HCA: Hermit Crab Association

You’re most welcome

Do you mean Indian Almond (catappa)? If so, yes those are safe.

Happy to hear your little buddy’s okay.

I believe they are referring to the sap of the aloe, which is slightly toxic but can be drained out to harvest the edible flesh. I am certain that the sap is not used in conditioners. Just to clarify: aloe gel is non-toxic (and, in fact, considered medicinal) to humans and many other animals. The a...

Thank you, I didn't know that about aloe. I was under the complete opposite impression. Fortunately, they never bothered the succulents except for hiding behind them or throwing them from the planter. Perhaps it is true that they know better than we do what they can safely eat. I certainly won't be...

Your crab will be fine.

Also, as far as succulents go, I went with the theory that if they're ok for other inverts, amphibians and pets, they're most likely fine for the crabs. I used an aloe plant, which isn't toxic to anything, but I planted it in the sand and it eventually rotted from the dampness of the sand. Aloe is ...

Hi there, sorry to hear your little buddy isn’t doing well. I’ll provide some thoughts on your responses to the emergency questionnaire below, in bold text. 1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? 100% Eco earth. About five inches deep. for PPs, the minimum recommended sub...

I use straight EE, for a variety of reasons, and have done so for ~10 years without issue.

Unless there’s an issue with your substrate (bacterial bloom, flood, infestation of harmful insects) you don’t need to change it out. Ensure it’s the right depth and consistency, spot clean any large pieces of food waste you see dragged out of the food bowl, and top up the quantity as needed. But no...

I’ve only ever had one crab small enough to climb inside a teddy bear cholla, and it did (for the brief period of time in which it could fit before it grew). Otherwise, the crabs just climb and nibble on it, as with other cholla.

lol I know the feeling. My cats are "ditch-babies," thrown out by some nice person (not!) in the ditch near our house; they and their mother were so starved we thought some might not make it; mother also positive for FIV. Zooey says thank you for rescuing the little darlings. So many garbage humans...

I am happy to see that there are so many of us in the 'problem cat owner club'! Yeah.. I have two cats in different stages of renal failure, one of whom also suffers from idiopathic cystitis and overgrooms, and is really sensitive to medications (she nearly died last year when our former vet prescr...

I have decided to ditch the heat lamp. It was keeping the temperature the high 80s and at times 90. My wife first bought a UTH and we put it on the tank on Monday, but it wasn't keeping the tank hot enough, so I bought the heat lamp. Now the heat lamp is making it too hot. After doing some research...

I've also used them around the crabs and my fish. They're pheromones rather than an essential oil so it shouldn't be harmful, but Feliway makes me sneeze like the dickens so there is something irritating in it. I also have used feliway diffusers in the same room as my crabs in the past with no ill ...