Hermit Crab Water and how to DETOXIFY it from the faucet
Hermit crabs that live on land NEED WATER at all times, it’s essential to their life cycle. But don’t add water directly from your faucet, it’s got way too many chemicals to be safe. What’s in your faucet water that will harm hermit crabs?
- ammonia
- nitrates, nitrites
- chlorine and chloramines
- and more harmful chemicals!
If you’re using water from your faucet, make sure to condition and DETOXIFY it first before putting in your hermit crab tank.
Two best options for DETOXIFYING faucet water?
Water Conditioners and
Reverse Osmosis
(RO water)
filtration systems
Water Conditioners
The easiest method for detoxifying faucet water is adding a few drops of a Water Conditioner product.
There are multiple water conditioning products that can be used to easily remove toxins from faucet water.
We have used AmQuel Plus by Kordon for many years. We use it to condition and detoxify faucet water for both fresh and saltwater bowls. More about AmQuel + here.
Other similar products include Prime by SeaChem and Hermit Safe by Jurassipet.
Tip: AmQuel’s directions say to add 10 drops per one gallon of water. Best results include oxygenating water (in an aquarium, using a bubbler or other moving water mechanism like filters). SHAKE THE WATER WELL once you add the drops.
It’s also a great idea to add a bubbler to your hermit crab water bowl, as it keeps water healthier by adding oxygen AND hermit crabs LOVE moving water! <– see how easy and cheap it is to add a bubbler here!
Reverse Osmosis filtration systems
Most serious aquarium hobbyists use Reverse Osmosis water (often referred to as RO Water). Rather than using chemicals to remove chemicals (like water conditioners), reverse osmosis water is the result of several layers of filtration.
RO Water for your hermit crab pools is SMART! You can buy it at your local aquarium store, or you can buy a system and make your own RO water at home!
At each filtration level, more toxins and chemicals are removed until the water is virtually chemical-free. RO Water is generally known to provide the best possible water parameters for aquariums. This RO water is great for hermit crab water, for their fresh water needs as well as for making their sea water.
RO water filtration systems are known to last 6-12 months before needing to replace the filters. There are stand-alone systems, and systems that you can install under your sink.
Fresh water:
Hermit crabs need fresh water at all times, in their crabitat (hermit crab habitat). If possible, the bowl should be deep enough for them to submerge. Make sure they can easily climb in and out because yes, they can drown (especially your smallest hermit crabs!). They can’t swim, and they don’t breathe underwater. The water MUST BE pure! Faucet water contains too many bad toxins like ammonia, chlorine, nitrates etc. Find more on detoxifying faucet water here.
Sea water:
Hermit crabs ALSO need a sea water source. It’s importance depends on the type of hermit crab(s) you have. Most hermit crabs need sea water at all times in their habitat. Purple pincher hermit crabs don’t require sea water in captivity, but do need it to reproduce. However, even though they don’t need it… it’s a good idea to keep sea water in the habitat at all times, just like fresh water.
Sea water is considered “saltwater”. But this does NOT mean using kitchen salt! Sea water from the ocean (what hermit crabs need) is VERY different from water mixed with salt from your kitchen. To create sea water for your hermit crabs, buy a gallon from your local aquarium store. OR use a product like Instant Ocean. Make sure when making saltwater, that you use a product specifically for that purpose. There are salt products made as an additive for fresh water.
How toxic is YOUR faucet water?
It's easy and cheap to test it!
We use a $14.95 water digital water tester we found on Amazon. We periodically test our faucet water, to know what we’re drinking. We also do a quick test of our hermit crab water before putting it in the crabitat. Quick test means… 1 second, yes it’s that fast!
The digital water test we have also has the ranges right on the tester which is handy, and let’s us know just how many chemicals are (or are not) in the water immediately.
It’s a great inexpensive tool to ensure you’re providing the best, heathiest non-toxic water for your hermit crab pets.
But is PURE (detoxified) water good?
Pure detoxified or RO water IS GOOD! BUT…
Water that’s been purified will ALSO lack the GOOD minerals that are normally found in water. The good minerals in water that we (humans) and our hermit crabs benefit from are calcium and magnesium. When we purify the water, these two top minerals are also stripped away.
So remember, distilled water is pure. BUT distilled water does NOT have the natural calcium and magnesium that our bodies (and our hermit crabs) would otherwise rely on, at least in part.
What does this mean? When using purified, distilled water YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE these essential minerals are added BACK IN (somehow). For our hermit crab pets, it’s SUPER IMPORTANT to provide a well balanced diet with extra sources of calcium. This includes a supplemental mineral block like Zoo Med’s Hermit Crab Mineral Blocks. A package of 3 can be purchased for under $1.50, and your hermit crabs NEED this extra calcium and other minerals included in these blocks!