HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi guys! I'm new to the forums! I was planning on having some plants to make my crabatat look greener! Someone on here directed me to the FAQ and I couldn't find anything about plants sos here I am. Anyone have a loist of safe and bad plants for hermit crabs? Also, is corkboard tile toxic for hermit crabs? Thanks a ton

Indoor plants is a fun subject for me. I've grown a wide range of "non-toxic" plants just to see what grows for me and what doesn't. Unfortunately, my creative mind is at a loss at how to incorporate plants in a crabitat. First, you need all the molting/digging room you can get. Second, having plants thrive in mostly sand is very tricky. Third, it seems like hermit crabs are pretty destructive- both above and below ground.

I've just made burlap bag plant containers and put spider plants in it. Thought I'd try experimenting on ways to get live plants in a crabitat for when I actually get any. Other plants you could use (for high humidity/warm environments/low-ish lighting) are: tradescantia (wandering jew), lipstick vine, pothos, wax begonias, tillandsia, jade. It depends on how much room you have. If you have a whole lot, add bromeliads, norfolk island pine, pachira aquatica (money tree), maranta, opuntia cactus, aloe. The options are plentiful.

Note: These are plants that I've grown in a tortoise enclosure for almost 3 years. All plants have been consumed without any issues that I was aware of. My recommended plants are based on "safe to feed for tortoises" lists on websites provided by a forum. Hope this helps and please correct me if I'm wrong.. I'm always up for learning more

Okay, I'll check them out, thanks!

It may not be what you're looking for, but I grow wheat(grass) in a small glass jar full of damp sphagnum moss. It grows super quick, nice and green and is definitely fine for them to eat. Adding onto what nepenthes said about looking on tortoise websites, I would try and look for organic "macro greens" seeding mixes designed for chickens. They sprout quickly and are nutritious.

Bonk wrote:It may not be what you're looking for, but I grow wheat(grass) in a small glass jar full of damp sphagnum moss. It grows super quick, nice and green and is definitely fine for them to eat. Adding onto what nepenthes said about looking on tortoise websites, I would try and look for organic "macro greens" seeding mixes designed for chickens. They sprout quickly and are nutritious.

Oh yeah! Agreed about grazing/browsing mixes. Those really do germinate quickly. Unfortunately, I stopped growing them because rotating several trays in a week was just too much! I sprinkle those mixes outside and harvest when they're ready. I also let them go to seed and collect for future planting.

I am experimenting with some plants right now as well. I tried Bromeliads (sp?) once and it didn't go so well. I put a lot of work into "detoxifying" the plants from pesticides and fertilizer and they lasted maybe a week or so in the tank, not sure why. I did not have them in the sand, I had built at the time this whole crazy background which had areas for planters built into it. They looked amazing though. If I want to try airplants again I may just take driftwood and drill some holes in it, since airplants will attach and grow from driftwood, rocks, and like surfaces. But it could take a loooong time to grow it to decent maturity from a seedling, and I also get impatient with the 3 month detoxifying process that when they don't do well I get frustrated. If I can find organically grown airplants I might consider it. They still better last more than a couple of weeks though.

Now I am trying to grow millet, amaranth, and some things like that in non-friendly hermit crab sea shells as a planter with appropriate bedding for the plant (I put some oceanic in my EE in the tank substrate), so I can easily change them out when they get destroyed. On Amazon I also saw some glass terrarium globes (I don't know what they are commonly called) which attach to a glass tank with suction cups. I'd like to get a whole bunch of them, and you could set it up on the glass side like a stairway, or make it a real challenge for the crabs to get at them by placing them with empty space around them, keeping them alive longer.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aquatic-Plant-P ... 1867811365

I do not have a green thumb, my gardening skills are very beginner, but I'd love the beauty of live plants in there-just got to figure out the most practical way to do it.

Opps! Double post

Hermits have never been known to die from eating something poisonous. They are wild animals and seem to know what to stay away from.

Keep in mind they will want any soil the plant is in. It's why I don't bother with live anymore. They ripped out my first spiderplant just to get to to the peat moss based potting soil. :roll: They pigged on it, too.

I like live plants in my tank. The hermits are very hard on them. Some they trash completely, and others are only harmed as a result of them climbing on them. I incorporate them into the tank knowing that they are possibly a temporary item.

I have found that planting them right in the substrate makes for a mess when the crabs dig down and unearth them. Also, it seems that the eco earth/sand substrate combination just doesn't work for many houseplants and they die.

I use houseplants that come in 4" plastic pots and I set them on top of the substrate. My crabs are all large enough that they don't dig into the pot, at least it hasn't happened yet, and I've been doing this for years. Maybe they have gotten over the novelty of dirt. I rotate the plants out from time to time and let them recover from the attention the crabs give them. That gets a little tricky. With all the pill bugs in the tank I have to watch to make sure they don't tag along. When I buy a new plant for the tank I leave it out for 3 months to allow any chemicals or fertilizer work out of the plant.

Some of the plants that have worked best for me are: spider, peace lily, norfolk island pine (I always get a new 4" one around Christmas time), primrose, baby tears (but they devour it - I consider it a food plant for them), dragon palm and the dracaena family in general and pothos.

This is all very interesting! I'm going to be having a living clay background lightly dusted with coco brick! But first I've got to make an above tank extension.

Trustyice55 wrote:This is all very interesting! I'm going to be having a living clay background lightly dusted with coco brick! But first I've got to make an above tank extension.

What is a living clay background?

Trustyice55 wrote:This is all very interesting! I'm going to be having a living clay background lightly dusted with coco brick! But first I've got to make an above tank extension.

How are you going to make an above tank extension? I have been thinking of something like that as well and would appreciate any information you could pass along as well as pictures when your is finished.

I got the idea from turtles! I used the search term 'Above Basking Tank Area' and there was loads of info! I'll open up another topic and post my happenings on there!

Sweet Pea wrote:

Trustyice55 wrote:This is all very interesting! I'm going to be having a living clay background lightly dusted with coco brick! But first I've got to make an above tank extension.

What is a living clay background?

It's clay from the earth itself! It has been distilled of any rocks and chemicals! Artists use it, and I have asked someone who was selling the clay on eBay about them and she says its perfectly fine for them and she has vampire crabs! What I'm going to do is shape it and put plants in it. I will give it about 30 days for the plants to grow and anchor themselves.

Trustyice55 wrote:I got the idea from turtles! I used the search term 'Above Basking Tank Area' and there was loads of info! I'll open up another topic and post my happenings on there!

Thanks, that will be awesome.