HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I notice from pics that many use silk plants/flowers in tats. Are there any down sides to them? What about mold/mildew?

Also what about plastic plants? I've got a few from the dollar store for my upcoming tank but am sort of leery about using them.

hi sara.. all are fine. I try to find the ones that dont have a metal stem on the inside. I rinse them with tap water and let them air dry then add them to my tank. Ive never had a mold problem with them and if they get tattered i just replace them. The dollar store is a great place to get them. Its a nice way to add color to the tank.. Take care and happy crabbing! Suebee

Never had problems with mine. I spray the crabitat with salt water quite often, so mold doesn't usually grow on anything.

nope they present no problems to me either! The crabs just tear my leaves apart and i'm left with a leafless fake plant.

Nope - no problems. The only problems I have is that its become a game to tear down the plants for the crabs

Here's my hint about how i'd do it a second time

Take your plants look at the base of them. (the part that goes into the ground) and start thinking of bigger deeper units. get it dug down, and bigger than the crabs can move. My big tree center in the middle of my tank gets knocked around still lol.

Mine don't tear at the leaves at all. I have seen them hiding under them, or even hanging upside down under them, but they aren't interested in shredding them--at least, not yet!

Where do you guys get your fake plants from? I often hear that people get them from dollar stores, but I'm curious which dollar stores carry them. Thanks for the help.

I've found some at Dollar Tree, but I personally like looking in Michael's clearance area for larger pieces and vines that I cut to get the look I want. I would check really any dollar store most of them all have floral in them.

Thanks for the tip!

i usually wedge mine between something or into the sand. i haven't had any trouble with them being dug up or torn apart, but the crabs sure do love climbing on them.

I've had some problems with the crabs picking away the outer plastic and exposing the wire inside. Also I've had some leaves ripped off and torn up. I try to find plants without the metal wire inside but I do still use some that have it. I just inspect the plants regularly and discard any with damage/exposed metal. I've never had problem with mold or mildew on the plants. The crabs love climbing and hiding in them.