Best Substrate & Sand For Hermit Crabs Reviews 2022

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best substrate for hermit crabs

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Animals living in a natural environment require adjustments when being caressed at home. Hermit crabs in their natural oceanic habitat live its life normally until you brought it at your home, it will be confused on its new environment. Thus, giving your new pet with the best substrate and sand for hermit crabs will never take away the natural habitat feeling.

Top 10 Best Substrate & Sand For Hermit Crabs

Fluker’s All Natural Premium Sand Substrate Mixture

Fluker discovers out of the cage kind of substrate for hermit crabs in accordance of the mixtures used.

Unlike other mixtures’ manufacturers who used calcium carbonate and pieces of crushed seashells, Fluker added all-natural silica sand, coconut grit, sea salt, and probiotics. These ingredients make the mixture more healthy and helpful for the hermit crabs. They functioned differently with one purpose.

The silica sand and coconut grits maintain the overall mixtures’ moist. The sea salt gives the natural ocean feeling to the crabs and the probiotic keeps the mixtures away from bacteria and it also helps to break down pet’s waste.

Customer’s Point-of-view

The powerful combination of the ingredients makes the mixture the best for a hermit crab. The coconut grit really maintains the moist. The downfall is that calcium carbonate easily gets under its shell that might kill your pet.

Fluker’s Loose Coconut Bedding

Fluker’s another kind of substrate is a coconut bedding. They have proven a quality preceding sand substrate mixture thus, no worry in trying this one.

It is made of 100% coconut fiber and it is organic. The moist it provides is at its best for the hermit crab. The bedding is suitable for all invertebrate animals, including hermit crab. It must be changed every 6 months for a more hygienic environment to your pet.

If foul odor takes place, change the whole substrate immediately to avoid affecting your pet’s health.

Customer’s Point-of-view

The reminders at the back of the package speak clearly on how it works. The coconut fiber is so fine.

Zoo Med Hermit Soil Coconut Fiber Brick

If you want more eco-friendly substrate than what Fluker’s could offer, Zoo Med has made a brick substrate for your pet.

It is not like usual sand but in a brick form that expands up to 8 liters when water is added. The coconut fiber brick alone can work well but if sand is added, it makes the habitat easier for your pet to burrow.

This substrate is fully made of coconut fiber that is useful in maintaining the moist environment in which the pet’s a necessary requirement in its habitat.  Other than that, it causes the pet to burrow easier.

Additionally, the brick cleans the hermit crabs’ habitat by naturally absorbing the wastes’ residue.

Customer’s Point-of-view

The brick expands as expected and it allows the hermit crab to burrow in a moist-rich substrate. It has no smell at all. However, avoid food from being down the substrate for a long time to avoid the presence of molds.

Hermit Habitat Terrarium Sand, Blue

Your pet loves eye-catchy surroundings too, yet, making your pet’s habitat as colorful as you want is not a hard thing anymore.

Hermit crab habitat creates a unique sand mixture as they colored it with blue to imitate an oceanic aura. It renders your pet the feeling of real ocean habitat even in a tank for the sand itself naturally came from the ocean.

It is made with non-toxic ingredients that are safe for ingestion to your pet. Calcium carbonate is the main ingredient of this mixture that is effective in growing the pet’s exoskeleton. Moreover, it naturally neutralizes the odor of your pet’s habitat that makes it more humid and comfier to the hermit crab.

It is also available in variations of colors depending on your want.

Customer’s Point-of-view

The sand’s color attracts hermit crab more than ever before. The hermit crab loves burrowing itself into this sand. On the other hand, customers’ demand for a bigger sack of this sand has risen.

Hermit Habitat Terrarium Substrates

Hermit crab also loves to live on gravels. It is different from the sand where it can burrow anytime it wants because on substrates like this it is not possible for your pet to burrow.

Anyways, these fine gravels coated with blue acrylic color will make your pet’s habitat more colorful. The coating is non-toxic and it will never turn your hermit crab into blue. The color itself gives an oceanic view to your pet and it helps it to adapt easily to its new environment.

It can be placed on different containers as long as it can give comfort and it is safe for your pet. It better works when added with sand in the same brand to make a full package habitat.

Customer’s Point-of-view

The view it gives is so wonderful. However, according to some users, the acrylic color has eroded from the gravel and it irritated the hermit crab.

Reptile Sciences Terrarium Sand for Aquarium

Hermit crabs will surely miss the white sand beach they subsisted for their entire life as they become pets. You can remake that beach sand environment on your pet.

This is the simplest sand on the list as it gives a natural sand beach appearance. It works well for reptiles as its name foretells but its effectiveness for hermit crabs has also proven by the good reviews coming from hermit crab owners.

This sand is fully made of calcium carbonate that is naturally colored with white which creates a nature-like environment for a hermit crab. It is toxic free and safe for ingestion and burrowing. When in times of cleaning the tank, it has neutralized a natural odor thus no hardships in cleaning it.

