Deep water dishes

[Wai]

I am currently using two identical rock pool dishes for fresh and salt water, however, having seen a hermit crab as tiny as Haumea step into one of them, the dish was still not deep enough completely submerge him. Even with some of the giant water dishes that I've seen so far aren't deep enough to submerge Eris.

Does anyone have any ideas for me to make a "home-made" water dish? I'm thinking of using the plastic cylindrical containers for a short stack of blank DVDs (without the base). The space in my tank is very limited, so I'm looking for something deep, but does not take up a lot of space. Should I make both the fresh and salt water dishes out of those containers, or just one of them?

What does everyone use as their water dishes? Are they deep enough to submerge your largest hermit crab completely?

On another note, how often does everyone change their fresh and salt water? Do you change the salt water less frequently?

[ladybug15057]

Do you have any type of smaller but deeper plastic/glass type salad bowls, margarine dishes, any tupperware type containers? Do you have any dollar type stores in your area? You may even find something there that can be used. If you are going with the deep water type dishes, have your thought how you're providing them a safe way out?
Here it depends on how often the water pond is changed, but at least every 2-3 days. (both ocean and fresh water ponds) This totally depends on how the water looks... poop or food floating or even sunk within it... it gets changed then. If not a couple days. This being said, I do not use sea sponges in my ponds any longer either. Less chance of a bacteria/mold complication by not rinsing them daily.

Edited to add: In a couple of our tanks with the smaller type hermies we use the Jumbo zoomed rock dishes, and yes the largest hermie of that tank is able to be completely submerged.

[Wai]

That was another thing I forgot to ask: what "escape" route do you give your hermit crabs? I stopped using sponges too. However, where do the bacteria in the sponge come from? I've got some flat rocks (they don't slip) that I can use to let them climb out. Eris should be able to climb out easily, but with a few rocks in there, Haumea should be able to climb out too. I will of course test the escape routes first, by watching Haumea climb out of them successfully under my supervision.

I've got plenty of bowls to choose from (rice bowls in particular, since we're Chinese hehehe), but I'm not sure if the rocks can stack as firmly due to the curved shape of the bowls. However, the DVD containers are cylindrical in shape.

[ladybug15057]

Catch being one does need to be careful what they use as a safe way out. Sometimes by putting rocks and such in the water, this takes away from the water depth too. So it really doesn't permit for submersion either. Due to how large my ponds are, I use the larger deep scallop type oyster shells.

http://www.seashells.vg/seashell/sea-sh ... tml?oyster

Some use small coral pieces for climbing, some use the harder plastic vines secured to the inside tank wall, Some use a mesh type plastic coating and lay this across the bottom and out the other end of the pond as a form of 'steps'. Here in the U.S. it is called plastic canvas craft sheets like those one would hook carpets or needlepoint on:

http://www.bjcraftsupplies.com/colorchart/pc.asp

(enlarged picture)

http://www.bjcraftsupplies.com/plasticC ... enR11a.JPG

[NotaMallard]

I have a nice piece of coral (washed, of course) leading out of the dish. My smallest crab has no problem getting out of the dish, and my big guys can fully submerge as well. I have a large plastic reptile dish.

[emmac350]

I use ceramic bowls that are about 2 inches deep. My crabs can all fully submerge themselves, although their shells cannot get all the way in. I use those glass half-spheres to help the tiny crabs get out. The "small" sized ones don't have any problems getting out.