HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Man I post on here way too much

I've been meaning to construct some deeper water pools for my crabs and I have some good Tupperware containers (4 x 4 x 4 inches). I was going to put some plastic plants in there for them to get in and out, but it's not working out. So I though, rocks! I've seen people make small rock piles for the crabs to use as ladders. Question is, do they have to be smooth? I have a bunch of small rocks in my backyard that are all chunky and rough, don't know if they are ideal. I've only seen smooth ones been used in pools

Also, for sterilizing them, do you cook the rocks? I bake my wood, bark, and leaves, but I don't know how to make rocks safe for them...

You can use whatever rocks you want. Honestly rougher ones would be easier to climb, but most in urban areas are smoothed down for crafts or landscaping.

As for sterilization, you can just rinse them. The chances of anything living inside a rock are low.


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Do Not Boil Or Cook Rocks! They can actually explode! Depending on the type of rocks they are they can change some of the ph and other levels in the water. I don't think that would pose any serious concerns, but I don't know for certain.

Please don't boil or bake rocks. A simple scrub and soak in dechlorinated water should be fine.

joehermits, motorcrab, thanks for the advice! I'll start gathering

Some rocks can seriously impact water quality because they will dissolve over time. If you don't know for sure if they are aquarium safe, you can try dropping straight vinegar on top and see if they bubble or sizzle. Avoid those! It's not a perfect test, but it can help narrow down which to not use.

wodesorel wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 22, 2020 6:12 pm

Some rocks can seriously impact water quality because they will dissolve over time. If you don't know for sure if they are aquarium safe, you can try dropping straight vinegar on top and see if they bubble or sizzle. Avoid those! It's not a perfect test, but it can help narrow down which to not use.

ugh, I don't have any vinegar on hand right now. are there any visible differences in the rocks (or other tests I could do) to make sure they're safe? If not I can always go to the store tomorrow. (I got all of the rocks from my backyard, some of them are quite nice looking and smooth, but other look like they're the chunky kind that has tinier rocks embedded in them. Are the rocks-within-rocks the kind that dissolve over time? I can't imagine the smooth ones would dissolve).

I recommend not using limestone or granite


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Motörcrab wrote:Do Not Boil Or Cook Rocks! They can actually explode! Depending on the type of rocks they are they can change some of the ph and other levels in the water. I don't think that would pose any serious concerns, but I don't know for certain.

Please don't boil or bake rocks. A simple scrub and soak in dechlorinated water should be fine.

What about in the main tank? And what about minerals like rose quartz?


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Or amethyst


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Another question on rock/ stones/pebbles
Those colored glass stones that are in goldfish tanks and plants and other things, are they safe to use in our crabitat? As well as in the pools in our Crabitats?


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CrabbyChelle628 wrote: ↑

Thu May 07, 2020 6:07 pm

What about in the main tank? And what about minerals like rose quartz?


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Stones could go in the main tank. The only problem is for as much as crabs dig and move stuff around they will become buried. Having big rocks in the substrate will limit molting area and their ability to dig easily. They bury shells all the time. It's amazing how many buried shells you find when you tear down a crabitat that was running for a year to two!

CrabbyChelle628 wrote: ↑

Thu May 07, 2020 6:10 pm

Another question on rock/ stones/pebbles
Those colored glass stones that are in goldfish tanks and plants and other things, are they safe to use in our crabitat? As well as in the pools in our Crabitats?


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Those would be safe for in a water pool.

You couldn't do this in a tank with crabs. The fumes would be toxic! When I was getting my water pools ready I siliconed stones to the inside of the rear wall. It turned out really nice.

I either boiled or baked my lava rocks. Can’t remember. Seems like my days all run together too. Actually I think I boiled and baked them to dry them off. I guess I was lucky. But I also watched carefully and monitored the temps as low as possible. I don’t recommend it but I got away with it.

Maybe lava rock doesn’t explode ?

Growing up I remember hearing rocks in fires pop and jump! Never know where it might go! Yeah, don’t try it at home. Lol


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