Deep Coconut Dishes

[Teddscau]

Hey guys. Last week, I decided to quit using those nasty plastic dishes. I mean, they looked nice, but plastic leaches chemicals (even BPA- and phthalate-free plastic), and even the deepest dishes are too shallow for larger hermit crabs to soak in.

So, I took an old coconut that I had originally planned to use for my birds, cut it in half, then used the dremel to sand all the soft stuff out of the inside. Next, I took a stick of beeswax, and scrubbed every single centimetre, inside and out, with a layer of wax. I mean, I thought cutting the coconut in half and sanding it was hard, but smearing the wax on it took me almost two hours. I have a blood blister on my right thumb, and a water blister on my left. However, the coconut halves are now properly waterproofed, and the hermit crabs love them. These dishes smell yummy (olfactory enrichment), they're all natural (no harmful chemicals leaching out), they're deep enough for the largest of crabs to soak in, they're difficult for crabs to knock over, and it may provide hermit crabs with a sense of comfort and familiarity, as hermit crabs often encounter coconuts in the wild.

Honestly, I couldn't be happier with these dishes! My crabs absolutely love the dishes, and they're actually deep enough for the crabs to soak in. I also don't have to worry about chemicals leaching into their water anymore. They look natural, so they blend in nicely with a naturalistic enclosure.

[GotButterflies]

Was the coconut organic? That would be the only way to be sure of no chemicals being used.


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[Teddscau]

Well, I guess I should've included "chemical-free" only if the coconut is organic . Sadly, it's not organic. However, apparently pesticide use isn't as much of a concern as it is with other plant foods. While a lot of farmers do in fact use pesticides, coconuts have a very thick husk protecting the shell. The coconuts most of us are familiar with are pre-husked coconuts. I've torn into a wild coconut firsthand, and I seriously question how much of the pesticide is capable of making it through the husk and into the shell or the meat itself. Also, even on heavily treated coconut trees, even those with systemic pesticides, apparently the amount of pesticides found in the flesh and milk was virtually non-existent. You only really need to be concerned about dried coconut flesh, as quick-dried coconut flesh has some sort of carcinogens in them or something?

[aussieJJDude]

If the plant is exposed to chemicals, the fruit not matter what will contain chemicals. They will absorb most chemicals and once in the tissue, can move from cell to cell with ease.

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[Teddscau]

That's what I understood, too, but apparently coconuts aren't affected? I don't know, this one lab tested a bunch of coconuts, and they didn't have any traces of pesticides.

[Happyhermiehome]

Wow that is a really cool idea! Id love to see some pics! I bet they would make great natural moss Pitts as well.

Hmmm...We all have coconuts and cocofiber climbing walls n such...I bet most of them are made from non organic coconut...I never though about that before...