2 Qs about "wild" foods

[OBXPair]

Thank you for the safe and unsafe food lists I found here! I live in a wooded area with lots of trees and other plants, and I'm 100% certain they're free of pesticides and other-chemicals. So I've put some oak and maple branches in the tank along with some blueberry stems (complete with blueberries!) and a few marigolds from my front yard. The crabs haven't come out to investigate yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing how (or if) they respond.

Now to my questions: 1) Are sassafras and tulip poplar safe or unsafe? 2) If I put a blackberry stalk in the tank, should I trim the thorns?

[Cumba]

I'm not sure about question 1 but, I think that the thorns should be fine. As long as they are not to sharp or long enough to hurt the crabs.I think they might even make a good climbing apparatus. You might want to check with a more experienced crabber though.

[OBXPair]

Thanks, Cumba. I decided the thorns, although small, might be too sharp, so I tried shaving them off. After stabbing myself a couple of times with the thorns, I gave up and settled for putting fresh blackberries in the food dish. If Jeff and Jerry want to climb a berry limb, they've got (thornless) blueberry ones!

Still wondering about sassafras and tulip poplar, which are very prolific in these parts. Does anyone know if they're safe for the crabs?

[megmaholm]

As far as I know, both poplar and sassafras are safe.