. So I can return the 9. Luckily I didn't realize how much volume a brick of Eco earth turned into once it was soaked, so I have plenty.

I'd read that to deter hermit crabs from dying from drastic environmental changes, it was important to set them up in a very shallow substrate for the first 3 to 4 weeks to discourage molting until they were gradually brought up to healthy temps and humidity and had fortified themselves with healthy foods.
I got plexiglass covers for my tanks and I am struggling to keep level humidity. I open a small corner of the top with a slight twist, and 86% goes down to 68% in 30 minutes. I shift it slightly back and it shoots back up to 84%! There's got to be a better way to stabilize the humidity in there. I feel like I'm creating the problem I wanted to avoid.
Suggestions?

[curlysister]

Thank you so much for explaining the why. That really helps. I only.opened one of ten bags. So I can return the 9. Luckily I didn't realize how much volume a brick of Eco earth turned into once it was soaked, so I have plenty.

I'd read that to deter hermit crabs from dying from drastic environmental changes, it was important to set them up in a very shallow substrate for the first 3 to 4 weeks to discourage molting until they were gradually brought up to healthy temps and humidity and had fortified themselves with healthy foods.
I got plexiglass covers for my tanks and I am struggling to keep level humidity. I open a small corner of the top with a slight twist, and 86% goes down to 68% in 30 minutes. I shift it slightly back and it shoots back up to 84%! There's got to be a better way to stabilize the humidity in there. I feel like I'm creating the problem I wanted to avoid.
Suggestions?

There is no evidence that any method improves survival. I would get them into good temps and humidity asap. And if a crab needs to molt, it can't put it off indefinitely - better to have deep substrate to bury in rather than do a surface molt.
86% is a great humidity! There really is no such thing as 'too high' for humidity, so don't worry - just leave it in the 80s!

[Katy2024]

Thank you!