by the window

Miko · Post by **Miko** » Sat Jul 06, 2013 10:02 am

sorry about all the questions but i am a newbe...so i was wondering would it be bad if i put my crabitat by the window??

HermitCrabby_LHC · Post by **HermitCrabby_LHC** » Sat Jul 06, 2013 10:06 am

If it is drafty then yes, it is bad. But if its a nice window than its ok. It lets more natural light into the crabitat

finalfantasyxii · Post by **finalfantasyxii** » Sat Jul 06, 2013 10:20 am

I would like to put my crabitat in a window for a more natural day-night cycle. Seems like a little sunlight would be a good thing and help it warm up in the tat. I wonder if you'd have to worry a little more about mold?

Geranium · Post by **Geranium** » Sat Jul 06, 2013 11:54 am

By a window okay but not in front of a window where you get the sun shining on the tank. Think how hot a car gets because of the heat from the sun on the glass. I think it would be unwise. My tanks are both near a window so light comes in, etc but never touches the tank.Peg

Crabber85 · Post by **Crabber85** » Sat Jul 06, 2013 1:03 pm

I have my 129 gallon tank right in front of my bedroom window because the size of the tank mitigates any risk for heat build up but for tanks smaller than 50 gallons you will want to avoid putting the tank directly in front of the window especially if the window tends to receive more than four hours of direct sunlight per day.The same green house effect that happens with cars, green houses and the like when they receive several hours of direct sunlight a day happens to smaller enclosures that receive to much direct sunlight effectively turning the enclosure into a crab bake.If you want to expose your crabs to natural sunlight during the day you can position the tank across the room from the window so that the light is still hitting the tank but indirectly even so the glass pane of your window and the glass of the enclosure filter out about 99% of the UV rays that the hermitcrabs need making the sunlight nearly useless for them. Hope this helps.

Miko · Post by **Miko** » Sat Jul 06, 2013 2:59 pm

ok so the window goes out to my balcony witch never get full sun as it faces north, i keep my house about 71-74, during the summer as i live in texas and it get fairly hot out side im afraid that is to cold for them and why they arnt that active

Geranium · Post by **Geranium** » Sat Jul 06, 2013 3:11 pm

What are the temperature an humidity in your tank? Mine really seem happiest/active after the sun goes down and about 80 degrees & 80% humidity.Peg

Miko · Post by **Miko** » Sun Jul 07, 2013 11:10 am

i dont have a gage yet getting on the 15th

Laurie LeAnn · Post by **Laurie LeAnn** » Tue Jul 09, 2013 8:26 am

I gave up on the gauge thing a long time ago, everyone I have had busted & fell apart. I look on my thermostat on the wall it tells me the temp in my house, my substrate is moist and I have got to where I can tell by the feel of my hands in the tank { the humid feeling } when I need to mist or add water to my e.e. or sand. I haven't used one now for about 2 or 3 yrs now and my crabs have been fine. for a newbie I woud to get used to it, but after a while you can tell when the temp and humidity isn't right

finalfantasyxii · Post by **finalfantasyxii** » Tue Jul 09, 2013 8:35 am

I personally LOVE my temp humidity gauge that I got a while ago. It's this one: http://www.amazon.com/Zilla-11...gromet ... mometerBut I will also admit that I used the cheapy stick on ones for a good year with no prob.

Crabber85 · Post by **Crabber85** » Tue Jul 09, 2013 8:37 am

@Miko, your tank will typically be between two and five degrees cooler than your house depending on the size of your enclosure so keeping your house in the low to mid seventies means the enclosure will be registering in the upper sixties to lower seventies with no external heat on the enclosure.If you have a good external heat supply you can actually bump up the temp of the enclosure by as much as ten degrees provided your using the right wattage heat pad so you'd be looking at a tank temp between seventy-five and eighty-two with the right external heat and keeping your house at the temp you do.

Post by **JediMasterThrash** » Wed Jul 10, 2013 4:57 pm

If you want real light I recommend getting a repti-sun 5.0 bulb or equivalent. It won't output any heat so it's safe to have on all day long. And it'll provide much more UV than what's making it through the window.

Miko · Post by **Miko** » Thu Jul 11, 2013 1:35 am

so my window only get direct sunlight in the eve.and at that point we will close the blinds seeing as it glairs on my TV, im trying it out by the window and watching the temp and hum. i think i need to cover more of the screen top as the hum. keeps droping.