Fleabags Guide To Heating A Crabitat

This is where you discuss the conditions of your crabitat -- temperature, humidity, substrate, decorating, etc.
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Motörcrab
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Fleabags Guide To Heating A Crabitat

Post by Motörcrab » Sun Jan 20, 2019 1:33 pm

My name's Fleabag and I will help guide you through setting up your crabitat for proper heating! I don't understand what a crabitat is but they make nice heated litter boxes!

Image

I was helping my owners set up a 55 gallon tank or litter box a few weeks ago and thought I would share what I learned. The same guidelines will apply for any tank size. The size of heating pads and insulation will change but the general set up will stay the same.

First up we have the empty 55 gallon tank.

Image

My owners purchased an 11 x 47 and 11 x 11 Ultratherms from Reptile Basics. One will be used for the back and one side of the tank.
http://www.reptilebasics.com/ultratherm-heat-pads

Fleabag Tip: You will want to get the largest size heater possible! The heater needs to cover as much of the rear of the tank as possible! The heater needs cover from the top of the substrate to the upper rim of the tank to heat properly. If you are using a ZooMed heating pad do not follow the tank size as noted on the package. It will not give off enough heat to warm the tank. Think of it as heating a room with a candle instead of a fireplace!

Fleabag Note: Also some people prefer to cover the entire back top to bottom. Covering the entire back may lead to dry substrate around the heater/s. If you do this method you will need to keep an eye on how the moisture of the substrate.

The first step it to add the rear Ultratherm to the back of the tank. My people use a small vertical strips of duct tape on the center top of the Ultrathem to the center of the tank. Then added several more strips working outward.

Once the Ultratherm is where you want it you can begin taping it all around the edges using more Duct Tape. With larger heating pads it's easier to use smaller strips of tape instead of long pieces. Start in the top center of the tank, then alternate taping the stips from one side of the top then the other until the entire top is taped.

Once the top of the heater is taped repeat the same process for the bottom. Then finish by taping each side of the heater.

When finished it should look similar to this.

Image

Next up my people added insulation to the rear of the tank over the heater. They used 9/16 thick Poly Pro insulation board. They did not take me to buy it, but they did say something about a home improvement stores and costing around $10 for a 4 x 8 sheet.

My owners cut the insulation board to cover the entire back of the tank. They used the same steps to tape the insulation as the heating pad.

Fleabag Tip: add duct tape to the edges of the insulation board so little pieces do not flake off!

Once the insulation is taped on it should look like this.

Image

This may be all the heat you need depending on where you live. Since owners live where it gets cold in the winter they add an additional heater and insulation to one side of the tank. The same measurements apply. Top of substrate to the upper rim. Cover as much of the side as possible. In the summer they unplug this heater.

Image

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My owners also use glass lids on all their tanks/ heated litter boxes and keep them all between 80- 87 degrees with house temperatures between 68-72 degrees following these steps.



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Last edited by Motörcrab on Mon Jan 28, 2019 6:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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RiNiKy506
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Re: Fleabags Guide To Heating A Crabitat

Post by RiNiKy506 » Sun Jan 20, 2019 2:28 pm

Great info, Fleabag!


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Hermiesguardian
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Re: Fleabags Guide To Heating A Crabitat

Post by Hermiesguardian » Sun Jan 20, 2019 3:01 pm

😁
raising son's dog, Dante. Husky/hound.
Raising daughter's hermit crabs, Shelder, Paras and Derek. Added 2 more of my own (of course) Pete and Stryper. Former mommy to 2 guinea pigs and beloved cat, Nissi

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ciaraalston
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Re: Fleabags Guide To Heating A Crabitat

Post by ciaraalston » Mon Jan 21, 2019 8:13 am

This is absolutely precious.
And thanks for the insulation tips! I've been considering another option, but this one looks easier and more cost effective!

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4 purple pinchers & 2 ecuadorians living a life of luxury in south west Louisiana.
Follow my hermit crab learning journey on instagram! @hermitcrabs_in_the_boot

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Motörcrab
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Re: Fleabags Guide To Heating A Crabitat

Post by Motörcrab » Mon Jan 21, 2019 5:43 pm

Fleabag is such a good helpful kitty! We probably have almost as many pictures of him as our crabbies! I picked him up at the Salt Lake City Airport last spring. He is actually a travel pet that transforms into a neck pillow! After I got him I started sending Xenocrab random pictures of him on the plane looking out the window coming home. She thought the pictures were hysterical! He has been sort of a running joke with us since then! He's been to England and China with me, and tags along on most of our road trips! I'm pretty sure he popped up in a few random photos on here in the past too. He even had his own Halloween costume and scared a good amount of people at the haunted house we work at! Most people probably think we are nuts carrying around a stuffed cat but he is a lot of fun and we love Fleabag!
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LeeHasCrabs
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Re: Fleabags Guide To Heating A Crabitat

Post by LeeHasCrabs » Thu Jan 24, 2019 11:10 pm

ImageJust in time. Getting this part done first.


