Correct temperatures??? (Maybe emergency?)

[FeelingCrabby]

I do not know what temperature my crabs need to be and I am afraid they may be overheating or something!!! When I first started I heard it needed to be 80-85, 79 at the absolute lowest, but now I'm finding things that say they need to be 75-80 and never above 80. I have a 29 gal tank and use 3 heat pads and one large heat lamp (I do not know wattage, I will edit this as soon as I do) that is about 12 inches away from the tank lid. I have two dividers in my tank creating three different sections because 1) I had a molter and did not want to lock them inside a cup, and 2) I had a crab in my tank who was always messing with the others. I learned that I wasn't feeding them the correct foods and now feed them fresh fruit/vegetables, rehydrated jumbo krill, and some dried fruit and he seems to be calmed down now but I am afraid to introduce him with the others so it's important I have at least two sections.

Anyway, yesterday I saw one of my crabs, (the one in the section closest to the heat lamp), sulking in the corner furthest from the heat pad and lamp and hanging a bit out of his shell. I thought he was dead and touched him, he moved and I took the temperature with an infrared thermometer and it was 87! I cut half a milk jug and placed him in it on the other side of the tank, in a different section. He started moving around and was fine. I adjusted the heat lamp and turned off the heat pad on his section before placing him back.

Now all the sections measure at 80 degrees, with it getting down to 78 at night. But now all my crabs are sluggish. The one I was afraid overheated is back in the corner furthest from the heat pad and hasn't moved all that much, but I know he is alive. My crab in the section furthest from the heat lamp is on top of his plastic cocohut, which is next to the heat pad. He hasn't moved much either, except to check out the spinach I left him at the bottom of the hut but he didn't eat and went right back to the top of the hut. My two crabs in the middle haven't been active either, one has buried down (he's not molting, he just finished molting) and the other one, the smallest has been hanging onto an empty shell as if his life depends on it. He hasn't even let go when the shell tipped and he was upside-down, I had to fix him and even this morning he was upside down again but hadn't let go of the shell.

Is it too hot, too cold, what??? I need to change my substrate later today and I will remove one of the dividers, but I am keeping the bully (aka the one i was afraid overheated) in a section by himself. I know the tank needs to have a cool side and a hotter side, but I CANNOT do that until I know what temperatures they need to be! Please, please, please help.

I know i have other threads that I need to update but this started a couple days ago and I'm scared i might be killing my crabs. I promise once I get their temperature straightened out I'll update my other posts!

UPDATE:
The two in the middle have moved since I last checked. One is next to the heat pad which measures a whooping 96 degrees on the glass but he seems content, and the smallest is crawling on his favorite piece of wood which is 80 degrees. Nobody else has moved.

[soilentgringa]

Okay, deep breaths.

First of all, the average temperature in a PP's natural habitat ranges from low 70's (even high 60's in the winter and at higher altitudes depending on which islands in the Caribbean they're on) to low 90's on occasion.

In other crabs native homes, temps can be mid 80's to low 90's. Ecuadorians seem to fare better in mid 80's temps as do other "exotic" species.

PSA- If you are ever worried that you are keeping a captive animal in the correct conditions, look up what their habitats are like in the wild. (Temps, humidity, etc.)

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[FeelingCrabby]

Do different species have a wide range of different temperatures? If they do I will try again to identify my crabs species, but I am not sure how correct it will be.

Will it be okay to move the lamp closer to the tank to get the heat up a couple degrees? My friend is trying to tell me crabs sometimes just don't move around a lot , because her crabs were nearly never active. But my crabs were very active a few days ago, and now they just stopped so I think it has to do with the temperature. Could they die if the temperature stays in the 79-80 range too long?

[wodesorel]

My tanks regularly get up into the 90s during the summer with no ill effects. The crabs are always active in warmer temps.

[GotButterflies]

Recommend temp is 80. I don't let mine go above 85.


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