Updating Crab Care section

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Wai
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Updating Crab Care section

Post by Wai »

I am currently revising and restructuring the Crab Care section of this site. Each page will now be expanded into multiple subpages to provide more room for discussion and photos.

I will post any requests or ideas here, so please check this thread regularly if you are interested in helping me with this massive project.

Terrariums
- Where do you place your crabitat?
- Is it exposed to small amounts of direct sunlight?
- Does it rest on top of a desk or on the floor?
- Did you clean your empty tank before using it? How did you clean it?

Bedding
- I need a list of all the common substrates that people use for hermit crabs (eg. woodshavings, gravel, eco-earth, sand)
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of these substrates?
Wai
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erikleeson
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Re: Updating Crab Care section

Post by erikleeson »

I'd be glad to help you out Wai! 8)

Terrariums
My terrarium is in kind of a "wall piece" Its like a giant square with the middle cut out that's meant for a TV. It has a bunch of cabinets and stuff too where I place all the supplies. The walls of the thing shield the tank and could even possibly insulate it.

About 50 feet away in front of the tank are two large windows. They usually have the blinds on but I guess when they are open they get some sunlight :S

I rest in top of a desk. Floor temperatures are usually unstable.

Yes. It was very important for me and important for all tanks that have been used. I got my tank for free from my uncle who was an exotic fish keeper. The tank had salt water stains all over the walls. So I took a high pressure hose and sprayed it all down then made up a hot water and vinegar mixture and applied it with pressure on the walls with a rag. After the walls seemed clear I hosed it down again and dried it with a rag and let it sit in the sun for 20 minutes.

Bedding
- "Good Substrates (Any bedding that shouldn't cause a potential danger to the crabs themselves.
- Play sand
- Aquarium Sand
- Reptile Desert Sand
- Real sand from the beach
- Coconut Fiber.

Any of the above substrates can easily be managed wet to allow digging which is vital for the well being of your crabs. Not only do they bury in it for molting, they often just dig for the fun of it.

- "Bad Substrates" (Any substrate that could be dangerous to the crabs or do not allow the crab to easily bury itself.
- No Substrate
- Newspaper
- Corn Cob
- English Walnut Shavings
- Paper Towel
- Gravel*
- Reptile Carpet
- Wood Shavings of any sort
- Calcium Carbonate* (Calci-Sand)

*May be used in some areas of the tank.

PROS AND CONS OF THE SUBSTRATES

Play Sand
Very Cheap
Holds up well when wet
Crabs can easily dig in it
Easy to find

Clumps when dry

Aquarium Sand
Very fine grains.
Looks very attractive
Holds up well when wet
Crabs can easily dig in it

Very Expensive

Reptile Desert Sand
Very fine grains
Looks very attractive
Holds up well when wet
Crabs can easily dig in it

Expensive
Excellent conductor of heat, may unbalance temperature in tank.

Real sand from the beach
Free
Most natural thing you can get for the crabs
Holds up well when wet
Crabs can easily dig in it
May have bits of sea shell and chitin inside of the sand
Natural looking

Some places don't allow you to take sand from the beach.

Coconut Fiber
Gives a foresty look
Crabs love digging in it
Holds up well when wet
Raises humidity in tank
Allows planting and sprouting in the tank
Crabs can eat it

Easier chance of getting mites.

No substrate
You need a substrate no matter what.

Newspaper
Crabs could read the comics. :P

Ink could be ingested
Does not allow digging
looks gross

Corn Cob
Nil

Looks gross!
Does not allow digging
Totally impractical.

English Walnut Shavings
Crabs could eat it

Does not allow digging.

Paper Towel
Nil

Looks gross
Does not allow digging

Gravel
Crabs like "exploring" on it.
Looks attractive

Crabs can not dig in it
Pebbles can get inside the shell injuring the crabs.

Reptile Carpet
Nil

Looks plain
Does not allow digging
Crabs have trouble walking on it

Wood Shavings (of any sort)
Nil

Coniferous woods are a threat to the crabs
They easily mold
They stink
Sucks up all the moisture
Does not allow digging

Calci Sand
Source of calcium

Expensive
Clumps and fouls when wet
Does not allow digging
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wooh, that took a while. Hope this information is of good use to the crab care section. I can help you with any other parts as well! XD
ERIK LEESON

These are currently living in a better home...
Zeke+Finnigan+Wesker+Mendez+Xavi+Garth+Zoidberg+Gomez+Gilbert+Bobo+Luther
SEE THEM HERE

Need help? I'm on here lots so PM me for any questions you need answered!

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emmac350
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Re: Updating Crab Care section

Post by emmac350 »

Terrariums
- Where do you place your crabitat?
- Is it exposed to small amounts of direct sunlight?
- Does it rest on top of a desk or on the floor?
- Did you clean your empty tank before using it? How did you clean it?

