HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hello! I just recently adopted my first 3 purple pincher hermit crabs I’m looking into getting play sand for their tank but it doesn’t seem like the suggested brands are available anywhere near me! So I was wondering if the brands I have found are okay.

The first brand I found was AllTreat Farms play sand, I wasn’t able to find any sort of ingredients list for it but the site said it was safe for sand boxes and horse shoe pits. It also says that the sand is fine, granulated and screened sand.

The second brand I found was Shaw Resources play sand. The site says it’s composed of 98% quartz and is salt-free, washed, screened, and dried. The site also says it’s safe for sand boxes and as a soft cushion for children’s play area.

If needed, I can provide links to the sites or pictures of them Also, if these brands aren’t safe, does anyone know of any brands readily available in Home Hardware, Walmart, Home Depot, or Lowe’s in Canada? Thank you so much!


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The Shaw one sounds closest to what we use in the US!

I always buy Quickrete at Home Depot.

I have never bought anything different than the Quickrete brand as well, it's color will vary depending where you are located.

OP is in Canada, so brands and availability will be completely different then what we're used to seeing the states!

Yes, I am in Canada. Quickrete is the brand at the closest Home Depot.

what about pre washed natural decorative sand?

What is that sand made of? It sounds like it would be far more expensive than a bag of play sand.

It's just washed, natural sand from the beach.

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What makes it 'decorative' then?

Well, that's what they call it, but I guess it's just sand. What other brands do you recommend?

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are there some cheap good brands online?

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I bough three bricks or eco earth for around $9.99 usd from petsmart and a fifty pound bag of silica based playsand from Lowe’s for less than 5 usd.

Unless you could find a place that shipped for free, I imagine that shipping costs could make buying online really expensive. The 50lb bags of play sand are the most economical way to buy. Most people find them at hardware stores.

Any silica based sand that has been washed and screened and says that it is safe for kids should be fine.




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