Moist sand makes happy crabs!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 5:53 pm

The sand in my tank was dried out and in desperate need of a change. I got a 50 pound bag of playsand from Steins Gardening Store for $2.50. It was great because they keep their sand inside unlike other places, so the sand was warm and moist. I was also impressed with how fine it was...no pebbles in this sand! Anyway, I did a complete change of sand in the tank, and plopped the crabs back in. Wow...they are all running everywhere and sitting on shells and splashing in the water dishes! I've never seen them this active, and it's not like they were on dry sand for very long (a month at the most).

So, for anyone reading this...moist sand is a big hit!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 9:41 pm

Yay! Crabbies do love moist substrate

The reason why they're so active probably is because the humidity boosted some.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 9:55 pm

the first time i changed the crabber cage (sometime back in august) i didn't make the sand moist. after a lot of misting, the sand was finally moist enough to burrow in (maybe a few days later.) i woke up one morning to find a TON of little tiny 'craters' in the sand, and my hermit crab Stellar sitting in one! (im guessing she dug them all!)

Hermit_of_Hermit_Crabs · Post by **Hermit_of_Hermit_Crabs** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:41 pm

I have a large shell that I keep my hermies fresh water in. Of course they overturn it every 1-2 days so I just fill it back up.

Dawn · Post by **Dawn** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 2:19 pm

My guys trapse to the water dishes and fill up their little shells to wet the sand. They can't turn the water dishes over. I put larger heavier dishes pushed down into the sand too far (to the bottom) so they found another way to wet the sand.

I don't wet the sand for them but leave it and they wet it themselves if they want. there are areas that are dry and some that are wet. I can sift the dry stuff but I have to just surface clean the moist areas.

When they let the sand dry out I can change it without worrying that theres someone digging a nest to molt.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 10:53 pm

CGRM32 wrote: So, for anyone reading this...moist sand is a big hit!

Try added some EcoEarth or ForestBed to it! I used to use strait sand, but the first time I added the dirt, they went bonkers! Rascal stayed under for 5 months, building an elaborate tunnel system, which them caved in on him... now he climes... (lol) but the point is, if they like moist sand, they ADORE it with dirt! I'll never not mix them again!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 1:54 am

I WISH I had dryer sand! My monkeys keep making their 'tats into swamp! Even those little ants made their own ponds! I changed the substrate & put in DRY playsand....which they promptly moistened heavily. Silly babies!!!!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 3:14 pm

*Kathy* wrote:I WISH I had dryer sand! My monkeys keep making their 'tats into swamp! Even those little ants made their own ponds! I changed the substrate & put in DRY playsand....which they promptly moistened heavily. Silly babies!!!!

but swamps are FUN mom!!!!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 3:27 pm

I tried EE and FB, and my crabs scurried off of the substrate and stayed off of it until I removed it from the tank! I guess my crabs are just picky little guys!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 5:02 pm

magickzzl wrote: Try added some EcoEarth or ForestBed to it! I used to use strait sand, but the first time I added the dirt, they went bonkers! Rascal stayed under for 5 months, building an elaborate tunnel system, which them caved in on him... now he climes... (lol) but the point is, if they like moist sand, they ADORE it with dirt! I'll never not mix them again!

Not dirt from outside though, the ecoearth.

HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Moist sand makes happy crabs!

Moist sand makes happy crabs!

My guys

Re: Moist sand makes happy crabs!

Re: Moist sand makes happy crabs!