Substrate question

[aslansgirl89]

Has anyone ever used this for their crabitat, mixed with coconut fiber? I just redid my 20g long with it and made sure it was a good consistency and mixed up well with the coconut fiber but I just wanted to see if anyone else had ever used this?

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[curlysister]

I have not, but I am pretty sure that some of the Mods/ Admins have used it!

[aslansgirl89]

Oh good! I am glad to hear that it's safe!

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[aslansgirl89]

I always get anxious about what's best for my little crabbies! I know that I need a bit more as we over-estimated how much 25 l bs would be!

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[wodesorel]

Almost all aquatic substrates have been painted or coated with epoxy so it doesn't mess with the water pH. They are not good to use for hermits because their walking and digging will cause the coatings to flake off, and it's the same as having painted shells in the tank. There are only a few brands that are still all natural and they are a pain to track down. This one has likely been made white artificially.

[curlysister]

Oooohhhh, thank you for weighing in, Wode!

[wodesorel]

I really wish it was as easy as "Oh, it's sand! Sand is good!" Even just 10 years ago it was somewhat easy to still find all natural options, but these days it seems like natural has become gauche again and everything has gone fake and chemical coated. I'm sure it will circle back around again at some point. In the meantime my local pet store has no totally natural sand or gravel options and I'm stuck paying shipping from Canada for my fishtanks. Bah. At least crabs can use playsand!

[aslansgirl89]

Oh ok... So I should indeed switch it out for play sand then?

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[HappyHermit0916]

Has anyone ever used this for their crabitat, mixed with coconut fiber? I just redid my 20g long with it and made sure it was a good consistency and mixed up well with the coconut fiber but I just wanted to see if anyone else had ever used this?

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Hey! I'm not sure on whether the sand is safe or not but, I did notice your substrate depth was a little low. I would recommend either it being three times the size of your largest crab or six inches (whichever is bigger)
Have a great day:)

[wodesorel]

Oh ok... So I should indeed switch it out for play sand then?

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If I had any suspicions it was coated, I would for safety. We don't really know what longterm affects paint can have, and there's been reports of them eating flaking materias. If you aren't sure, try soaking a pinch in acetone (nail polish remover, the strong stuff that also takes off fake nails) and seeing if anything flakes off or changes color.