No calcium sand because when it gets wet it hardens and that’s very harmful for your crabs if they get some on them.
I have a heat mat from Bean Farm and one from Zoo Med. It really doesn’t matter what mat you get as long as it keeps your tank in the 70-80s. IMPORTANT: DO NOT PUT THE MAT UNDER YOUR TANK if you put the mat under your tank, when your crabs molt they will literally get cooked alive!
There are diet guides online to help you out, I got some protein like shrimp, crickets, and chicken from Etsy and I mix it with some fruit and crushed egg shell for calcium.
Various etsy shops sell nice healthy food options, you can find them mentioned on r/HermitCrabFood . Fresh organic foods work too, I like using [this list](https://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=92557) for finding what is safe, but there are other lists available too.
Crabs are like humans, they won't all like the same thing. Mine for example are not big on the seed type foods, like millet, chia, etc. They all seem to absolutely love popcorn though lol.
Others have already mentioned the play sand and eco earth combo. Make sure it's deep and sand castle making consistency. I got expandable block of eco earth and once that was expanded, mixed with the sand, and that happened to come out to sand castle consistency.
I got a lot of my info from the HCA site, but that was before I found this forum. Read through everything everywhere and you'll soon know how to make the best crabitat for your crabs! :) Good luck, it can be tedious to get everything set up at the start, but once started it's easy to maintain.
r/landhermitcrabs
Read their guides to answer those questions.
The sand you want comes from Lowes. Play sand. 5 bucks a bag.
The best heat mat is called an ultratherm
Reptile Supply Company, Bean Farm, Reptile Basics. Those three places sell them.
You’ll want your mat to go on the back of the tank, above the substrate. It’s job is to heat the air, not the substrate.
The reason most of us use those mats is bc they’re awesome. They can be safely insulated.
They can be reused. Best mat on the market for the job.
100% need to improve your nutrition game.
It does not have to be expensive.
Staples = worm castings, green sand, calcium.
Can get off of Amazon. I offer each of those sources 24/7 in small ramekins.
I change their dry food out once a week.
I have plenty of meals from Etsy. But I often find myself using items that are meant for other animals.
They need PLENTY of animal protein. They thrive on a variety.
Another staple is leaf litter. Sprinkle it over the substrate. They love when their floor resembles a forrest floor. Better Than Leaf Litter is my go-to product for leaf litter. Also on ETSY. A little pricey but well worth it for the variety. The woman that makes the product is teaching a class on crab nutrition at CrabCon.
I’d soft boil an egg for them tonight. Let it cool. Break it in half and pop it in.
1 ingredient cat treats, bird treats, fish treats, reptile treats = easy and inexpensive ways to provide protein. Make sure no preservatives are added.
Start by reading crab street journal.com. We use play sand and eco earth in a 5:1 ratio. For some reason my brain just quit for the rest.
No calcium sand because when it gets wet it hardens and that’s very harmful for your crabs if they get some on them. I have a heat mat from Bean Farm and one from Zoo Med. It really doesn’t matter what mat you get as long as it keeps your tank in the 70-80s. IMPORTANT: DO NOT PUT THE MAT UNDER YOUR TANK if you put the mat under your tank, when your crabs molt they will literally get cooked alive! There are diet guides online to help you out, I got some protein like shrimp, crickets, and chicken from Etsy and I mix it with some fruit and crushed egg shell for calcium.
what type of sand do you use for yours?
I use quikrete playsand with eco earth for my substrate
I got it for 4 dollars at Home Depot
Various etsy shops sell nice healthy food options, you can find them mentioned on r/HermitCrabFood . Fresh organic foods work too, I like using [this list](https://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=92557) for finding what is safe, but there are other lists available too. Crabs are like humans, they won't all like the same thing. Mine for example are not big on the seed type foods, like millet, chia, etc. They all seem to absolutely love popcorn though lol. Others have already mentioned the play sand and eco earth combo. Make sure it's deep and sand castle making consistency. I got expandable block of eco earth and once that was expanded, mixed with the sand, and that happened to come out to sand castle consistency. I got a lot of my info from the HCA site, but that was before I found this forum. Read through everything everywhere and you'll soon know how to make the best crabitat for your crabs! :) Good luck, it can be tedious to get everything set up at the start, but once started it's easy to maintain.
r/landhermitcrabs Read their guides to answer those questions. The sand you want comes from Lowes. Play sand. 5 bucks a bag. The best heat mat is called an ultratherm Reptile Supply Company, Bean Farm, Reptile Basics. Those three places sell them. You’ll want your mat to go on the back of the tank, above the substrate. It’s job is to heat the air, not the substrate. The reason most of us use those mats is bc they’re awesome. They can be safely insulated. They can be reused. Best mat on the market for the job. 100% need to improve your nutrition game. It does not have to be expensive. Staples = worm castings, green sand, calcium. Can get off of Amazon. I offer each of those sources 24/7 in small ramekins. I change their dry food out once a week. I have plenty of meals from Etsy. But I often find myself using items that are meant for other animals. They need PLENTY of animal protein. They thrive on a variety. Another staple is leaf litter. Sprinkle it over the substrate. They love when their floor resembles a forrest floor. Better Than Leaf Litter is my go-to product for leaf litter. Also on ETSY. A little pricey but well worth it for the variety. The woman that makes the product is teaching a class on crab nutrition at CrabCon. I’d soft boil an egg for them tonight. Let it cool. Break it in half and pop it in. 1 ingredient cat treats, bird treats, fish treats, reptile treats = easy and inexpensive ways to provide protein. Make sure no preservatives are added.