Any Helpful Advice?

[bbcraft22]

Sorry Zoo Med, but do not trust their starter kits from Zoo Med. Their stuff aren't that reliable.

[HermiesIsMine]

Just a thought... You might want to add atleast another 2 or 3 inches of substrate looks like you have 3-4 inches currently. You want it deep enough fit your largest crab to bury it's self 3 times over. You can add the substrate carefully about 1 inch at a time so not to collape there tunnels. Also I would suggest getting a digital gauge there more accurate and i know a good brand that many crabbers use is "Acurite" which I bought at home depot for $10. It digitally reads temp and humidity and is quite accurate

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[GotButterflies]

Sounds like a Montissori classroom with all of the animals! Kudos for teaching children to love and respect creatures of all kind!

As far as the molting, I personally have not had this issue because my sub is deep, but some people do state that they can smell a "dead" like smell when their crabs molt. I know you also read the care guides, so I wanted to make sure you knew of their exoskeleton shedding.

Once when I was a teenager (MANY MANY moons ago), I had a VERY large HC named Gourman. We went to NYC to visit family for 2 weeks, so I left him with a friend of mine to watch. Back then I did not know everything I know now. Anyways, long story short, when I came home, she told me he had died, and that she buried him. I freaked, and said what did you bury? She said just his body. I immediately had my mom drive me to her house, and luckily to all of our surprise, he had molted and was in his shell he was still soft! He lived for a few years after that.

Anyways, best of luck! You will do great! With a tank that beautiful I would take it home! Lol

[Talk2tjj]

Sorry Zoo Med, but do not trust their starter kits from Zoo Med. Their stuff aren't that reliable.

I'm starting to realize that.

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[Talk2tjj]

Just a thought... You might want to add atleast another 2 or 3 inches of substrate looks like you have 3-4 inches currently. You want it deep enough fit your largest crab to bury it's self 3 times over. You can add the substrate carefully about 1 inch at a time so not to collape there tunnels. Also I would suggest getting a digital gauge there more accurate and i know a good brand that many crabbers use is "Acurite" which I bought at home depot for $10. It digitally reads temp and humidity and is quite accurate

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Thanks. I'll pick it up tomorrow. The substrate is 5 to 5 1/2 inches thick. I'll add some more slowly.

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[Talk2tjj]

Sounds like a Montissori classroom with all of the animals! Kudos for teaching children to love and respect creatures of all kind!

As far as the molting, I personally have not had this issue because my sub is deep, but some people do state that they can smell a "dead" like smell when their crabs molt. I know you also read the care guides, so I wanted to make sure you knew of their exoskeleton shedding.

Once when I was a teenager (MANY MANY moons ago), I had a VERY large HC named Gourman. We went to NYC to visit family for 2 weeks, so I left him with a friend of mine to watch. Back then I did not know everything I know now. Anyways, long story short, when I came home, she told me he had died, and that she buried him. I freaked, and said what did you bury? She said just his body. I immediately had my mom drive me to her house, and luckily to all of our surprise, he had molted and was in his shell he was still soft! He lived for a few years after that.

Anyways, best of luck! You will do great! With a tank that beautiful I would take it home! Lol

Oh my gosh! I'm glad he was okay and not buried when got there!

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[soilentgringa]

You can add about half an inch of sub a day, carefully.

The molting smell has been described as a chemical odor, like iodine.

Dead fishy smell is the death smell.

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[Talk2tjj]

Okay. I don't think I have the fishy smell because my team teachers would say something but I don't smell iodine either. Will they just bury themselves? One was active today. Looks smaller than the active one yesterday but maybe he changed shells again... he took off running with a slice of freeze dried banana. Lol! I guess that's a keeper!

This is the HC I saw today

This is the one from yesterday

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