two crabs dead, one not confirmed.

[ladybug15057]

Hard to say not knowing what the other thingy's are. It must remove chlorine, chloramine and heavy metals from tap water if you are using tap water. If you are using well water it must at least remove/neutralize heavy metals. All dechlorinators I have seen here in the U.S. also have an expiration date on the bottles so you must check for an expiration date too. If it doesn't have one, and depending on how long you have had it stashed away I would suggest to buy new.

[crabcrazygal]

i went to the pets store and bourght the smallest bag of the only salt mixture stuff they had.
it is on the recomended list under the crab care section, and it is called "red sea salt".
i got a 2kg bag, (2kg for every 60 litres). it was $27 (i thourght it was heaps expensive, untill, i realised how long it will last for.
im guessing that most people make a big batch of the water, and just use that from a big water bottle/container.
the lady at the pet store asked if i had a salt water tank, and i explained about my hermit crabs, and that this salt is better for them, and after all that she said that they used a "special hermit crab salt" that is the same as rock salt. i decided not to try and explain it again, and said, that i would think about it. obviously i had already made my mind up about what salt i would get.

the go-pet water conditioner says on the front:
"Enhances natural protective slime on fish, neutralises chlorine, chloramine,& heavy metals harmful to fish".
it has no labeled expiration date.

[Wai]

LOL @ "special hermit crab salt". Why on earth would land hermit crabs need "special sea salt"? Why can't they have the same stuff as fish in the sea?

[emmac350]

I don't think that the water conditioner is safe if it says it enhances slime coatings - sounds an awful lot like Stress Coat, which isn't safe for drinking water (would you want to drink slime coatings?), although it doesn't seem to cause harm during bathing.

[ladybug15057]

API stresscoat is not to be used in a hermies drinking ponds. Within the past 2 years there is a lot of controversy too as to if it does/does not benefit the hermies if bathed in it. But bathing once a week or so is way different than being in a hermies daily water ponds.
Now this is from my own experience:
For about 2 years we use to bath the hermies here in stresscoat. For about 7 years now we have not used it. While using it, and since not using it I have not noted any ill effects. IMO, this is also one less chemical I am subjecting these hermies to here.
There is also the possibility that the slime coating in the water conditioners can prevent the hermies from absorbing valuable nutrients from the foods they eat.
If given a proper diet, they can benefit from the oils from the foods they eat much better, inside and out.

[crabcrazygal]

ok thanks guys.
i wont be going to the pet store for at least a month.

[ladybug15057]

Here in the U.S. they sell fish water dechlorinators at a few different type stores, not just pet stores. K-Mart, WalMart, Giant eagle, (which is a large grocery store) and a few others. If you go to any type of stores check them out in their pet food/supply area.

[crabcrazygal]

i will keep my eye out, but the only stores that might possibly stock that sort of stuff, are the grocery store, and stock feeds (they sell fish there, so im guessing hey sell that stuff).

[CrabbyJo]

I think that you will definitely find a dechlorinator in the pet section at your local grocery store. Even if it doesn't remove heavy metals, at least you could use it until you are able to obtain one that does. A dechlorinator is vital, and using the one with slime coat for drinking water could be worse than using one that just doesn't remove heavy metals. Just my thought on it.

[crabcrazygal]

junior is not wll at all! i think he will die, he is not moving (only when i pick him up, and thats just a tiny bit.) i am about to put him in iso.
this couldnt all of been over me not giving them the right salt water, could it?
i know its a bit early to say this under autopsies, but is must be somhow realated to the death of mt other crabs!