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New Tank Help Please!!
Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2024 1:10 pm
by Ktjeremycrab
Hello!
I have been “helping” my 8 year old son care for his 2 medium sized hermit crabs for the past 5 (!!) years. They are currently in a 20gallon High tank and it is in need of a complete overhaul. I have been reading and learning so much from these boards and have purchased a 40 gallon tank that I am very excited about.
Here are my questions:
- we exclusively used 3 blocks of Zoo Med Hermit Soil/ eco earth until last year when my sister bought a pack of Flukers hermit beach sand which we mixed in- we are nowhere near the sand/soil ratio that other people suggest. Should I add more sand to our mix? Or keep it soil heavy since our crabs have done so well with it for the past 5 years? I’m nervous to do anything that will upset what they’re used to….
-I read on these boards that I should keep their current substrate and add it to the new tank along with the new substrate. Do you mix the old with the new? Or put the new in on the bottom and then layer the old on top?
- how should I clean the new tank before setting it up? I’m wary of using cleaners (I guess I’m afraid that they might leave behind toxic residues?) and usually just boil anything that I’m putting in the tank. But I don’t want to pour boiling water into the new tank for fear of cracking it….
- I bought a bunch of different gravity feeders and water systems (made by snout & shell and Fluker) they are plastic and I don’t think I can boil them to sterilize. The same with the plastic hermit crab running wheel. I also bought some moss covered climbing poles and a moss covered bridge…. how do I sterilize these before putting them in the tank?
Thank you so much for any help you can give. I’m terrified of upsetting their ecosystem, but also want to give them the best!
Re: New Tank Help Please!!
Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2024 4:16 pm
by HermitCrabFreak
Q: we exclusively used 3 blocks of Zoo Med Hermit Soil/ eco earth until last year when my sister bought a pack of Flukers hermit beach sand which we mixed in- we are nowhere near the sand/soil ratio that other people suggest. Should I add more sand to our mix? Or keep it soil heavy since our crabs have done so well with it for the past 5 years? I’m nervous to do anything that will upset what they’re used to….
A: With deeper substrate, your going to want a minimum of 50/50 sand to eco earth ratio because the sand allows them to tunnel when tehy molt. Eco Earth is good too, but it's more likely to collapse in on their tunnels. I reccommend going to a hardware store like Home Depot or Lowes and buy the 50lb bags of playsand. (They are in the same isle as concrete.) Here is the forum for substrate and I reccomend reading through this -- there is a lot of great information and will tell you everything you need to know and how to do it: viewtopic.php?f=26&t=92542
Q:I read on these boards that I should keep their current substrate and add it to the new tank along with the new substrate. Do you mix the old with the new? Or put the new in on the bottom and then layer the old on top?
A: Tbh, someone might have a better response to this than me but I think either way would be fine but if you want to be safe than you can keep their old substrate on top.
Q: how should I clean the new tank before setting it up? I’m wary of using cleaners (I guess I’m afraid that they might leave behind toxic residues?) and usually just boil anything that I’m putting in the tank. But I don’t want to pour boiling water into the new tank for fear of cracking it….
A: Vinegar. Vinegar is a great and safe cleaner for hermit crab tanks, dishes, etc. They sell it in large bottles (like a gallon+) and I have used that to clean my tanks. Just use like any other cleaner and then you can rinse or wipe away with water.
Q: I bought a bunch of different gravity feeders and water systems (made by snout & shell and Fluker) they are plastic and I don’t think I can boil them to sterilize. The same with the plastic hermit crab running wheel. I also bought some moss covered climbing poles and a moss covered bridge…. how do I sterilize these before putting them in the tank?
A: For the gravity feeders I would use vinegar again. As for the moss, I would say boil it maybe?
I just finished setting up my own 40g tank if you'd like to take a look for some possible inspiration as well
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=128314
Re: New Tank Help Please!!
Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2024 5:59 pm
by Ktjeremycrab
Thank you SO MUCH for your help!!! Ok, last question (I hope!) I think I should add an extra heat mat- either on the bottom of the tank or on the side (currently, I have one on the bottom of the tank and one on the side.) with a tank the size do I stick with a 16 W Mat? How many heat mats Do people generally use?
