How do I clean this stuff?

Vanellope · Post by **Vanellope** » Sun May 07, 2017 5:10 pm

We went to purchase some bedroom furniture we found on Craigslist. When we got to the house, they said everything was for sale because they were moving. We immediately noticed some sort of critter habitat on a table and asked what they wanted for it. The critter had died (I believe it was an anole) but they had a complete 30 gallon setup they offered us for 20 bucks! Everything in the tank looks relatively unused, except that it's all covered in poop. A lot of it is wood. Can any of this be saved and used for my hermit crabs? Hoping to use as much as I can (except the sub, of course).

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Natejaeg · Post by **Natejaeg** » Sun May 07, 2017 5:19 pm

Vanellope wrote:We went to purchase some bedroom furniture we found on Craigslist. When we got to the house, they said everything was for sale because they were moving. We immediately noticed some sort of critter habitat on a table and asked what they wanted for it. The critter had died (I believe it was an anole) but they had a complete 30 gallon setup they offered us for 20 bucks! Everything in the tank looks relatively unused, except that it's all covered in poop. A lot of it is wood. Can any of this be saved and used for my hermit crabs? Hoping to use as much as I can (except the sub, of course).

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Boil it is probably the easiest. Some of my stuff I got from others and a quick boil or bake seamd good enough.

Sent from my LGMS428 using Tapatalk

Vanellope · Post by **Vanellope** » Sun May 07, 2017 5:38 pm

Thanks, Natejaeg! I'm not sure I have a pot large enough for a couple of the wood pieces, but they would probably lay in a baking pan just fine. What temp and for how long would you recommend? Do I bake it dry? Or should I place them in the roasting pan with water? (Which would essentially boil them, now that I think of it...)

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Natejaeg · Post by **Natejaeg** » Sun May 07, 2017 5:41 pm

Vanellope wrote:Thanks, Natejaeg! I'm not sure I have a pot large enough for a couple of the wood pieces, but they would probably lay in a baking pan just fine. What temp and for how long would you recommend? Do I bake it dry? Or should I place them in the roasting pan with water? (Which would essentially boil them, now that I think of it...)

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

You can boil one end at a time. I did that with a piece of cholls wood. Baking is around 300 to 350 for a few mins just to make sure if there is anything it dies. Someone else could give better advice on baking since its been a while since I have had to do it.

Sent from my LGMS428 using Tapatalk

YouTube · Post by **GotButterflies** » Sun May 07, 2017 8:36 pm

I only see one piece of wood that can be used for the hermit crabs. It is the one that is holding up the bridge to the left. It is possible that the really dark piece of wood by the food dish may be safe, but I can't tell what kind it is on the computer or on tapatalk. The other two pieces are pine and possibly a ficus. You can rinse the safe wood with dechlorinated freshwater. If you chose to, you can bake the wood, but it is not necessary. You do not need to boil it. Hermit crabs love poop btw....

Hermiearth · Post by **Hermiearth** » Sun May 07, 2017 10:13 pm

@GotButterflies I actually had a green anole who passed, put his old log in the crabitat poop and all, and they picked it clean

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

YouTube · Post by **GotButterflies** » Mon May 08, 2017 6:05 am

Hermiearth wrote:@GotButterflies I actually had a green anole who passed, put his old log in the crabitat poop and all, and they picked it clean

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's why I mentioned that they liked poop

why waste it all?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hermiearth · Post by **Hermiearth** » Mon May 08, 2017 10:00 am

GotButterflies wrote:
Hermiearth wrote:@GotButterflies I actually had a green anole who passed, put his old log in the crabitat poop and all, and they picked it clean

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That's why I mentioned that they liked poop why waste it all?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Exactly

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

elly_bananas · Post by **elly_bananas** » Tue May 09, 2017 3:01 pm

Lol.

Sent from my SM-G928P using Tapatalk

EPAS · Post by **EPAS** » Tue May 09, 2017 4:20 pm

My concern would be the health of the critter that used the stuff.
If it was mine, I would spritz it with saltwater and bake it. I believe in better safe than sorry.

Vanellope · Post by **Vanellope** » Wed May 10, 2017 11:09 pm

Thanks for everyone's replies! When I finally got around to actually doing something with the stuff (end of the school year is a crazy busy few weeks!) everything is covered in dust and cobwebs, and I've noticed a few gnats here and there. My house is clean (if you don't count homework, legos, and baby toys everywhere) and I'm pretty sure they came with the tank. So I'm not sure how long it's been empty, but I do believe I'll be doing some sort of precautionary decontamination. If nothing else, for my own peace of mind. Thanks again for all the tips and suggestions!

Hoomans roole

YouTube · Post by **GotButterflies** » Thu May 11, 2017 6:13 am

Vanellope wrote:Thanks for everyone's replies! When I finally got around to actually doing something with the stuff (end of the school year is a crazy busy few weeks!) everything is covered in dust and cobwebs, and I've noticed a few gnats here and there. My house is clean (if you don't count homework, legos, and baby toys everywhere) and I'm pretty sure they came with the tank. So I'm not sure how long it's been empty, but I do believe I'll be doing some sort of precautionary decontamination. If nothing else, for my own peace of mind. Thanks again for all the tips and suggestions!

Hoomans roole

Oh, with gnats I would freeze or bake wood to get rid of them! They are no good. More than likely in the soil though

Hermias_mom · Post by **Hermias_mom** » Thu May 11, 2017 2:52 pm

Saltwater soak and oven bake are hard to go wrong with. Also, for things that you can't bake, you could soak plastic and glass and such in vinegar (2:1 water:vinegar) for a while to sanitize, but I would use saltwater on the wood. If you use vinegar, be sure to let it dry completely. Also, maybe rinse with dechlorinated water and then dry before putting it in the tank.

HCA: Hermit Crab Association

How do I clean this stuff?

How do I clean this stuff?

Re: How do I clean this stuff?

Re: How do I clean this stuff?

Re: How do I clean this stuff?

Re: How do I clean this stuff?

Re: How do I clean this stuff?

Re: How do I clean this stuff?

Re: How do I clean this stuff?

Re: How do I clean this stuff?

Re: How do I clean this stuff?

Re: How do I clean this stuff?

Re: How do I clean this stuff?

Re: How do I clean this stuff?