HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I was thinking of making my two crabs a little moss pit, and I have plenty of moss in my backyard that I know haven't come in contact with any chemicals or pesticides. Would it be safe for my moss pit?

Also, I was thinking of eventually planting a patch of chia seeds in the tank for them. My substrate is just playsand, though, would they grow?

Thanks in advance.

I don't know if chia seeds would grow, but when I put my millet spray near the pools they sprout (and promptly get chomped down!). I think a small tray/pot/etc that you can plant and grow chia outside of the tank and then set inside would work better for what you're thinking. Otherwise all the sprouts will get mowed over!

I would say it would depend on the kind of moss you have, there are certain kinds that are not good for hermit crabs. Also, Chia seeds will grow on play sand as long as you mist them when you first plant them.


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Thanks, you two! I'm not sure what kind of moss it is, unfortunately. I could try to find out, though. If I can't, I'll err on the side of caution and buy some hermit-safe moss.

I used a moss I grew in a planter on my balcony last summer, and it looked pretty for a few days till it was trampled to death.

If you post a couple of good quality pictures & list your State I might be able to ID it using online bryophyte pages... some moss sites are really great! (I'm personally better with lichens, though.)

Moss from outside might contain undesirable insects (or their eggs) though, and while you can try microwaving or baking it, this may kill the moss, and freezing won't do the trick in northern areas, and may kill some southern moss types. In other words, it's a roll of the dice. .. but my moss worked out well. I'll be adding it again this year.

LadyJinglyJones wrote:I used a moss I grew in a planter on my balcony last summer, and it looked pretty for a few days till it was trampled to death.

If you post a couple of good quality pictures & list your State I might be able to ID it using online bryophyte pages... some moss sites are really great! (I'm personally better with lichens, though.)

Moss from outside might contain undesirable insects (or their eggs) though, and while you can try microwaving or baking it, this may kill the moss, and freezing won't do the trick in northern areas, and may kill some southern moss types. In other words, it's a roll of the dice. .. but my moss worked out well. I'll be adding it again this year.

Oh, thank you! This moss is pretty hardy, it drops down into the teens in winter and into the hundreds in summer, and it's still as green and pretty as ever. I'll see if I can get a picture later.

Here are some pictures - hopefully you can see them. If not, let me know. I tried to make them as clear as I could, but it was freezing outside and I was shivering, so they might be a bit blurry. If they are, I can retake them.





I'm in Virginia, and I live in the woods, if that helps at all. Thank you so much for helping!

Moonlightdreams wrote:I was thinking of making my two crabs a little moss pit, and I have plenty of moss in my backyard that I know haven't come in contact with any chemicals or pesticides. Would it be safe for my moss pit?

Also, I was thinking of eventually planting a patch of chia seeds in the tank for them. My substrate is just playsand, though, would they grow?

Thanks in advance.

My chia seeds have sprouted.

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Hermiesguardian wrote:

Moonlightdreams wrote:I was thinking of making my two crabs a little moss pit, and I have plenty of moss in my backyard that I know haven't come in contact with any chemicals or pesticides. Would it be safe for my moss pit?

Also, I was thinking of eventually planting a patch of chia seeds in the tank for them. My substrate is just playsand, though, would they grow?

Thanks in advance.

My chia seeds have sprouted.

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Oh, good! I might have to get some soon.

Wow, I can't even see my pictures. I'll repost them.

Okay, here are the new pictures. Hopefully these work.

Maybe wait til it's a bit warmer & try again - I'd need enough magnification to see the shape of the stems & leafy bits... if your shivering we won't get a clear shot. You'll want to get down close in good light, maybe set the phone/camera on something, and use the highest magnification you can muster.

(Edit - I'll use the time to brush up on moss families, lol... it's been a while since I last tried to ID these plants!)

LadyJinglyJones wrote:Maybe wait til it's a bit warmer & try again - I'd need enough magnification to see the shape of the stems & leafy bits... if your shivering we won't get a clear shot. You'll want to get down close in good light, maybe set the phone/camera on something, and use the highest magnification you can muster.

(Edit - I'll use the time to brush up on moss families, lol... it's been a while since I last tried to ID these plants!)

Okay, thank you anyway! I'll try to get a better picture. Thank you so much for your help.