Hi! I just wanted to introduce myself and my 2 new PP's: Red and Stripe. This site is amazing and i really appreciate all the advice and info on it and it really helped me set up a pretty decent crabitat system. I do have a question re: appropriate wood products. I have a hide-a-log reptile product made of real wood but I don't know what kind it is and the label didn't say what it was (and of course i threw the label away so i don't know the brand) however my best guess is a pine of sorts. I couldn't find pine on the safe list so was just wondering if there was any feedback with similar products and its suitability for crabbies. They seem fine but just want to be sure.
Also...what's the consensus on taking the crabbies out of the tank to run around a bit. I have a real lively one(Stripe) who seems to enjoy exploring and walking around.
Thanks!
New Crabbie Parent with minor questions
Hi and welcome to the HCA! 
Pine, unfortunately, is unsafe for hermit crabs. 
I think I know what kind of hiding log you're talking about - I used to have one. It didn't seem to hurt my crabs, but when I realized it was pine I took it out. Better safe than sorry.
About playing with your crabs, most people agree that it's best to leave them alone for the first few weeks after you get them, since most crabs are somewhat stressed after going from the beach, to the pet store, and finally to your house. After the first few weeks, some people are strictly hands-off, while others like to play with their crabs frequently. My opinion is that handling is fine as long as the crabs don't get stressed and you don't take them out of their tank for long. (The humidity and temperature of your house are probably not ideal.) I also think it's best, if possible, to start by playing with them a little and gradually increase the amount, so that they can get used to it without undue stress. Of course, everyone has their own opinion on handling - it's one of the few things that we crabbers don't always agree on.
Pine, unfortunately, is unsafe for hermit crabs. I think I know what kind of hiding log you're talking about - I used to have one. It didn't seem to hurt my crabs, but when I realized it was pine I took it out. Better safe than sorry. About playing with your crabs, most people agree that it's best to leave them alone for the first few weeks after you get them, since most crabs are somewhat stressed after going from the beach, to the pet store, and finally to your house. After the first few weeks, some people are strictly hands-off, while others like to play with their crabs frequently. My opinion is that handling is fine as long as the crabs don't get stressed and you don't take them out of their tank for long. (The humidity and temperature of your house are probably not ideal.) I also think it's best, if possible, to start by playing with them a little and gradually increase the amount, so that they can get used to it without undue stress. Of course, everyone has their own opinion on handling - it's one of the few things that we crabbers don't always agree on.
Last edited by Tremors on Thu Dec 31, 2009 12:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
4 PPs: Petra (11 years), Big Crab (7 years), Rambunctious Crab (7 years), John Smith (1 year)
3 Es: Pacman, Captain Janeway, Googely-Bear (2 years)
3 Es: Pacman, Captain Janeway, Googely-Bear (2 years)
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emberfusion
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Before long, you'll be increasing your numbers. ![[smilie=laugh.gif]](./images/smilies/laugh.gif "laugh")
As Tremors has said, pine is unsafe for hermit crabs. There are tons of other things you can add to your crabitat for them to crawl on and hide in.
Personally, I like to handle my crabs. It's best to leave them alone for a couple of weeks after you first get them. Post Purchase Syndrome takes them a while to get over. But once they adjust to the tank conditions and become active, there's no harm in handling them.
It's true though. Some crabbers are strictly hands off, while others handle theirs everyday. Just be sure to not have them out for too long (Tremors is right in saying the house conditions are not ideal).
Mine enjoy rolling around in a hamster ball.
If there are any other questions you have, there's always someone here to answer.
As Tremors has said, pine is unsafe for hermit crabs. There are tons of other things you can add to your crabitat for them to crawl on and hide in.
Personally, I like to handle my crabs. It's best to leave them alone for a couple of weeks after you first get them. Post Purchase Syndrome takes them a while to get over. But once they adjust to the tank conditions and become active, there's no harm in handling them.
It's true though. Some crabbers are strictly hands off, while others handle theirs everyday. Just be sure to not have them out for too long (Tremors is right in saying the house conditions are not ideal).
Mine enjoy rolling around in a hamster ball.
