HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I have hermit crabs in my house, but my mom smokes. The most I can really do is keep my door closed. How bad is it for the crabs that she smokes? Its not like she smokes in my room or anything though. would a lid help? thanx for the info. I kno i read somewere that smoke is bad for them so thats why im asking.

An aquarium hood might be a good idea if you don't already have one. They keep humidity in very well, so they probably don't let smoke in as much as mesh lids and other things.

thank you i'll look into buying one as soon as possible.

Try to find a non-name brand pet store or yard sale. They might have some for less. My Ten Gallon hood costed me about $20..

You can find tanks there as well. I wasn't that fortunate, but deals are out there. Way to go, Alby!!!!

If you can't find a lid, get a piece of perspex cut to size, fit a couple of mesh vents into it (or leave it slightly short of the length of the tank and cover the ends with mesh) and fix it in place with stick-on velcro. Works for me

[url=http://pagan_writes.tripod.com/goblinqueenscritters/id9.html]My current crabitat[/url]

As for cigarette smoke, tobacco is a fairly potent insecticide. Crabs are arthropods - the same 'family' as insects and other creatures with many-jointed legs, and so tobacco is likely to have an adverse effect on them too. Plus of course the other chemicals such as hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide will have a stronger effect on your crabs than they do on humans because the crabs will absorb them into their blood streams more quickly.[/url]

Well that's nice, my dad smokes cigarettes, and he is too careless to smoke outside.

Most of the time he gets lazy and just smokes in his room, which is just down the hallway, despite my mom's yellings lol.

Cigarettes have nicotine sulfate in the tobacco. That's what's toxic to arthropods (hermit crabs, lobsters, insects, spiders) but as for cigarette smoking being bad for hermit crabs....Just don't fill up their tank with the smoke and it'll be okay.

Hubby smokes. And he won't smoke outside either. it's his house (he says) and he'll smoke where ever he wants. So the crabs will adapt just like we have to.

I did manage to ask him not to smoke while he handles the crabs so at least that's a good thing.

My advice: So long as she isn't smoking a cigarette when she holds the crabs it's going to be okay. And don't put cigarette butts in the tank either..That's the real danger: the tobacco.

thank you everyone! I was worried and my moms like oh they'll be fine. I highly dobt she'll handle the crabs at all lol. she doesn't really smoke anywere near my room so they wont be really close to the smoke, I was just worried. didn't want to kill them! thanx again

we didn't have enough money to buy a hood....but a clear plastic heavy shower curtain cut with holes for lamps seems to work well.

-e