HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Proabably a stupid question but where do people put their cuttlebone in the crabitat? The one I got is for a bird and it says not to leave on the bottom of the cage. Can I just leave the cuttlebone leaned up against a wall? Will it mildew or mold?

They say that for bird use. Birds usually sit on perches and poop down to the floor. It just saves from having to clean the cuttlebone.

I like to stick mine into the substrate so it resembles a tombstone. You can just lay it on the substrate too. You can even break them up into chunks and add them to a calcium bowl. Pretty much anyway a crab can get to it should be fine.

I have never seen a cuttlebone mold or grow mildew.

Hahaha, Motor says 'like a tombstone' and I say 'like a surf board'!

I powdered mine and put it into a dish.

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I also leave mine on or in the substrate. There’s not much in there for it to mold.


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I have one in the moss pit and one on the substrate in my main tank, and one on the substrate in the baby tank. I’ve never experienced them getting gross in the hermit crab’s conditions. I’ve only seen that with my snails which might partially be because of their slime, it just grows algae and other things.

Cuttlebones are for birds. The reason why they say not to put them on the bottom of the cage is so the birds don't poop on them.

Birds use them to sharpen their beaks on them.

I leave mine sitting upright in the substrate like a surfboard. A lot of the times the hermits pull them up out of the substrate though!