Alternative Cheap and Easy to Find Substrate for Hermit Crabs?

Playground sand from Home Depot or Lowes. It's less than $5 for a 50 lb bag. It's similar to beach sand. It'll be more than enough to fill the tank up deep enough for them to dig like they love to do. Before you add it to their tank, bake it at at least 250 degrees to make sure it's bacteria free. Then let it cool to room temperature. They'll need some calcium, which the special hermit crab sand usually has added to it. Add an area of ground up calcium block (like for birds) or that expensive calcisand. I filled a 3 x 6 inch empty sea shell with calcisand and ground up calcium and pushed it down so it was even with the top of the sand. Or you could grind up a bunch and mix it throughout the sand. It's cheaper to just give them a small area where they can get it when they need though. Edit: Those blocks are called cuttlebone. Look in bird supplies. http://www.petco.com/product/6382/PETCO-Cuttlebone-with-Metal-Holder.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch Edit: You can also rinse the sand with water (room temperature is fine) and strain it to make sure you get the dust out before or after baking. If the kind you get creates a cloud of dust when you pour it out, you definitely ought to rinse out the dust, since that isn't good for them. No harm in rinsing it to be safe. A large metal strainer works great. A cheese cloth (used for baking) is best, because less sand will fall out but you can hardly find them in stores these days. If too much sand falls through you strainer, try lining it with a towel or a few paper towels. Keep rinsing until you don't see any more dust coming off. (Here's pics of the strainers I'm talking about.They sell something similar at pet stores, but I can't find a pic. I'm pretty sure I got mine in either aquarium or hermit crab supplies. Just make sure its holes are small enough to keep the sand from running right through. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hLwYbytkl5I/TNhvx2a3EmI/AAAAAAAABuc/zudF8-iIcm4/s1600/Sieve.jpg http://www.imgsrv.worldstart.com/store/images/drain-strainer/drain-strainer-01.jpg) No need to boil *and* bake. Those serve the same purpose -- heat sterilization. Doing both just makes more work. Baking is much easier than boiling and helps dry the sand faster before you put it into the aquarium if you've rinsed it. Water at room temperature will be enough to cling to the dust and allow you to strain it out. hermit-crabs.com's advice on play sand: "There are also many different varieties of sand available. The most expensive ones come in small bags and are labeled as special "hermit crab sand." Don't be fooled! When it comes to general crab care, "sand is sand is sand" and it doesn't matter where it comes from, as long as it is clean. You can get a 50 lb. bag of clean play sand from a hardware store for the same amount you'd pay for 2 small bags of "hermit crab sand." (Try to get a bag of play sand which is towards the middle of the pallet, otherwise, it may be wet or contaminated.) A word of caution about play sand. Some crab owners have reported problems with an orange-colored play sand they purchased from Home Depot. The sand had an oily, diesel-like smell to it. If you open the bag of sand and notice any "off" smell, throw it out or take it back to the store. Do not put any strong-smelling sand into your crabitat. One sand that has been of consistent good quality is "high desert sand." You only need to concern yourself with special sand if you have a sick crab that needs calcium. Most sand comes pre-washed and/or sterilized. Sometimes, however, individual bags can develop leaks through which moisture, insects, etc. invade. As a precautionary measure, please take a close look at the substrate before you put it into your crabitat. Pour some into a bowl and sift it through your fingers, hold it to a strong light and watch for insects. Lastly, put your nose to it and take a whiff to check for a musty smell which would indicate moisture contamination."