HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I saw a photo somewhere where they dropped chia seeds in the substrate and it grew a small garden. Opinions on this?

It's fun. I am actually making one right now! All you need is some organic raw chia seeds. Last time my crabs kinda tore it apart, so this time I'm growing them outside of the tank to give them a head start. Also, I'm pretty sure they don't last long after sprouting if you put them in a 5:1 substrate mix, so you usually have to use a different thing, like straight EE or a vivarium mix. EE probably won't last in the long run due to compaction and stuff.

I have done this and it was really cool while it lasted. It is pretty short lived but they grow tall fast!


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Plasmoc wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 25, 2020 11:47 pm

I have done this and it was really cool while it lasted. It is pretty short lived but they grow tall fast!


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Tall as in leggy? If they're leggy I'm figuring out they need more light for "long term" success (not really possible with hungry crabs ) looked up the requirements for chia and they need full sun, if someone wanted to get technical, but I think most people grow it as a crab snack so take it with a grain of salt. Doesn't really matter too much, as like you said, they will grow just fine, and are really fun!

I grew mine in a separate dish outside of the tank. Then popped them in for the crabs to munch on. They seemed to enjoy it!

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w h a l e b o n e wrote: Tall as in leggy? If they're leggy I'm figuring out they need more light for "long term" success (not really possible with hungry crabs ) looked up the requirements for chia and they need full sun, if someone wanted to get technical, but I think most people grow it as a crab snack so take it with a grain of salt. Doesn't really matter too much, as like you said, they will grow just fine, and are really fun!

Yes tall like leggy. A lot like the ones in the photo the other poster shows


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CrabbyLover77 wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 26, 2020 11:44 am

I grew mine in a separate dish outside of the tank. Then popped them in for the crabs to munch on. They seemed to enjoy it!

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That’s so neat! Did you use soil or substrate?

Mzlisa wrote: That’s so neat! Did you use soil or substrate?

Thanks! I just used my substrate, which is a sand/ee mix.

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You can also use worm castings

GotButterflies wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 28, 2020 4:16 pm

You can also use worm castings

Never heard of that!!! Googling now

Mzlisa wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 28, 2020 5:48 pm

Never heard of that!!! Googling now

OMGosh...you must get some for your crabbies!!! They will love you for it! I keep a dish of worm castings in each of my tanks at all times! It's basically worm poop!

GotButterflies wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 28, 2020 5:50 pm

OMGosh...you must get some for your crabbies!!! They will love you for it! I keep a dish of worm castings in each of my tanks at all times! It's basically worm poop!

I looked it up! Do they eat it? I just looked in the tank and their pellets had mold on it. I threw away the whole dish and put in new pellets. Im working on carrots to put in there for them as well.

Mzlisa wrote: I looked it up! Do they eat it? I just looked in the tank and their pellets had mold on it. I threw away the whole dish and put in new pellets. Im working on carrots to put in there for them as well.

Oh yes, my crabs love worm castings! Back in the summer, I bought a big 5 lb bag off of Amazon. I'll probably be set with that for the next 2 years lol. The castings I got were moist (like potting soil in a bag). So I've been air drying them out. I may just pop the castings in the oven to finish drying them out. I tried putting them in the tank moist, and the mold grew on them super quick. That's why I'm trying to dry everything out first.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B071YB ... asin_title

Not sure what pellets you're using, but many foods marketed for hermits aren't great for them. Crabbies can eat a lot of the things we eat. Here is the safe food list:

viewtopic.php?t=92557

Make sure you're providing calcium and protein at every meal.

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I put my worm castings in the tank moist - I don't have issues with mold.

Hermit crabs can eat a lot of the same things that we eat. Just check to make sure the item is on the safe list. Foods should be organic when possible. Hermit crabs are sensitive to pesticides and fertilizers.
You also want to provide one or more calcium sources at all times. Examples would be Cuttlebone, Organic Eggshell, Oyster Shell, Lobster Exo, Shrimp Exo.
Make sure you cover all aspects of food pyramid
Safe food list: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92557
Unsafe food list: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92556
Food pyramid: http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... 25&t=92554

I have two large spider plants in my tank. They like to dig in the pots and munch on the leaves. I water them about once a week or so.