HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi guys!

So I have been reading conflicting information and wanted to get some input. I have been getting my hermit crabs “Green Sphagnum moss” and they seems to love it. They hide in it, eat it and play in it. I’ve been reading that if it’s green colored it could be bad for them though. I got the bag from petsmart and it’s the one that’s good for frogs and a bunch of other animals (it shows hermit crabs as well) is this safe for them? They seem to love it so much so I’m really hoping it’s ok.

I have attached pictures for reference! I hope it’s ok cuz they’ve been enjoying it for the last few months… thanks!






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sphagnum moss is usually safe but this stuff is dyed and we don’t know how safe dye is long-term. Natural sphagnum is brown when dried.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sphagnum moss can retain some greenish hues, but it's not going to look anywhere as strong as this photo. Zoomed's frog moss is a sphagnum sheet moss that often still looks fresh and green in places. I've also had dried Alaskan sphagnum moss from the old Alaskan Hermit that looked as green as the day it was picked, but that was small batch and non-commercial and only a few weeks old.

There has been many discussions about this particular Thrive moss. I have never seen a photo of it in someone's tank to know where it falls, but if it looks like it does on the package it's probably best to pass on it. The dyes used for mosses are supposed to be safe vegetable based dyes like the kind used for bird and hamster chews, but no details are given on ingredients so it's impossible to say if it's crab safe as well.

Thanks guys!! I will switch to the natural brown colored version of it instead!!

Everyday I learn something new about my hermit crabs, keeps it exciting!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Glad to get this info. I was considering some green moss structures in a reptile store (like little houses, a mushroom shape, etc.), but I realize now that the bright green color probably indicates it's been dyed. What actually held me back from purchase was they were held together by wire, and I thought it might rust.