Live plants

This is where you discuss the conditions of your crabitat -- temperature, humidity, substrate, decorating, etc.
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GotButterflies
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Re: Live plants

Post by GotButterflies » Mon Jun 05, 2017 9:20 am

aussieJJDude wrote:list is on other computer, but one i remember was pothos, was all the rage a few years back... funnily enough, a few years ago plants were all the rage and now making a comback.. :)
others include
- bird seed mix (like millet, chia ect)
- palms (common back in the day was ponytails, but all palms will outgrow anything under a few thousand gallon tank... keep in pots)
- broms
- air plants (Tillandsia)
- prayer (had great success until the one LED bulb broke, and then it died)
- mangrove

im soon going to be in the process in seeing how well a few begonias and ficus sp. will do in a crabitat enviroment... if i ever get onto my other computer, add to the list on what have been used successfully over the years... i personally go if its reptile or frog (or fish, since a vast majority are terrestrial or bog plants not aquatic) then it should be crab safe.....
Ficus is safe?


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Just Jay
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Re: Live plants

Post by Just Jay » Mon Jun 05, 2017 11:57 pm

i also started a thread of plants im trying and how my crabs like them.

like said all plants should be plants should be chemical free. any plants that aren't need to be re potted and grown for 6-8months before being offered to hermits. some company's grow chemical free plants but spay xamount of times before during or after travel; i know bonnie plants are sprayed once before shipping to make sure they arrive insect free. ive had coworkers tell me i can and they only grow those for 3-4months before offering. (i work for a feed, animal plant and garden supply store) i personally use 6 months as my minimum.

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aussieJJDude
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Re: Live plants

Post by aussieJJDude » Tue Jun 06, 2017 1:58 am

well, its 50/50 in regards for fiscus in being safe... Many reptile people grow weeping fig (ficus benjamina) in their reptile enclosures, and considering than some reptiles are omnivorous and known to eat the plants in their tank does lessen the concern that ficus are toxic... However, if a branch or leaf is broken they are known to produce a milky white sap which is regarded as an irritant, which would probably annoy us more than the crabs tbh.
Like mentioned, i normally go with if its reptile/fish safe, it shouldnt be too risky to consider it in the crabitat.
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GotButterflies
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Re: Live plants

Post by GotButterflies » Tue Jun 06, 2017 5:30 am

Okay, thanks - I'll stick with better safe than sorry!


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C_fiesta
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Re: Live plants

Post by C_fiesta » Tue Aug 08, 2017 10:18 pm

What about "spider plant"? I have a two adults that sprout lots of babies in the summer. I was thinking of growing them in cocofiber and earth worm castings and then planting them in the tank. Otherwise I would just have to cut them and throw them out because the adult plant will die. I'm fine with my crabs destroying them, I just wonder if they are safe.

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Re: Live plants

Post by PinchersAndShells » Tue Aug 08, 2017 11:59 pm

C_fiesta wrote:What about "spider plant"? I have a two adults that sprout lots of babies in the summer. I was thinking of growing them in cocofiber and earth worm castings and then planting them in the tank. Otherwise I would just have to cut them and throw them out because the adult plant will die. I'm fine with my crabs destroying them, I just wonder if they are safe.

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I have a spider plant and I've grown the babies in the water dish, the crabs like to munch on it and it's pretty low maintenance. I actually had the same idea as you except I wanted to grow it from the top corner down to the substrate. But yes, they are safe as long as the original plant hasn't been given any fertilizer or pesticides as of recent.
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C_fiesta
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Re: Live plants

Post by C_fiesta » Wed Aug 09, 2017 8:15 am

PinchersAndShells wrote:
C_fiesta wrote:What about "spider plant"? I have a two adults that sprout lots of babies in the summer. I was thinking of growing them in cocofiber and earth worm castings and then planting them in the tank. Otherwise I would just have to cut them and throw them out because the adult plant will die. I'm fine with my crabs destroying them, I just wonder if they are safe.

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I have a spider plant and I've grown the babies in the water dish, the crabs like to munch on it and it's pretty low maintenance. I actually had the same idea as you except I wanted to grow it from the top corner down to the substrate. But yes, they are safe as long as the original plant hasn't been given any fertilizer or pesticides as of recent.
Wow, in the water dish? I'm sure that looked amazing! I might try a few different ways since I'll have about a dozen or so to experiment with. How long did yours last?

I gave the adult plant fertilizer about 3 months ago...I think. I am really bad about doing it consistently. It was some time late spring as early as June. I'll definitely wait another month or two. I'll probably add them when I redo the tank in October.

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PinchersAndShells
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Re: Live plants

Post by PinchersAndShells » Wed Aug 09, 2017 1:35 pm

It lasted about 3 weeks. Placing the babies in water let's their roots grow out.
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C_fiesta
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Re: Live plants

Post by C_fiesta » Wed Aug 09, 2017 3:28 pm

PinchersAndShells wrote:It lasted about 3 weeks. Placing the babies in water let's their roots grow out.
3 weeks is good enough for me! :)

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Re: Live plants

Post by GotButterflies » Wed Aug 09, 2017 7:30 pm

I fertilize my plants - even household ones with bat guano, earthworm castings and fish emulsion- all organic products. My spider plant thrives and never has dead tips three months is kind of the recommended time frame for a plant to convert to organic. You change the soil and fertilize only with organic fertilizers. Only then is it crab safe


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