Creating and maintaining warmth

To create and maintain the proper temperature in your tank you need a reliable heat source and a good thermometer. Remember to check the temperature at substrate level since that is where your hermit crabs are living. The tank should ideally have a range of temperatures, allowing for cooler zones and warmer zones so that your crabs may move to the area most comfortable to them. Your crabitat should be placed away from windows, drafts and heating vents whenever possible. Wrapping the tank in a heavy towel or blanket in the winter can help raise the temperature if too much heat is escaping. Moving the substrate over the UTH to make it shallower or deeper will have a effect on your tank temperature.

burkcae2

This has worked for me, so far....
I have 2 UTH heaters on my 40 gal BR tank and 20 GAL long. One is underneath the tank, the other is on the side - bottom of UTH is level with the top of the substrate. (the UTH's are the recommended sizes for the tank)
When it was cold here in Houston - January, Feb and early March, I had both on. The temp in the crabitat remained at a fairly even 78 degrees. (Also had 7 successful molts in the 40 GAL BR tank with this setup)
I uplugged the UTH's on the bottom of the tanks about a week and a half ago, now that it is warmer outside.
Both of these tanks are sitting by windows - which is not great, but the only option - entirely too many windows in my house. Also, in Houston, almost all homes have single pane windows - so anytime you are close to a window during the winter, it is a little cool/drafty. So for me, it made sense to not only heat from underneath, but also from the side to up the temp inside the crabitat that is exposed to the windows.

cdeff

I have a 40B
I have a UTH on one side, over that same side I have a shelf, over the shelf I have a removable insulated cover to the screen lid.
The middle of the tank has a nite glo lamp and no cover on the screen, + another nite glo lamp if it gets chillier than usual.
On the cold half the lid is covered with plastic wrap to maintain humidity. The fountain and salt water bowl is on that side. 2/3 of the tank is wrapped with a reflective insulation.
The cold side holds about 71 degrees, the upper shelf is about the same. The lower level at the surface is about 73 as they dig under it gets warmer. Under the lights is 75.
If I put both lights on it gets too hot so the temps above are with one light on. If it gets cold I put the other light on for a short time and cover the lid with more insulation.
I have 20 crabs and on average half are up and half are down. I use FB only. They are to be found in every corner so I do believe in having different temps.

Chestersmom

I use a UTH of the specified size for tank, all have been used from the bottom. When it has been colder (-30C) outside, causing tank temp to drop to 72F, I would thin out the substrate over the UTH to increase the tank temp, you have to play with it, because it depends on your thermostat in your house and where you have your tank...I also use day glow or moon glow bulbs (clamp light format) from the top....as a general rule of thumb for myself I have most of my tanks on an inner wall (less fluctuation of conditions), tanks larger than 30 gallons if they are aquarium glass are resistant to slight (+ or - 10 degrees) thermal changes due to glass thickness.

amnell71

I am one of those people who is always cold, so I keep our house set at 70-72° in the winter (very small house, not too expensive to do so). I don't know how much of a factor that is, I would assume it has something to do with it.
I have a 30 long, which we also keep on an inside wall. It gets a good bit of indirect light throughout the day. I have 3 pieces of Plexi for lids (easier access than 1 big piece). We have two 10gal aquarium hoods, one with 15 watt DayGlo bulbs and one with 25 watt MoonGlow bulbs (the screw in kind, 2 in each hood). I turn the DayGlo on when I get up and the MoonGlo on around 9p.m. , so approximately 12 hour cycles. Our tank stays between 75-80° , if it's exceptionally cold outside and the tank seems to be cooling, I will run both sets of lights together.

~Moulin~

With my 180g tank I have a light system that spans the length of the tank (6ft.). The light system is really nice because it keeps my tank warm close to 80'. Through the use of a mister and large pool in the tank, the humidity is always a constant 80%. It is an expensive light system but if one has the resources it is worth it!