Hermit Crab Water Pillow

[diburning]

I was wondering how these worked and how I could make a DIY. Here is a pic:

On the left, is the dry pillow with some white powder inside. On the right, its soaked and swelled up.

I was thinking of using these to make DIY Ice packs. HOwever, they aren't very cheap at my LFS. Does anyone know what that white powdery stuff is that makes the thing swell?

P.S. Whatever it is, its reusable.

 

[Lateral Line]

You can get a powder that swells up into a jelly that is used for cut flowers, and even as a planting medium. Here, you get it at a garden centre, but I suspect it is expensive. I expect it dehydrates back to the powder, but don't know for sure.

Here, plastic, MEG filled blocks for freezing down cost almost nothing. The "everything costs 10 Kroner" type shops always have them.

 

[hoarp001]

They have also invented a plastic bag that you keep in your glove box and if your stuck in a mega traffic jam, you can pee in the bag and the powder turns the pee into an odourless jelly. You seal the bag up and put it back in thet glove box and throw it away when you get home.

Maybe you could get those and just empty the powder out?

 

[rfisher]

Hi All,

Please forgive my ignorance, why does a crab want a water pillow, what purpose does it serve?

Rich

 

[raptorrex]

I was gonna say they're the same stuff they put in baby's diapers (white powdery stuff that turns into gel when it gets into contact with water). Unfortunately I haven't kept my 'experiments' long enough to learn if they turn back into powder once they've been dried.

 

[raptorrex]

I was gonna say they're the same stuff they put in baby's diapers (white powdery stuff that turns into gel when it gets into contact with water). Unfortunately I haven't kept my 'experiments' long enough to learn if they turn back into powder once they've been dried.

What? I didn't pee on them, silly. I was just curious, so I cut one up, discovered the white powder stuff, put water on it and et voila! Magic gel!

lol i just like your sense of humor

 

[hoarp001]

yeah, so what does a hermit crab water pillow do...

 

[0x0000ff]

yeah, so what does a hermit crab water pillow do...

i'll be number 3 to ask this too....

 

[hoarp001]

what, the little crabs sit on them....

whats wrong with wet sand?!

 

[dreamsphere]

Strap some tampons together and voila!

 

[boshank23]

Strap some tampons together and voila!

quick edit please...

clean tampons

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

Strap some tampons together and voila!

quick edit please...

clean tampons

yooo wtf man!

 

[Nerwign]

Since neither diapers or those urine bags are designed to release the moisture for consumption, I would worry that any chemicals they use to hold the liquid may contaminate your hermit crab's water source and possibly be toxic to him.

If you are trying to find a way to have water without the wet, you might try Cricket Water Bites, commonly used to keep crickets hydrated without the risk of them drowning in a water dish.

http/www.amazon.com/Nature-Zone-Cricket-...s/dp/B00061URT2

http/www.livefoods.co.uk/default.php?cPath=26

I don't know if any of these sites are any good but this gives you an overview of the product I'm talking about.

-Nerwign

Other than that it doesn't sound different than a sponge to me...

And I would imagine it is still succeptible to growing mold if it stays wet for days and is designed to be reused again and again. (also if your crab sits on top of it, that will add contamination of cage mater, feces etc. Do you really *want* to be reusing that as his supply of "clean" water?)

Go with the cricket bites if you ask me.

-Nerwign