HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I want something natural-looking for the moss pit. Do any of these look like they would be unsafe, from thingslike dyes, other chemicals, etc?

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Also I found brown jute. it doesn't say organic but it does say 100% Jute, and it was made in china. thoughts?

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Impossible to say unless it is labeled something like organic? I have not bought any of the jute or burlap in stores I have found yet because it all smells like oil. I have a little 10 gallon tank I just bought a suction cup soap dish holder it's clear and plastic. I want a natural look as well but when it's filled with moss it looks pretty good. If you want to go beyond that you could even glue bark or rock on the outside.

Your just going to have to read the tags sadly and talk yo employees who are hopefully informed. Other than that there is no way to tell. I found some jutw cord at a craft store that was safe and wrapped my soap dishes. I would avoid rocks since they will add weight on the suction cups. I've even used coco matt fiber cut to fit and zipp tied to cover.

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As far as the jute - I believe it was @LadyJinglyJones that stated that unless it was 100% organic it could have oils and waxes on it making it unsafe.

As far as the basket - putting wet moss inside of it will make it moldy...I wouldn't recommend it. Yes, mold won't hurt the crabs..but it can be harmful to us...and you don't want to spend a lot of money on a basket that will just go bad. If you still insist though...you want to get a basket made of sea grass, or another product that is on the safe list. It's not about what looks safe, but rather what is safe and free of dyes. Good luck!

Thanks for all the input! I found many brands of different jute and twine products. I settled on some natural hemp cord, which i read was safe. I also bought some jute, both in cord form and woven into a ribbon. I looked up unprocessed jute color to confirm it wasn't died, and there was no oily film that i could feel, even after rubbing it between my fingers for awhile. Both products saud 100% natural jute, and had short statements on the back of the label about how their product is biodegradable and good for the environment. Both products smell vaguelly earthy, almost like a farm or a forest. It looks, smells, and feels chemical and oil free, so I trust it!

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I have tried several baskets like that over the years - they grow mold within a week. And I am talking serious green and black sheets of it. It sucks.

I use a corner caddy for my shell shop and to make the plastic look more natural and aid in the crabbies climbing around the front I attached strips of cocofiber climbing wall that I cut with small zip ties. Looks nice and works well

I used some dried hay matts but only didn't have issues with mold if i sprayed it with sw daily or soaked and dried it once a week or every other. Second i forgot i had mold. I used jute cord to wrapp my soap dishes and have been treating them similar.

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I make sure to soak all hemp/jute cord, seagrass baskets, and wood for climbing/decoration in marine salt water first. Then I either let air dry for a week or I dry in a warm oven with the door ajar because baking it can cause cracks. So far so good at 2 months with no mold.

Also, I've bought the burlap and just boiled it a couple times in salt water to remove any oils or other substances and let it air dry without an issue so far.

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Just Jay wrote:I used some dried hay matts but only didn't have issues with mold if i sprayed it with sw daily or soaked and dried it once a week or every other. Second i forgot i had mold. I used jute cord to wrapp my soap dishes and have been treating them similar.

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That looks real good. Crabsie. How many do you have in there? In the pictures you've shared, your guys are very active.

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