Eco Earth for Hermit Crabs: Pros and Cons
Good healthy substrate is an important part of a healthy, happy hermit crab habitat. Choose a substrate that:
- has good moisture retention
- is easy to burrow in
- helps resist mold (not attract it!)
- is a good simulation of the substrate in their natural environment
Eco Earth, by Zoo Med, is one product of many similar coconut fiber products sold specifically for small animal habitats. In this guide, we’ll explore using coconut fiber to benefit and enhance your hermit crab habitat, both the pros and the cons.
What is Coconut Fiber?
Coconut fiber, also known as coir, is a natural material derived from the husk of coconuts. It’s a renewable resource that has gained popularity in various applications due to its eco-friendly and sustainable properties. In recent years, coconut fiber has become widely used in the world of hermit crab care as a substrate additive.
But beware… you can also find coconut fiber products in the gardening section of big box stores. These products may OR MAY NOT BE safe for pets. It’s NEVER a good idea to purchase products that aren’t specifically made for pets. There could be harmful chemicals used in the making of, or added to, these products.
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Pros of Using Eco Earth in Hermit Crab Habitats
Coconut fiber offers several advantages that make it an ideal choice for hermit crab enclosures:
1. Natural product
Eco Earth Coconut fiber products sold for hermit crabs, reptiles and small animals are 100% natural and sustainable, and can be easily recycled back into the garden once cleaned out of the habitat.
2. Humidity and moisture retention
One of the key benefits of coconut fiber is its excellent moisture retention capacity, helping humidity levels stay at the desired “subtropical” or “tropical” levels needed. When added to sand, it helps prevents it from drying out too quickly, ensuring that your hermit crabs stay comfortable and healthy.
3. Burrowing Opportunities
Hermit crabs must burrow easily, it’s a crucial part of their life cycle. [See my article on why hermit crabs burrow here]. Coconut fiber substrate allows them to dig and create tunnels, which is an essential aspect of their natural behavior. Gravel, large granule sand, dirt and other substrates are too difficult to burrow into, and will crater the tunnels your hermit crab digs.
4. Mold Resistance
Coconut fiber has natural antifungal properties, making it more resistant to mold growth. This is crucial for maintaining a clean and healthy habitat for your hermit crabs.
5. Natural Appearance
Coconut fiber, when mixed with sand, resembles the sandy hybrid beach-earth that hermit crabs naturally inhabit in the wild.
Comes loose and in compressed "brick" form
Coconut fiber products come in two main types:
- loose coconut fiber (ready to use)
- coconut fiber brick (compressed, add water to expand)
There are a bunch of coconut fiber products on the market within different industries (outside of “pets”). Some are marketed for the gardening industry, some for home decorative purposes. They all look similar, but not all are 100% pure coconut fiber and determined safe for pets.
Eco Earth is a coconut fiber product sold by Zoo Med, specifically for reptiles and other small pets. It’s found in many pet stores and easily found for sale online on Amazon. It comes in compressed “brick” form, and expands exponentially once soaked in water. It’s a clean product, no additives, and is completely natural. It also comes in loose form in bags, ready to use.
Why stick to Eco Earth? It’s sold by Zoo Med, is a leading reptile and small animal brand and very reputable. They understand the needs of these pets and their owners (versus off brand companies selling similar looking products that come from China and other countries).
The standards (and liabilities) are higher for pet products. This means there won’t be harmful manufacturing additives used, or harmful additives inside the product itself. Always look at the ingredients of the products you purchase for your hermit crabs… they are tiny pets which means they are more susceptible to harmful ingredients than other pets.
Coconut Fiber Bricks: Just Add Water!
Coconut fiber bricks are a compressed form of the same substrate, but needs water to expand for use. Stick a brick into a bowl of water, and it begins to expand immediately. After a few minutes you’ll have handfuls of moist wonderful coconut fiber ready to use.
These bricks expand into a lot of coconut fiber! If you make more than you need, store it! You should be changing your habitat’s substrate regularly, so it will eventually come in handy. *These bricks are generally the most economical way to buy coconut fiber, especially if you buy a 2 or 4 pack.
Mixing Coconut Fiber and Sand
What you'll need:
Coconut Fiber
It’s best to use Eco Earth by Zoo Med or a similar product that’s made and marketed specifically for reptiles and other small animals. Read the labels of all products to ensure there are no added ingredients or additives that could be harmful.
Sand
There are different types of sand you can use. Many experienced hermit crab pet owners like to use the play sand you can buy at Home Depot or other big box stores… used for children’s play sandboxes. It’s inexpensive and should be safe and free from harmful chemicals.
Other options are sand for hermit crabs, and sand for saltwater/reef aquariums.
Note: your choice on substrate should also depend on the species of hermit crabs you have. We have Caribbean Purple Pincher hermit crabs, and in the wild they burrow further into sand/dirt areas in and around mangroves and trees and foresty areas. For more on types of hermit crabs, see my article Hermit Crab Types of Pets with Photos here.
- Play sand
Find in big box stores and Home Depot, for children’s sandboxes. This product is generally more economical than pet-specific sand products. - Hermit Crab sand
There are sand products sold specifically for hermit crab habitats. These are typically the same product as reef/saltwater aquarium sand which is finely crushed coral from the ocean of aragonite or calcium carbonate, natural and what washes up on beaches. Watch out for non-natural sand products and stay far away from them! - Hermit Crab sand substrate mixture
There are sand substrate products sold specifically for hermit crab habitats like Fluker’s Hermit Crab Sand Substrate Mixture which is sand and coconut fiber blend. *this is what we use in our hermit crab habitats, and we mix more coconut fiber into this product - Reef/Saltwater aquarium sand
There are different types of aquarium sand that work well for hermit crab habitats; look for aragonite or calcium carbonate, fine to medium granules, natural colors.
Last update on 2024-11-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API