HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I saw a post written by ShinyDragonfly about which plants are safe for a crabitat. I decided to try to get a list going of the best live plants to grow in a crabitat based on size, origin, edible vs. toxic, and most of all durability! Post your luck (or failure, we all need a mistake or two to learn from) with live plants here! Pictures are always welcome and appreciated.
Please include in your post:
- Common names (at least 2 names is ideal)
- Scientific name (if known)
- Pictures! (If possible)
- How it was grown and introduced to your crabs
- Did you succeed?
- Your thoughts for future improvements

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I currently have bamboo in my tank- and the crabs are destroying it. I previously have had aloe, palm fronds, in my tank as well- but those didn't last long either!


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I have been trying chia seeds in my habitat so that they can have a lovely snack when they sprout. My goal is to have a small, thick patch of chia growing in the corner of my larger tank that they can munch and mangle all they want. I throw a pinch of organic, GMO-free seeds into the substrate, give it a little mix, and mist it with de-chlorinated water. In a few days, I get a sprouts that they gobble down within that week.
For my thick patch of chia that is hopefully soon to come, I will sprout the chia outside the habitat and let it grow thick onto flats, which would then be transplanted into the habitat with new seeds in the mix so I can stay ahead of the destruction that is sure to come. Once a week, I will throw a pinch into the patch so that fresh chia is always growing to replace the demolished.

Chia never lasts long enough to sprout in my tanks!

JustJay was working with prickly pear & air plants back around December, I think. Here is a link to her thread, if you're interested.

http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... t#p1020984

If you look through the archives there are a good number of threads about live plants.

Edit - also this one, where aussieJJDude reels off a bunch:
http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... s#p1021286

LadyJinglyJones wrote:JustJay was working with prickly pear & air plants back around December, I think. Here is a link to her thread, if you're interested.

http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... t#p1020984

If you look through the archives there are a good number of threads about live plants.

Edit - also this one, where aussieJJDude reels off a bunch:
http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... s#p1021286

Thank you for the URL! These threads will definitely be helpful! Since there are so many threads about live plants, I would like to create one central list, using the information from this thread and others. Rather than sifting through a bunch of threads, trying to pick through unnecessary chatter, there can be a place like the safe foods list, that crabbers, new and experienced, can find exactly what they are looking for. It seems like a lot of work to do to find everything, but I'm up to the task.
Feeling hopeful!

erin.leaman wrote:

LadyJinglyJones wrote:JustJay was working with prickly pear & air plants back around December, I think. Here is a link to her thread, if you're interested.

http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... t#p1020984

If you look through the archives there are a good number of threads about live plants.

Edit - also this one, where aussieJJDude reels off a bunch:
http://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB/ ... s#p1021286

Thank you for the URL! These threads will definitely be helpful! Since there are so many threads about live plants, I would like to create one central list, using the information from this thread and others. Rather than sifting through a bunch of threads, trying to pick through unnecessary chatter, there can be a place like the safe foods list, that crabbers, new and experienced, can find exactly what they are looking for. It seems like a lot of work to do to find everything, but I'm up to the task.
Feeling hopeful!

@AussieJJDude, one of our mods, is working on a Safe Live Plants List to add to our care guides.

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ive been growing a "grass field" in a plastic cat pan thats a mix of chia, millet and some other sprouts then offering it to the crabs. still playing with shower caddy gardens. either way i find some crabs perfering a plant taste, how easy the crabs can get to the plant and their own diet affects how well a plant does.

sadly i just started a new tank from moving so my tanks bare but ill be updating my thread soon. the prickly pear has lasted the longest for me and was easiest to grow.

im sorry...cdont mean the reel of a bunch and sound like a total drsg! the list is slowly growing, ive been doing research for the last couple of weeks! but by no means the list is complete, but rather the more successful live plant additions into the crabitat...

You don't sound like a drsg! Its useful info! I just meant that there were a bunch listed in that post & and was drawing attention to it.

aussieJJDude wrote:im sorry...cdont mean the reel of a bunch and sound like a total drsg! the list is slowly growing, ive been doing research for the last couple of weeks! but by no means the list is complete, but rather the more successful live plant additions into the crabitat...

thats how i feel! at first i was kind overwhelmed. then i started going about it plant by plant, that im growing and post once i have something im comfortable with and have had a positive hermit response from. im excited more people are working on this! none of us will go about it in the same way or try the same thing so i think we will get a wide resource pool of hermit based plant info.