I answer a lot of question from new crabbers, both here, on Crab Street Journal and on allexperts.com. One of the things that frustrates me the most about new crab owners is the poor information that they get sent home with. I know that I've talked at length about gravel, and heat/humidity. But there is one element of the "new crab kit" that just wont die. The sponge. I don't know exactly why crabbers hang onto these for as long as they do, but I wanted to take a few minutes to debunk the "all powerful" sponge.

Some people add sponges in an effort to help regulate their humidity. While this does work to a degree, it has a number of drawbacks which do not make a sponge worth the trouble. Humidity can be effectively maintained using a DIY humidifier or some piles of natural moss. Sponges must be removed and sterilized in the microwave ever 24-36 hours to prevent a harmful bacterial buildup. This isn't a problem for the other humidity solutions.

The other reason that people add sponges to their hermit crab tanks is because they have been told that hermit crabs can only drink from sponges (NOT TRUE!) and that they can drown in too much water, which is also false. Hermit crabs are equipped to deal with pools of water similar to the water they would encounter in their natural environment. They do not need a sponge to act as a safety mechanism. Now if you have a very deep pool and some very small crabs, you might provide something for them to climb out on, but even in that instance, a sponge is not your best choice.

Finally, filling your water dish with a sponge makes it impossible for your crabs to get into the water and get water into their shells. This is important for their overall health as they keep their shell water regulated to lubricate their abdomen and keep their gills moist.

So next time someone tells you that you must have a sponge in your tank, tell them no thanks, you've found a way to do everything a sponge could do, without any of the hassle!

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