If there are any other questions you have, there's always someone here to answer.
Welcome to the HCA
As everyone covered while I was sleepin Pine is not safe for hermit crabs. The way I ve heard it it is the aquivilent to peanuts on a person who is allergic
Heres an article on the Half Logs
ZooMed Half Logs are Confirmed Unsafe
Questions about dishes, climbing toys or decorations.
Post a reply5 posts • Page 1 of 1
ZooMed Half Logs are Confirmed Unsafe
by emmac350 on 30 Sep 2009, 01:26 am
Hi all, I know there's been some discussion in the journal section about the half logs that are often sold with crabs. There is a thread at the Hermit Crabs R Us forum that finally managed to figure out the safety of these logs - a member emailed ZooMed, who said that the log is made of "low-elevation, non-aromatic Cedar."
The full text of the email reply can be found here.
Follow the daily lives of my crabs at thedailyhermit.tumblr.com
Mommy to:
Rack, 23 Sep 08; Benny, 23 Sep 08; Toodles, 3 Jan 09; Slightly, 3 Jan 09; Nibs, 3 Jan 09; Curly, 3 Jan 09; Rocky, 5 Jul 09; Spaz, 5 Jul 09
emmac350
First Mate
Posts: 1455
Joined: 22 Sep 2008
Country:
Gender: Female
Crabber since: 23 Sep 2008
Hermit crabs: 8
Total gallons: 40
Total tanks: 2 Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Re: ZooMed Half Logs are Confirmed Unsafe
by ladybug15057 on 30 Sep 2009, 01:33 pm
Thank you so much for sharing this info Emma!! I know there are quite a few crabbers who do use these in their tanks for the 'natural look'. I think it is VERY important to get this word out to as many as we can!!
Marie (aka ladybug15057)
My_Photo's
Hermit_Crab_Adoption_Center
Keep On Crabbin'
ladybug15057
Archaeologist
Posts: 1364
Joined: 03 Mar 2008
Location: Southwestern Pa., U.S.
Country:
Gender: Female
Crabber since: 17 Jun 2000
Hermit crabs: 82
Total gallons: 305
Total tanks: 7
Website Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Re: ZooMed Half Logs are Confirmed Unsafe
by CrabbyJo on 30 Sep 2009, 04:16 pm
Where can we get info that will detail for ZooMed that Cedar is actually an irritant and unsafe for hermies so they stop selling these items for our hermit crabs? Grrr!
14 hermit crabs - 7 PP's - Marvin, Gonzo, Zoey, Barnaby, Mokey, Boober, Pollytopperlock, 7 Equadorians - Wembley, Gobo, Rerun, Jeffrey, Radar, Riley, Goober
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A brook couldn't sing if God removed the rocks
CrabbyJo
Navigator
Age: 46
Posts: 1110
Joined: 21 Jan 2009
Location: Alaska
Country:
Gender: Female
Crabber since: 21 Dec 2008
Hermit crabs: 14
Total gallons: 75
Total tanks: 3 Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Re: ZooMed Half Logs are Confirmed Unsafe
by emmac350 on 01 Oct 2009, 12:03 am
Cedar is on the unsafe wood list over at EH. The best way I've had to describe why woods are bad is by describing what they do to bugs - you use cedar to irritate moths and keep them out of your sweaters, and since crabs are so closely related to insects, they get irritated by it too.
Follow the daily lives of my crabs at thedailyhermit.tumblr.com
Mommy to:
Rack, 23 Sep 08; Benny, 23 Sep 08; Toodles, 3 Jan 09; Slightly, 3 Jan 09; Nibs, 3 Jan 09; Curly, 3 Jan 09; Rocky, 5 Jul 09; Spaz, 5 Jul 09
emmac350
First Mate
Posts: 1455
Joined: 22 Sep 2008
Country:
Gender: Female
Crabber since: 23 Sep 2008
Hermit crabs: 8
Total gallons: 40
Total tanks: 2 Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Re: ZooMed Half Logs are Confirmed Unsafe
by Wai on 01 Oct 2009, 01:12 am
Hermit crabs are not closely-related to insects, but their exoskeletons share a similar chemical make up.
http://www.wisegeek.com/does-cedar-actu ... -moths.htm
Coniferous woods irritate and kill moth larvae, but not adult moths. However, The scent of these woods do discourage adult moths from laying eggs near coniferous woods.
http://www.carawatha.com/article_2.htm
One of these groups of essential oils is in abundance in pine and cedar products, phenol. This highly irritant substance causes the 'lovely fresh scent' of pine & cedar products that many people find pleasant. Cedar wood is even made into 'natural moth balls' because of the strong scent is enough to deter insects.