Re: New Tank Help Please!!
Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2024 6:17 pm
by Ktjeremycrab
Oh my!! Your 40G is BEAUTIFUL!!! I love how you have it set up!! And I see you use only sand, and heat lamps! Do you find that the wooden elements get moldy? I had some in our old tank and they just did not last long...
And I am so sorry, but I do have more substrate questions. Should I mix the damp Eco Earth with the dry sand all together? Or layer them? Do I get the sand wet before I put it in the tank? Or just let the sogginess of the EE give it enough moisture?
Re: New Tank Help Please!!
Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2024 7:14 pm
by HermitCrabFreak
As for the heat mat, you want it on the sides of the tank. I put a large on the back and because my tank gets a lot of sunlight, it stays warm enough. So depending on where you live, climate wise, you may need more if you live in a colder region. In winter, I will probably add a second heating mat. But you definitely want them on the sides on the tank and not on the bottom because they can dry up the sand if you put them underneath.
The wooden element isnt made of actual wood, so it doesnt get moldy. It's like a plaster-type material. I bought it from a pet store.
As for the sand, I have done it in the past where I just put the sand in the tank and then dump some gallons of water in there and mix it up along with the eco earth. But this time, I pre-wet the sand and it worked a lot better for me. So I put the sand in a bucket and ran water through it in the bathtub until the sand was wet. and then emptied any access water and put the sand in like that and so far it has kept the sand at a perfect "sand-castle" consistency. So whatever way that works to get the sand to that consistency is perfectly fine. And that forum I posted in my last comment also goes through this stuff and talks about what kind of sand to use, the eco-earth to sand ratios, how to wet the sand, etc.
P.S.- I do have those hea lamps on top but I dont actually use them. I have them there for now because Im actually using cardboard as a lid for now until I get a glass lid so the heat lamps are just being used as weights on top of the cardboard for now lol. But you can use heat lamps if your tank is too cold, just make sure that they don't zap up the humidity (because they tend to do that if left on for too long).
Re: New Tank Help Please!!
Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2024 10:06 pm
by Ktjeremycrab
Thank you so much again! How big is the heat mat you’re currently using and do you happen to know the wattage? Or do you have a link? I read that Ultratherm makes a good one. Right now I have 3(!!) various sized heater mats stuck to my 20g tank but I’d love to just get one good one for the new tank…
Also I’d love a recommendation for a good Hygrometer if you happen to have one, and a link to the rain mister that you’re using if you don’t mind sharing?! Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Re: New Tank Help Please!!
Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2024 12:36 pm
by HermitCrabFreak
- I'm using the large ZooMed heating mat. It's 8x18inches and 24 watts. Although, I have also heard really good things about Ultratherm but I have no personal experience with them. But I am planning on trying them out in the winter if I need to add a second one.
https://www.amazon.com/LABORATORIES-Rep ... ast_sto_dp
- Here's a link for the rain mister system. It's honestly really great! You can choose how often it goes off and for how long. It's so much easier than spraying the tank throughout the day.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPPG6F4S?re ... asin_title
- This is the hydrometer I bought at PetSmart...
(But just a warning, as I went to go find you the link I noticed it doesn't have great reviews. I know it reads accuraetly for me because when I had it outside of the tank it read exactly what our room temp. is set to. But the reviews almost make me want to get a second one just to make sure I am having accurate readings. So far it does seem to be working for me so here it is just in case, but you can also pick these up at hardware stores and Amazon sells them as well.)
https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/enviro ... 65039.html
Here's one from Amazon that seems to have better reviews:
https://a.co/d/dwbRvmR
And no problem! Happy to help
Re: New Tank Help Please!!
Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2024 2:24 pm
by Ktjeremycrab
Thank you again!! I just bought a 50lb bag of playsand, but after reading the boards I’m wondering if I need more? Someone said they used 200lbs in their 40g tank on Reddit!!! Would you mind sharing how much sand and how bricks of EE you used in your setup?
