HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Now that Im using lamps and bulbs for warmth, my humidity is a bit low so I'm thinking I need a humidifier. I went to the pet store tonight, but to my surprise, they really didnt have what I expected them to. Where do you guys get these, what exactly are they called, who makes them, etc?? I was just looking at Pet Discounters, they have a humidifier that requires an air pump which is purchased separately, is that the "norm"? As for the air pump, I see they come in different sizes. Do I follow the same guideines when Im not using this in an aquarium filled with water? I have a 20L tank, do I still need a pump for a 20 gal tank?Can someone give me the details on using a humidifier and point me in the right direction, please?

I know a lot of people use and like the TropicAire humidifiers, which do require a separate air pump. I just have an airstone in my saltwater dish, and that seems to be helping my humidity levels enough for now. To set it up, I purchased the following:- Air stone (actually a two-pack, as they are cheap and need to be replaced periodically)- Air line tubing. Also cheap.- Check valve. This keeps water from going up into your air pump should there be a malfunction. Also just a buck or two.- Air pump. I got one rated for a 10 gallon tank, since it just has to aerate a water dish. An employee at PetSmart was kind enough to unbox and turn on air pumps of different brands to see how noisy they were. Some of the ones that said they were "quiet" or "silent" on the box really weren't! I ended up buying a RenaAir pump. I think it was about $15.My setup probably doesn't provide as much humidity as a tropicaire would, but I didn't need that much, so it's perfect for me.

I definitely found a solution to the humidity problem! It also requires an air pump, tubing and an air stone.... I bought one of those $.99 bud vases from walmart (real simple, nothing fancy), planted it in my tank (I use sand substrate) added some treated freshwater to the vase and dropped int he air line with the air stone attached... the lid I use is one of those hinged screen ones (covered mostly in plastic of course), so the air line fits in the tank nicely right where the hinge is, without crushing the tubing or affecting the way the lid sits... I'm sure a way to get the tubing into the tank can be figured out for just about any lid...Anyhow, this REALLY boosts my humidity in my 20L... I use a pump for a 10gal tank since I'm not trying to aeraite 20 gallons of water, it works just fine... my crabs love to prop themselves on the edge of the vase too - must like the mist! I put a driftwood stick in the vase just case a little one falls in somehow, they have a way to get out... and basically you just clean the vase when you clean the tank - occassionally the ones who prop on top of the vase empty their "crabbie noodles" into the vase... this was just a cheaper alternative for me than buying an actual humidifier - the most costly thing was the pump!

I just ordered a Habba Mist...it's $54.99 at http://www.drsfostersmith.com/I haven't gotten it yet, but I'll let everyone know how I like it. I chose it instead of the Tropic Aire or a homemade humidifer because I don't like the noise of an air pump going all the time. If you have a smaller tank or just need a short-term humidity boost, I'd recommend an air stone in the water dish. If you have a larger tank or have a long-term humidity issue, you might want to consider a humidifier of some sort.