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LeeHasCrabs
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Re: Fleabags Guide To Heating A Crabitat

Post by LeeHasCrabs » Sat Jan 26, 2019 7:12 pm

ImageCrabitat 2.0 prep has begun this weekend!


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RiNiKy506
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Re: Fleabags Guide To Heating A Crabitat

Post by RiNiKy506 » Sat Jan 26, 2019 7:40 pm

LeeHasCrabs wrote:ImageCrabitat 2.0 prep has begun this weekend!


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Is that a little wooden teeter-totter!?


Rod♡Salty♡Bob♡Squirt♡Crabina♡Who
»-♡-> Our Purple Pinchers <-♡-«

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LeeHasCrabs
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Re: Fleabags Guide To Heating A Crabitat

Post by LeeHasCrabs » Sat Jan 26, 2019 9:21 pm

RiNiKy506 wrote: Is that a little wooden teeter-totter!?


Rod♡Salty♡Bob♡Squirt♡Crabina♡Who
»-♡-> Our Purple Pinchers <-♡-«
It is! Gonna see how they like/handle that. I got one from eBay but they’re on Amazon as well. And I attached coconut fiber mat to the top so they can grip it better when it rocks back and forth.Image


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RiNiKy506
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Re: Fleabags Guide To Heating A Crabitat

Post by RiNiKy506 » Sun Jan 27, 2019 12:12 am

LeeHasCrabs wrote: It is! Gonna see how they like/handle that. I got one from eBay but they’re on Amazon as well. And I attached coconut fiber mat to the top so they can grip it better when it rocks back and forth.Image


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So cool! I want one!


Rod♡Salty♡Bob♡Squirt♡Crabina♡Who
»-♡-> Our Purple Pinchers <-♡-«

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LeeHasCrabs
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Re: Fleabags Guide To Heating A Crabitat

Post by LeeHasCrabs » Sun Jan 27, 2019 12:36 am

RiNiKy506 wrote: So cool! I want one!


Rod♡Salty♡Bob♡Squirt♡Crabina♡Who
»-♡-> Our Purple Pinchers <-♡-«
NiteangeL Natural Wood Hamster Seesaw https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OW53SKS/re ... tCbD0A37SJ

And the coconut fiber mat I bought:

Tfwadmx Coconut Fiber Mat... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BTVR5WC?re ... b_ap_share


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RiNiKy506
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Re: Fleabags Guide To Heating A Crabitat

Post by RiNiKy506 » Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:17 pm

Thank you for links!


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»-♡-> Our Purple Pinchers <-♡-«


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Re: Fleabags Guide To Heating A Crabitat

Post by IcedPineapple » Thu Feb 07, 2019 8:42 pm

Is the insulation ploystyrene? And is an inch thick too much? The room my hermies are in gets quite cold in the winter, lower sixties, and even in the summer not much warmer than the lower seventies. Is it a fire hazard for one inch thick polystyrene or would it be fine versus half an inch thick?

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Re: Fleabags Guide To Heating A Crabitat

Post by Motörcrab » Thu Feb 07, 2019 9:29 pm

I never used the polystyrene board insulation, usually blue or green. I the poly pro insulation I used is polystyrene, grey with foil on one side. I believe both types can be used. I don't know if one is better than the other. I went with the 1/2" thick insulation because it was only $10 a sheet and would flex a little easier for where the plug attaches. I can't find the Ultratherm instruction sheet that came with it. I believe they recommended a minimum of 6mm of insulation. I do not recall seeing a maximum thickness for insulation. In the past I even used a piece of cardboard wrapped in aluminum foil as insulation. I am pretty sure as long as heat can escape easily through the glass of the tank any thickness can be used.
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Re: Fleabags Guide To Heating A Crabitat

Post by Scarletfire » Sat May 04, 2019 5:37 pm

Can I apply this insulating method to THG / Flexwatt heat tape? Not sure if the aluminum foil will cause a shock.

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