What people need to remember is that when we smell these products we're only merely having a brief whiff, we don't then spend the next five days living on it, sleeping in it, eating some of it, peeing on it and the whole while breathing in the vapors. Our pets do.
In the future, I would recommend that we argue against wood shavings or coniferous woods along those two points, rather than saying that hermit crabs are closely related to insects. If the oils in the coniferous woods were proven to react (i.e. irritate) the exoskeletons of insects, then I would link that with the exoskeletons of crustaceans.
Phenol is very toxic to humans, because it is very reactive. I guess that would apply to hermit crabs too.
Nexxt about Handeling. This is deffinatly the most controversial thing since painted shells Personally I m a handeler I enjoy it as do my crabs, and I have sucessfully trained them to stay on my pencap when i m doing homework and to stayon my shoulder when I am cleaning my room or when I am typing on the computer (which is most of my time when I m not at school!) In my experiance with crabs you are always learning something new, most people agree that handeling is saafe (see Tremors post) however I think that they can be outside of the Crabitat (your crab tank) for over a few hours mine are sometimes out for 3 + depending on how chatty I am feeling.
I would break up handeling as such:
1st week: 5-10 minutes max
2nd week double that ext. ext. ext.
BUt thats my opinion you should really follow what your gut says to do.
As everyone covered while I was sleepin Pine is not safe for hermit crabs. The way I ve heard it it is the aquivilent to peanuts on a person who is allergic
Heres an article on the Half Logs
ZooMed Half Logs are Confirmed Unsafe
Questions about dishes, climbing toys or decorations.
Post a reply5 posts • Page 1 of 1
ZooMed Half Logs are Confirmed Unsafe
by emmac350 on 30 Sep 2009, 01:26 am
Hi all, I know there's been some discussion in the journal section about the half logs that are often sold with crabs. There is a thread at the Hermit Crabs R Us forum that finally managed to figure out the safety of these logs - a member emailed ZooMed, who said that the log is made of "low-elevation, non-aromatic Cedar."
The full text of the email reply can be found here.
Follow the daily lives of my crabs at thedailyhermit.tumblr.com
Mommy to:
Rack, 23 Sep 08; Benny, 23 Sep 08; Toodles, 3 Jan 09; Slightly, 3 Jan 09; Nibs, 3 Jan 09; Curly, 3 Jan 09; Rocky, 5 Jul 09; Spaz, 5 Jul 09
emmac350
First Mate
Posts: 1455
Joined: 22 Sep 2008
Country:
Gender: Female
Crabber since: 23 Sep 2008
Hermit crabs: 8
Total gallons: 40
Total tanks: 2 Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Re: ZooMed Half Logs are Confirmed Unsafe
by ladybug15057 on 30 Sep 2009, 01:33 pm
Thank you so much for sharing this info Emma!! I know there are quite a few crabbers who do use these in their tanks for the 'natural look'. I think it is VERY important to get this word out to as many as we can!!
Marie (aka ladybug15057)
My_Photo's
Hermit_Crab_Adoption_Center
Keep On Crabbin'
ladybug15057
Archaeologist
Posts: 1364
Joined: 03 Mar 2008
Location: Southwestern Pa., U.S.
Country:
Gender: Female
Crabber since: 17 Jun 2000
Hermit crabs: 82
Total gallons: 305
Total tanks: 7
Website Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Re: ZooMed Half Logs are Confirmed Unsafe
by CrabbyJo on 30 Sep 2009, 04:16 pm
Where can we get info that will detail for ZooMed that Cedar is actually an irritant and unsafe for hermies so they stop selling these items for our hermit crabs? Grrr!