Re: New Tank Help Please!!
Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2024 6:39 pm
by HermitCrabFreak
The tank I have right now has 2.5-3 bags (of the 50lb play sand) and it's at 6 inches. I haven't used any eco earth. I know they sell big bags of it though if you wanted to mix that in with the sand.
Re: New Tank Help Please!!
Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2024 12:29 am
by curlysister
HermitCrabFreak wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 4:16 pm
Q: we exclusively used 3 blocks of Zoo Med Hermit Soil/ eco earth until last year when my sister bought a pack of Flukers hermit beach sand which we mixed in- we are nowhere near the sand/soil ratio that other people suggest. Should I add more sand to our mix? Or keep it soil heavy since our crabs have done so well with it for the past 5 years? I’m nervous to do anything that will upset what they’re used to….
A: With deeper substrate, your going to want a minimum of 50/50 sand to eco earth ratio because the sand allows them to tunnel when tehy molt. Eco Earth is good too, but it's more likely to collapse in on their tunnels. I reccommend going to a hardware store like Home Depot or Lowes and buy the 50lb bags of playsand. (They are in the same isle as concrete.) Here is the forum for substrate and I reccomend reading through this -- there is a lot of great information and will tell you everything you need to know and how to do it: viewtopic.php?f=26&t=92542
Curly - I disagree. A person can use all coco fiber/ eco earth, all play sand, or a mix of the two in any ratio. As long as they are moistened so that they are sand castle consistency, the ratio does not matter.
Q:I read on these boards that I should keep their current substrate and add it to the new tank along with the new substrate. Do you mix the old with the new? Or put the new in on the bottom and then layer the old on top?
A: Tbh, someone might have a better response to this than me but I think either way would be fine but if you want to be safe than you can keep their old substrate on top.
Q: how should I clean the new tank before setting it up? I’m wary of using cleaners (I guess I’m afraid that they might leave behind toxic residues?) and usually just boil anything that I’m putting in the tank. But I don’t want to pour boiling water into the new tank for fear of cracking it….
A: Vinegar. Vinegar is a great and safe cleaner for hermit crab tanks, dishes, etc. They sell it in large bottles (like a gallon+) and I have used that to clean my tanks. Just use like any other cleaner and then you can rinse or wipe away with water.
Curly - Vinegar is safe for crabs, and doesn't even need to be rinsed off.
Q: I bought a bunch of different gravity feeders and water systems (made by snout & shell and Fluker) they are plastic and I don’t think I can boil them to sterilize. The same with the plastic hermit crab running wheel. I also bought some moss covered climbing poles and a moss covered bridge…. how do I sterilize these before putting them in the tank?
A: For the gravity feeders I would use vinegar again. As for the moss, I would say boil it maybe?
Curly - Items don't need to be sterilized, just clean. So you can rinse with vinegar and water, or you can just wash with soap and water and rinse in clear water. What are the water systems? Never boil anything plastic - is that what the moss covered items are made of? Also if you boil moss, it will probably disintegrate.
I just finished setting up my own 40g tank if you'd like to take a look for some possible inspiration as well
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=128314
Re: New Tank Help Please!!
Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2024 12:36 am
by curlysister
I would use caution with anything like a mister or fogger that will be adding water to your tank, as it will increase the risk of flooding. If your humidity is fine, there is no need to mist at all.
The heat mat should never be under the tank - it is a fire hazard, as they aren't meant to heat through all the substrate we use. Only mount on the back or sides. If you have a ZooMed that is stuck on, you can't peel it off and put it somewhere else. Also they cannot be insulated over top. Ultratherm are excellent, they are attached with tape so can be moved to a different spot or tank, and they can also be insulated over top if needed.
Accurite makes a digital thermometer/ hygrometer combo that I have used for a while now. Any brand will eventually give out in the constant heat and humidity. Also just because the temp is accurated doesn't automatically mean the hygrometer is. If you are worried about the accuracy of the hygrometer, there is a care sheet that tells how to calibrate it.