My crabitat used to be on a trunk by a window in my living room. That was a good place in the summer because it would get some limited sunlight during the day (north facing window so it wasn't much, but it was some). However, as it got colder, the tank's temperature and humidity were hard to regulate. The door into my apartment is in the living room, so the cold air would rush in and lower the temperature, and the humidity also would drop because of that as well. It is now on the middle of my bookshelf in the middle of the wall in my bedroom. I can regulate temperature and humidity much better. For one thing, the bathroom has a door that opens into my room...so I leave it open when I shower and it warms the room and ups the humidity in the room so the temp/humidity are easier to regulate in the tank. Because the tank is nestled into a smaller space, the temp and humidity are easier because the shelf kind of has this little bubble created by the fact that there's only about a foot and a half of empty space over the tank before the next shelf...which means that the tank is in its own environment.

It's not as exposed to direct sunlight...it really honestly doesn't get DIRECT sunlight, but when I open the blinds of the window opposite it in my room, the double window does let in a decent amount of light. I use my desk lamp for a heat lamp (for now, until I get a heat lamp for Christmas) so that it doesn't get too cold.

To clean my tank...as I unfortunately got the crabs and then set up the tank, instead of the other way around...I just rinsed it out with water from my Brita filter. Scrubbed it with a paper towel, and then set it up. No problems so far...except for my one guy who died in the first 24h from PPS (was just staring out of the side of the glass, dead) and one who mysteriously dropped his shell in ISO when I was hoping he would molt and he just died. I have had one successful molt (hasn't come up yet but I counted limbs from under the tank and he looked complete!) and one other guy is under molting, I think, as he hasn't been in the food or water for around a month now and the tank isn't fishy-smelling yet.

As for the substrate stuff...I am very impressed with baked playsand. However, my current substrate in the tank is some sort of "saltwater aquarium sand" which is similar to the sand you'd see on the beach...not as fine as playsand but not too big. The pieces are around CalciSand size, with a few bigger chunks of shells in it randomly. I'm debating just adding playsand on top of this to get the depth I probably should have, as the aquarium sand does appear to work fine for molts.
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Rack, 23 Sep 08; Benny, 23 Sep 08; Slightly, 3 Jan 09; Nibs, 3 Jan 09; Curly, 3 Jan 09; Spaz, 5 Jul 09

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Re: Updating Crab Care section

Post by Hermie's rule »

Terrariums
- Where do you place your crabitat?

It's in my bedroom on a bookshelf that's directly across from a window and the floor's heating vent.
- Is it exposed to small amounts of direct sunlight?
The hermies are, but not the tank.
- Does it rest on top of a desk or on the floor?
I have it on a bookshelf
- Did you clean your empty tank before using it? How did you clean it?
Yes. I cleaned it with a paper towel using a vinegar and water solution to kill all bugs and germs.

Bedding
- I need a list of all the common substrates that people use for hermit crabs (eg. woodshavings, gravel, eco-earth, sand)

Woodshavings - this is out of the question. LOL
Gravel
Eco-earth
Sand
And that's about it
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of these substrates?
Gravel - unless it's really fine gravel, it could get stuck in the hermies shell and they cannot molt in it. It's plus side is it's reusable, cheap, and can be cleaned.

Eco-earth - It's really good and soft and I've always had good molts in it. Other people do not have good molts in it and do better with sand.

Sand - It can have metal in it from the mining process. Several crabbers ran screwdrivers thru their sand and had tons of metal shavings clinging to the screwdrivers. Other people have no problems with it and have perfect molts in it. Sand shows hermie poop easier in it and can be baked to sterilize it and reused again.
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ladybug15057
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Location: Southwestern Pa., U.S.

Re: Updating Crab Care section

Post by ladybug15057 »

"Sand - It can have metal in it from the mining process. Several crabbers ran screwdrivers thru their sand and had tons of metal shavings clinging to the screwdrivers. "

The 'play sands' sold this has happened to.
Marie (aka ladybug15057)

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Re: Updating Crab Care section

Post by Hermie's rule »

Thanks for correcting me on it. I forgot to say play sand. I've been reading around on your site, Ladybug and I've found some so interesting information. :D
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Wai
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Re: Updating Crab Care section

Post by Wai »

I've been a bit slow with the updating lately, but I'm back on the routine again. Sorry for the waiting! -.-
Wai
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ladybug15057
Coenobita
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Posts: 3098
Joined: 03 Mar 2008, 04:12
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 82
Total gallons: 305
Total tanks: 7
Location: Southwestern Pa., U.S.

Re: Updating Crab Care section

Post by ladybug15057 »

I'm happy to hear this is going to get underway. I too had stopped with the e-mails due to seeing not advances being made to the updating of the Crab Care section. When I see advances again, if you would like I can begin with the help info again. (I stopped at Nutrients)
Marie (aka ladybug15057)

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Wai
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Gender: Male
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Total gallons: 45
Total tanks: 1
Location: Victoria, Australia
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Re: Updating Crab Care section

Post by Wai »

I am now working on the Ornaments page. I had a look in our Gallery for photos of dishes, but we only have three at the moment.

I am looking for photos of dishes (both ideal or bad) to add to our Ornaments page. Below are my requests:

Dishes (both ideal and bad)
- Rock pool dishes
- Other ideal dishes
- Dog bowl
- Metal lid

Also, is everyone here happy to let me use photos that they have submitted to the gallery for the Crab Care section?
Wai
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Ashleigh
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Re: Updating Crab Care section

Post by Ashleigh »

I use lids off jam and stuff for my dishes
Yay Nacho and Taco my 2 hermies!
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