14 hermit crabs - 7 PP's - Marvin, Gonzo, Zoey, Barnaby, Mokey, Boober, Pollytopperlock, 7 Equadorians - Wembley, Gobo, Rerun, Jeffrey, Radar, Riley, Goober
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A brook couldn't sing if God removed the rocks
CrabbyJo
Navigator
Age: 46
Posts: 1110
Joined: 21 Jan 2009
Location: Alaska
Country:
Gender: Female
Crabber since: 21 Dec 2008
Hermit crabs: 14
Total gallons: 75
Total tanks: 3 Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Re: ZooMed Half Logs are Confirmed Unsafe
by emmac350 on 01 Oct 2009, 12:03 am
Cedar is on the unsafe wood list over at EH. The best way I've had to describe why woods are bad is by describing what they do to bugs - you use cedar to irritate moths and keep them out of your sweaters, and since crabs are so closely related to insects, they get irritated by it too.
Follow the daily lives of my crabs at thedailyhermit.tumblr.com
Mommy to:
Rack, 23 Sep 08; Benny, 23 Sep 08; Toodles, 3 Jan 09; Slightly, 3 Jan 09; Nibs, 3 Jan 09; Curly, 3 Jan 09; Rocky, 5 Jul 09; Spaz, 5 Jul 09
emmac350
First Mate
Posts: 1455
Joined: 22 Sep 2008
Country:
Gender: Female
Crabber since: 23 Sep 2008
Hermit crabs: 8
Total gallons: 40
Total tanks: 2 Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Re: ZooMed Half Logs are Confirmed Unsafe
by Wai on 01 Oct 2009, 01:12 am
Hermit crabs are not closely-related to insects, but their exoskeletons share a similar chemical make up.
http://www.wisegeek.com/does-cedar-actu ... -moths.htm
Coniferous woods irritate and kill moth larvae, but not adult moths. However, The scent of these woods do discourage adult moths from laying eggs near coniferous woods.
http://www.carawatha.com/article_2.htm
One of these groups of essential oils is in abundance in pine and cedar products, phenol. This highly irritant substance causes the 'lovely fresh scent' of pine & cedar products that many people find pleasant. Cedar wood is even made into 'natural moth balls' because of the strong scent is enough to deter insects.
What people need to remember is that when we smell these products we're only merely having a brief whiff, we don't then spend the next five days living on it, sleeping in it, eating some of it, peeing on it and the whole while breathing in the vapors. Our pets do.
In the future, I would recommend that we argue against wood shavings or coniferous woods along those two points, rather than saying that hermit crabs are closely related to insects. If the oils in the coniferous woods were proven to react (i.e. irritate) the exoskeletons of insects, then I would link that with the exoskeletons of crustaceans.
Phenol is very toxic to humans, because it is very reactive. I guess that would apply to hermit crabs too.
Nexxt about Handeling. This is deffinatly the most controversial thing since painted shells
Personally I m a handeler I enjoy it as do my crabs, and I have sucessfully trained them to stay on my pencap when i m doing homework and to stayon my shoulder when I am cleaning my room or when I am typing on the computer (which is most of my time when I m not at school!) In my experiance with crabs you are always learning something new, most people agree that handeling is saafe (see Tremors post) however I think that they can be outside of the Crabitat (your crab tank) for over a few hours mine are sometimes out for 3 + depending on how chatty I am feeling.I would break up handeling as such:
1st week: 5-10 minutes max
2nd week double that ext. ext. ext.
BUt thats my opinion you should really follow what your gut says to do.
★Rescuer of Illinois Crabs★ Has 21 in a 95gw tank★
*If you ever need help I will help you to the best of my abilitys and if I can no longer be of assistance I will find someone who can be for you*
<3 The Hermies Want YOU To Help Them <3
*If you ever need help I will help you to the best of my abilitys and if I can no longer be of assistance I will find someone who can be for you*
<3 The Hermies Want YOU To Help Them <3
