Sterilite Containers as Crabitat?

[RiNiKy506]

Can you ask them if you sign a waiver saying that you won’t hold them accountable? Then at least you have a chance to take it with you? Or try to talk to the guys loading the truck, offer them some money and tell them you won’t hold them accountable? So sad to hear you have to leave it behind


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[ErikRasmussen]

There is hope I moved a loaded 55g aquarium with a combination of blankets, a longboard, boxes and garbage bags 4 times and there were stairs involved each time

[DragonsFly]

There is hope I moved a loaded 55g aquarium with a combination of blankets, a longboard, boxes and garbage bags 4 times and there were stairs involved each time

Do you have pictures of what you did, and/or can you describe it in a little more detail?

[GotButterflies]

www.reptilebasics.com - I love their uths!

[ErikRasmussen]

There is hope I moved a loaded 55g aquarium with a combination of blankets, a longboard, boxes and garbage bags 4 times and there were stairs involved each time

Do you have pictures of what you did, and/or can you describe it in a little more detail?

No pictures but i have gotten better at it each time i move. First i load up the crabs in a 10g iso for the car ride and box up all their stuff. Then i get shoe boxes or amo boxes, and otherwise brick-cinderblock sized boxes (boxes from the liquor store work well too) and line them with a plastic bag you can dump sand in there and transport sand and sub that way.

Then moving the tank is tricky depending on stairs, type of floor and corners. If you lay a blanket on the ground and get the tank on the blanket one end at a time you can drag it through the house. If there is stairs you lay a blanket down and get on the downside of the tank and slowly one step at a time lower it. At the bottom of the stairs you have your dolly or in my case my longbaord, and go straight from the stairs to the longboard Then up to the back of the car using the back end weight of the tank on the board to get the front end of the tank up to the car, then deadlift the back end of the tank in (empty) and you are good to go. This gets exponentially easier and faster with more people.

[DragonsFly]

Thanks everybody!

[DragonsFly]

Reptilebasics has heat tape, which is a UTH without the extra insulation. You attach it with tape, and you can remove it as many times as needed, just like an ultratherm. It just doesn't have that extra padding.

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Okay, looking for this, but nothing comes up if I search "heat tape"--do you just mean these UTH's???

http://www.reptilebasics.com/ultratherm ... uth-6-x-23

Or am I missing something? (as usual. . . )

[ciaraalston]

Reptilebasics has heat tape, which is a UTH without the extra insulation. You attach it with tape, and you can remove it as many times as needed, just like an ultratherm. It just doesn't have that extra padding.

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Okay, looking for this, but nothing comes up if I search "heat tape"--do you just mean these UTH's???

http://www.reptilebasics.com/ultratherm ... uth-6-x-23

Or am I missing something? (as usual. . . )

Under the section for "heating" you should have these options:


The heat tape is much cheaper, because you buy it by the foot, but you'll have to insulate it yourself.

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[DragonsFly]

Thanks! It looks like I may be able to get a used, large tank near our place in Florida, but the crabs will likely still have to live in the Sterilite container for a week or so until I can get them transported and get the new tank moved, set up, and balanced. Still worried about heating a plastic container, but I guess others have done so safely, so maybe I'm just being paranoid.

[aussieJJDude]

You could always test an empty container with the heating element to dispel any concerns you may have...

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[ciaraalston]

Thanks! It looks like I may be able to get a used, large tank near our place in Florida, but the crabs will likely still have to live in the Sterilite container for a week or so until I can get them transported and get the new tank moved, set up, and balanced. Still worried about heating a plastic container, but I guess others have done so safely, so maybe I'm just being paranoid.

I spoke with someone from reptilebasics about heating a tote.
She said the heat tape shouldn't be an issue, but if it's insulated, don't seal it completely. Give it some space to air out, like keep the bottom open or the sides open to let it breathe.
The ultratherms were no issue. They're insulated already, so adding them would be the same as adding them to a tank.

My boyfriend explained it to me like this....
The average temperate we keep the tanks are about 80F. Well, my house can get 80F or higher on a hot day, and I don't have any totes with Christmas decor melting in my spare closet. Of course you want to monitor and make sure the heat tape or ultratherm isn't getting too hot and melting the plastic, but more than likely it's okay. I'd just set it all up and monitor the temps and humidity for a few days before adding any crabs, just to work out kinks.


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[DragonsFly]

Great advice; thanks again!