substrate cleaning frequency

[quinnn12]

So I have heard that you should bake your substrate every four to six months which is all good and stuff but ive also seen a lot about people scooping the substrate daily or weekly? almost every site ive looked at says that but:

1) i almost always have a hermit crab under and i cant very well go digging around in the sand while they are under.

2) i am setting up a new tank and with my old tank it wasn't even manageable to scoop the sand every day because you have to move everything- but with my new tank it would be impossible. i got a tank that is very large for the size and amount of crabs i have, and i fully intend to go all out on decor. little bridges, huts everywhere, lots of netting and little levels to climb to and all that. when you set everything up like that it takes so so long and you may never get it exactly back how you had it ya know?

i was wondering (mostly for the people with lots of decor in their crabitats) what you do to keep the substrate clean for them? i don't want them to get sick but i also know theres no way im gonna manage all that especially with how much mine like to bury themselves for days or weeks.

[Pumpkincrab]

I haven't changed my substrate in a long time. I don't see the need. I simply just take off any moldy food there might be, maybe move around the top layer a bit, but I haven't fully changed it yet. I have 6 crabs and 2 are molting right now. Even if they come up, I bet somebody else will go down..... lol.
I'd only change the substrate if there was a flood or bacterial bloom. I'm moving in about 4 months, I plan on moving them to a new tank when I move, so I know I'll need new substrate for that.
But I don't recommend changing the sand really. If you have molting crabs, you don't want to disturb them.

[crabbycasey]

All I do is use a tea steeper as a pooper scooper every couple of days. It’s small and I can clean around all my decor pretty easily without having to move things. I’ve never baked my sub...nor do I plan to. I don’t think it’s necessary, but I’d wait for an administrator to chime in on that part as I am not one of the experts here.

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[mool]

I don't surface clean or clean my substrate. I still have all of my original substrate from circa 2008/10 in my tank. I've added more as I've upgraded. The current tank is a 40B that's been set up for about 5 years. The sub has never been baked. Once in the tank it stays untouched until I add more or change tanks. I'm a hands off crab keeper.

[crabs_lex]

there isnt a need to take out your substrate unless there’s a bacterial bloom or flood
many crabbers don’t change their sub
since i have had mine settled in the recommended amount and ratio i do not plan on changing it
the most i do is cleanup pieces of food laying on the top

[quinnn12]

Okay good I was worried about that. I bake my play sand as i get it and i will probably do that either every six months or every year just to make sure i dont have any bugs/mites because i assume practically cooking them alive would kill any bugs.. lol. and i surface clean and stuff. thank yall!

[quinnn12]

i didn't bake my coco fiber though since it came in a brick but i guess i will be since it is now mixed with the play sand

[crabs_lex]

you don’t have to bake anything
but that’s up to you

[mool]

Baking will kill off all the good microbes that make your tank bio active. You'll be starting over every time you sterilize the sub.