vacation concerns

[youdunnojack]

i have a few hermit crabs in a tank with a piece of glass that i cut to size for the lid. later in the year, we will be taking a vacation for 9-10 days and i may not have anyone who can come by and open the lid and change out water. if i can find someone, i'd be hoping to get them to check on them just one time to make it easier. probably on day 5. anyway, if i add bubblers to their pools by drilling a hole for the air line in the lid, will they be okay for 5 days without the lid being lifted to provide airflow? 10 days? the heat and humidity are very stable, when i have the lid off for feeding or changing water is the only time the humidity isn't 81-86%. automatic light timer. multiple dried food options. thanks for any help, and i apologize if this question has already been asked

[sophie_rice]

Hey! How big are your water bowls? Are they pools? Because when I go away, mine are big enough so that the water will not dry out during the time I’m away (although I’ve only been away for a week before). Or are you more concerned about the water being dirty from not being changed for so long? Having someone come in to check on the crabs and change water halfway through would be very optimal, but if the bowls are big enough, I think you will probably be alright. Food wise, dried food options sound good. Just make sure you give them A LOT. As for air flow.. is there any way you can get a more ventilated lid? Best of luck and I hope you have a great time on your trip.

[youdunnojack]

my water bowls are small 3d printed pools from etsy. i think they are about 5" x 6" x 3" deep. and i think they hold 1.5 cups of water? maybe a bit less than that. i don't imagine they would be able to dry out, but i am no expert. i was mostly concerned with the water being stagnant from not being changed for so long.
they will have loads of dried foods, i will make sure of it. multiple protein sources, foraging mix, some of their favorite snacks (not too much), and the 3 staples i keep (greensand, powdered oyster shell, and worm castings).
a more ventilated lid could be an option if i knew what to get. the basic topper for aquariums with the hinge lid and the plastic piece for tubing and filters in the back is what i used to use, but the necessary humidity levels were very hard to attain. that was the reason i switched to the solid glass top and now i don't have to do any misting at all and the humidity maintains itself. so what options exist that could be better for airflow while still locking in humidity?
thanks for the response!

[curlysister]

I have left my crabs for 10 days when on vacation without changing the water, or opening the tank, on a number of occasions. Adding a bubbler doesn't increase the amount of time that you can go between water changes, only a true filter will do that. A bubbler might make your pools evaporate faster as well - I don't think I'd add one just for the purpose of going on vacation.

[youdunnojack]

what type of lid do you have, curly? is it a fully sealed one like mine or is there some way for airflow to get in?

[curlysister]

My last tank had a corner cut out of the plexi glass to allow for some airflow (it was a 40 gallon). This current tank doesn't have any airflow (its a 65 gallon). The lid was home made by the person I got it from, it isn't sturdy at all so I put a shelf on top because my cats like to sleep up there. The plexi glass was thick enough that they could sleep on it and not bust through LOL. I regret not keeping that old tank, I did like it better.

[youdunnojack]

hahaha, cats will sleep on any flat surface. i may consider plexiglass in the future to reduce the odds of the glass cracking/breaking. for now maybe i'll cut a couple of small corners out of this glass lid to allow for some airflow. i only have a 20 gallon long, so not quite as much air space in there as your tanks have. thank you!

[curlysister]

I had my crabs in a ten gallon for the first 2 or 3 years, then a 20 gallon for another 2 or 3 years - and both of those had plastic wrap instead of lids. I had to keep the door firmly closed at all times, so the cats didn't try to sleep inside those tanks! LOL!