Customer’s Point-of-view

The 10 pounds natural white sand is sufficient for the burrowing of a hermit crab. It does not cause digestive problems in the pet living in it. The sands’ texture is fine and designed for better burrowing of hermit crab-like on its natural habitat.

Galapagos Hermit Crab Tropicoco Soil

Hermit crabs normally live in soft, fine beach sand to live its life to the fullest. You can now provide soft bedding for the hermit crab made of coconut soil.

It does not appear as the prior sand and substrate mixtures. At first, it looks like a normal brick but when salt water is poured out to it, it will break into softer pieces until it becomes comfier bedding for your pet. It is cozier for your pet to live in soft bedding especially that it loves to burrow itself into it.

The mixtures also resist bacteria and louses from coming. It also maintains the humidity environment that is normally needed by a hermit crab. Subsequently, it is environmental friendly bedding for a hermit crab.

Customer’s Point-of-view

The comfort it provides on hermit crab is so legit and the moist content of the beddings is steady because of its absorbance ability.

Zoo Med Vita-Sand

The hermit crab deserves to live in a healthy environment to attain its natural growth. Sand initial for reptiles’ habitat but it can also do well for a hermit crab.

It is available in six different wonderful colors that could catch hermit crab’s attention. It is made of all-natural calcium carbonate with no added preservatives thus avoids ingestion problems. The ending mixture product was made in fine texture to prevent excessive danger from ingestion.

A veterinarian approved substrate for your pet. Meaning, it is safe for ingestion and it’s a big help for the growth of the pet.

Customer’s Point-of-view

Since this substrate is vitamin-rich, it has an odor of the used vitamins to produce this substrate. The sand is also dusty as according to the users therefore not easy to clean. Overall, it is naturally made and that makes it still a good substrate for your hermit crab.

Carib Sea Super Natural Moonlight Sand

Looking for sand that is good for both saltwater and freshwater? Carib Sea has made it into reality!

It is 5-pound sand colored with natural white to completely imitate hermit crab’s original habitat. This results to a comfier pet on its new habitat. Its color also results to an easy to clean habitat as dirt can be easily seen.

It has the ability to neutralize the pH level of the water that helps the sand to moist. It is also safe for ingestion as it does not contain any paint and additives. The sand is best placed in an aquarium for better distribution of beddings to hermit crabs.

It is a USA-made substrate that ensures its quality.

Customer’s Point-of-view

The sand is too fine that it works well for moist texture only and not with so much water in it. Additionally, it gives a crystal clear look hermit crab habitat for burrowing because of its white shiny color.

Nature’s Ocean Bio-Activ Live Aragonite Live Sand

Do you want a hygienic habitat for your little crabby? Here is the key!

As hermit crabs will now live in an aquarium at home, the oceanic feeling is needed. The difference of this sand compared to other sand on the list is its advance cleaning ability. It naturally removes harmful waste such as Ammonia and Nitrite because of its bio-activ elements.

The 10-pound sand naturally came from the beach for better concentration for the better growth of your pet.

Customer’s Point-of-view

It is very suitable for aquarium used and best for the burrowing of hermit crabs. The benefits it gives for better cleaning was highly praised by the users.

Frequently Asked Questions (Faqs)

Why are sand and substrate important for hermit crabs?

Hermit crabs love to play around the sandy beach. Bringing it inside a tank will demand a natural environment. Thus, by having sand and substrate for the hermit crab is needed and very important because they can play and burrow their whole in it. Without it on their temporary habitat will not let them grow as normal.

What kind of sand and substrate do hermit crabs live?

There are specific sand and substrate for hermit crab in the market. As long as it is not too fine or too coarse but in the middle texture, it is good for hermit crabs to live on. Also, choose sand and substrate that are surely clean or hygienic to protect the growth of your pets.

Can I use the usual sand at the backyard for hermit crabs’ habitat?

Absolutely not, you cannot be sure on the quality of usual sand and hermit crabs do need sand rich in calcium for the better growth. The texture also is largely different from the specified sand or substrate for hermit crab offered in the market.

How to set up a crabitat with sand and substrate?

Since hermit crabs normally live in a moist environment, keeping the sand and substrate at their moist level is recommended. This will happen by adding some water to the mixture to make it at its moist level. Aside from sand, coconut fiber can be placed on a tank for it can easily moist like a soil. The other recommendation as a substrate is a crushed coral which is effective though.

What to avoid in choosing sand and substrate for a hermit crab?

Hermit crab loves to burrow thus having pebbles as a substrate is not acceptable. However, small pebbles could still work for hermit crabs. In addition to that, wood shavings are not also suitable for giving the needed moist of your pet. Lastly, a moss product for it invites the presence of bacteria and molds.

The Bottom Line

Hermit crabs depend on its environment for better living. Most importantly are the sand and substrate in where it burrows its whole being in order to molt. Therefore, choosing the most suitable substrate for your pet must be taken into consideration for the better molting of your pet.

At the end of the day, the proper taking care of hermit crabs depends really on yourself as you’ll constantly check its crabitat’s moist level.

If questions are to be raised, comment down below and we’ll throw a response immediately.