kay-Kob bedding and litter

[PCP]

Is this safe?

[CrabbyJo]

Absolutely not! It is made for rodents, is it not?
You don't want ANY kind of litter used as bedding for your crabs, as it is treated to reduce ammonia and absorb high amounts of moisture. It would pull the moisture right out of your crabs.

I did not find Kay-Bob listed directly for sale anywhere, but did find that it is made by Care Fresh, and those products are for rodents, mammals, not crabs that will be burrowing in it: http://www.animalworldnetwork.com/cabein3sions.html

Do not EVER use a litter as substrate for your crabs.
100% coconut fiber is best if you choose to have a natural looking substrate other than sand.

[PCP]

It's made by Kaytee. It's not made just for Rodents. Many small animals use it, including birds.

[CrabbyJo]

Sorry hon, you're missing the point.
The point is it is used for animals that urinate in it. Mammals. and birds. It is meant to absorb animal waste.

This litter, as I said, would wick the moisture from their bodies as well as from the air, suffocating them to death, as they need a high amount of humidity to breathe through their modified gills.
they need a substrate that they can safely dig and bury in, a substrate that can be moistened so they can dig little caves to hide and molt in. The crabs will often moisten the substrate themselves.

In your hello thread I did give some good links to help you get started, it will help you understand more about hermit crabs and their needs and you'll soon realize why I said NO WAY to this litter. Or any other litter!

[Wai]

In simple words, the Carefresh stuff is used for animals that don't mind living in a dry environment, such as birds and rodents. They urinate and poop all the time, so the bedding absorbs that, making their home dry and odour-free.

However, land hermit crabs need a humid environment. The Carefresh stuff absorbs moisture, so a humid environment is not possible; hence it is not suitable for hermit crabs.

[PCP]

Thanks CrabbyJo. The moisture absorbtion makes sense. I should have figured that one out for myself.

[ladybug15057]

Wai, sounds like a good one to add to the "Do not use" list in the crab care section?

Great researching CrabbyJo!!

[Wai]

The Carefresh stuff is available for sale in pet stores here too. Unfortunately, my local Pets Paradise store keeps their hermit crabs in that gunk.

The Carefresh stuff is now blacklisted in the Crab Care section.

[appps]

Swtmellie I've been using Kritters Krumble for about 3 years with no problems.

It's coconut fibre for small animals and reptiles and I use the fine grade. Available at most pet stores I think.

The website is http://www.kritterscrumble.com.au but it seems to be having technical problems at the moment.

[Ginger]

Appps, out of curiosity, I had a look at Kritter Krumble while shopping for cheaper options for my 40g, but I thought that it was too chunky for my liking. Is there a finer variety, do you mix it in with tons of sand... ??? I would search this, but as you said their sit is down at the moment.