Metals?

Questions about designing a terrarium.
Post Reply
Aimee
Zygote
Zygote
Posts: 3
Joined: 14 Aug 2011, 12:24
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 13
Total gallons: 115
Total tanks: 2

Metals?

Post by Aimee »

Hi,

I have been advised by someone who thinks they know a lot about hermit crabs that metals are not toxic to them.

Would anyone have any research papers I could check out regarding this?

Thanks,
Aimee :D
User avatar
Wai
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 2892
Joined: 01 Nov 2004, 14:12
Gender: Male
Hermit crabs: 2
Total gallons: 45
Total tanks: 1
Location: Victoria, Australia
Contact:

Re: Metals?

Post by Wai »

I'm not sure about land hermit crabs, but as a student pharmacist, I know any metal is capable of inducing toxicity at high levels in humans. It is unknown what the toxicity threshold for each metal is for land hermit crabs.

There are very few research papers on land hermit crabs. Most studies I have read only discuss their behaviour in the wild, relationship with other animals and their normal physiology. Data on what is beneficial or harmful to land hermit crabs is very lacking. No-one out there should be claiming that they "know a lot" about hermit crabs since there are no published research papers about keeping land hermit crabs as pets. All we can say is that we may have more experience compared to newer crabbers.
Wai
Image
Aimee
Zygote
Zygote
Posts: 3
Joined: 14 Aug 2011, 12:24
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 13
Total gallons: 115
Total tanks: 2

Re: Metals?

Post by Aimee »

OK, thanks :) You're right, there is very little published research about it, so I'm glad for this forum which has some more experienced crabbers. Will keep my eye out for any publications.
CrabbyJo
Coenobita
Coenobita
Posts: 1849
Joined: 21 Jan 2009, 13:31
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 7
Total gallons: 85
Total tanks: 4
Location: Alaska

Re: Metals?

Post by CrabbyJo »

I agree with Wai. You said this person "thinks they know a lot about hermit crabs" so if they aren't a scientist and don't have some sort of solid reason for stating this, I'd just take it as hearsay and err on the side of caution. Copper DOES kill marine hermit crabs, I know this from reading a bit on some reef forums. So it stands to reason that our land hermit crabs may have a similar sensitivity.
6 hermit crabs - 3 PPs and 3 Equadorians
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please feel free to share information from this website, but please be sure to give credit and a link back to the information. Failure to give credit is plagiarism. Don't take credit for someone else's information.
User avatar
babesbarn
Zoea III
Zoea III
Posts: 268
Joined: 30 Aug 2010, 04:20
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 2
Total gallons: 20
Total tanks: 1
Location: Jersey Shore

Re: Metals?

Post by babesbarn »

I have had a bird cage metal climbing apartatus in the tank since summer and the crabbies are quite alright. It is not copper and black covered. And I check it all the time and it is not rusting and they "love" to hang on it. I got the idea from a store when I looked at the back of a hermit crab tank and they used plastic covered wire fencing. I use to raise parakeets and cocketeils and know that they chew the heck out of stuff and it is safe for them if you put a bird cage type climbing thing inside. Not the wood but the metal that is covered and not painted. JMO
Post Reply