What wood is safe & what is not

[kieagcarm]

I found this cute handmade pine wooden bridge and I really want it. What kind of wood are ok to use and what are not

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[mool]

In the "olden days" of crab keeping, pine used to be a no-no. People thought it was toxic, but now I'm seeing more people using it. How is the bridge fastened together? I would also be concerned about the glue (if any) used to hold it together.

Is it for animals or kids? If so, it is likely safe.

How's that for a non-answer?

[Rawrgeous]

I still think pine is a no-no, but like mool said there are crabbers that seem to use it. I have no idea if long term effects though, maybe one of them will chime in. I believe it's on the nonsafe/unpopular list. I personally wouldn't use it, but I'm also a bit overprotective at times.

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[Brian_T]

In the "olden days" of crab keeping, pine used to be a no-no. People thought it was toxic, but now I'm seeing more people using it. How is the bridge fastened together? I would also be concerned about the glue (if any) used to hold it together.

Is it for animals or kids? If so, it is likely safe.

How's that for a non-answer?

I can't comment on type of wood, but for wood glue I would use Titebond III. It's completely waterproof and is apparently used by other animal keepers for terrariums. An aquarium safe epoxy is another option, but clean-up isn't nearly as easy. Aquarium safe silicon will work, but it is not a very strong bond.

I haven't yet run across a need for glue in my crabitat yet, but always have a bottle of titebond around. Those are the safest options my research as yielded as I plan for future expansion. Wipe away any drips and sand off excess that the crab might want to pick at just to be extra safe.

[kieagcarm]

In the "olden days" of crab keeping, pine used to be a no-no. People thought it was toxic, but now I'm seeing more people using it. How is the bridge fastened together? I would also be concerned about the glue (if any) used to hold it together.

Is it for animals or kids? If so, it is likely safe.

How's that for a non-answer?

Lol. It's for hamsters on Amazon

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[Crabinski]

Lol. It's for hamsters on Amazon

I've had those for my mice and now have one for my hamster. It's made from "China Fir" wood, actually a type of cypress tree from Southeast Asia. Apparently it's ideal for animal habitats because it naturally repels pests, fungus and rot. My rodents have gnawed on it over the years with no ill effects. My only concern would be how well the generic "glue gun" type of glue used to assemble it would hold under humidity.

[n00dles33]

Im new to the whole hermit crab world and have a question on some wood that I found today while outside... it's from a Hickory tree.. the limbs would work perfectly in my tank.. but I want to make sure they're safe to use first.. I've looked around on different sites and can't find anything.. please help! Thanks!

[Crabinski]

Im new to the whole hermit crab world and have a question on some wood that I found today while outside... it's from a Hickory tree.. the limbs would work perfectly in my tank.. but I want to make sure they're safe to use first.. I've looked around on different sites and can't find anything.. please help! Thanks!

The hickory tree is related to the walnut tree and, while walnuts themselves are perfectly fine for crabs (and probably hickory nuts are OK, too), I don't know about the wood of either tree. Hopefully, someone else with a bit of a botanical background will chime in. Another thing to consider is if the hickory trees near you are treated with pesticides -- if so, no treated wood is considered "safe."