HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I found this sucker at a thrift shop and it still works. Only 3 bucks! I am going to clean it up a bit because it is the exact size for my 55gal. I need to upgrade soon so I am stoked I found one of these for cheap. I have been looking around for one. I'm pretty sure the bulb in there is a florescent. But I'm not sure about the wattage. (It still works I'll check tomorrow when I'm not tired)

The heating in my tank is great but im not happy about the amount of sun it gets. I can't make up my mind between an LED or a UVB. Thoughts? Also if it is 11" from screen to top of substrate what wattage would you recommend? I'd probably keep the light on a timer at sunup, midday and sundown for a few hours each.

Sent from my E6782 using Tapatalk

Gotta love a good score !!!

DaJimmer wrote:Gotta love a good score !!!

Yeah you do! This was sitting with the lights but I noticed a 55g tank by the furniture with the same gunk on it. But I definitely don't need another 55g. If anything I am going to build a custom tank next.

Sent from my E6782 using Tapatalk

Are custom tanks the ultimate way to go or do you just have a lot of great ideas?

Great score!!!

The LED is a whole different type of light set up..if I'm not mistaken. I personally love UVB for all of my guys. But, that is me!

I have a crab who is too big for the 55g and 2 Es who need more vertical climbing space and more digging space, and I want more crabs, and I was t exotics, and I want to out do my friend who is a frog keeper.

I have been leaning towards the UVBs. Is there a danger of too much wattage too close to the crabs?

Sent from my E6782 using Tapatalk

ErikRasmussen wrote:I have a crab who is too big for the 55g and 2 Es who need more vertical climbing space and more digging space, and I want more crabs, and I was t exotics, and I want to out do my friend who is a frog keeper.

I have been leaning towards the UVBs. Is there a danger of too much wattage too close to the crabs?

Sent from my E6782 using Tapatalk

I think I read somewhere that having the UVB too close to the crabs can possibly damage the crabs eyes. I keep mine at the appropriate distance, but they do have the ability to climb closer...and some of mine do!

Doesn't wattage usually Translate to heat by-product? I'm not sure what kind of lamp that is but it looks like a midsize incandescent tube what's that size T10?
I would assume that excess heat is what you would want to watch for. Tubes are always good low wattage options they provide a lot of light without so much Heat. Incandescent tubes and CFL bulbs were the power saving way to go years ago but now we have led lighting which has progressed a lot. And now that's how you get the most light with the least heat and that's because it uses the least wattage. Im sure youll find a nice bulb for that beauty as long as you account for a little more heat. Of course all the admins no way more than I will and they will have more light to shed on this than me no pun intended

Nice! Gotta love a good thrifty store score! I got my double light dome set plus an extra single dome at a flea market for $1 each. Thrifting is pretty much my hobby right after crabbing lol

Nice score!

I guess the uvb decision could be affected by how often you want to change the bulb (the 6 month thing) - with a 2' long uvb florescent style bulb, that'll run about $50 annually for just the bulbs (may or may not be a decision factor). When I had a high maitenance planted aquarium I came to resent replacing the bulbs, oddly.

With uvb lights you you have different percentages of uvb, perhaps a lower percent (like a turtle type vrs. a desert lizard type) might reduce the worry over their eyes? I don't really know, just something you could look into.

The only lit I have read regarding crustacean eye damage is mostly relevant to aquatic types & so deals more with eye-types that aren't like our crabs'.

You get about a foots worth of uvb penetration directly under the unshielded bulb for the whole length of the tat, and may want to offer areas where the uvb is shielded, though I suppose there are always a lot of hides available.

There's also the consideration that based on what scanty research into the subject points to, crab community investigators have often concluded there's no specific reason to believe uvb is necessary/beneficial to our adult crabs (at least as far as vitamine D production is concerned - there are decided effects of both uva & b on decapod larva, but I havent personally sifted though any of that literature, so can't speak to it... I was looking for a paper that seemed primarily to be the source of the conclusion but I filed it sloppily, and havent read it - sorry) ...

... Though (somewhat anecdotally), the majority of strawberry keepers ive read the opinion of seem to find it makes a difference with this species (and straws are comparatively short lived in captivity, so I'd imagine people would really have a chance to notice the difference with them, whereas with the hardier species its harder to note that correlation... I'd expect.)

I personally like just a natural daylight colour spectrum bulb for my crabs. I think that should facilitate normal vision for them. Uvb isn't passing through the window in a substantial way anyhow.

Just thoughts.

You can get adaptors for LEDs... Leds produce a lot less heat and resulting in being cost effective. (But im biased, I love my leds on my fish tanks...)

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

aussieJJDude wrote:You can get adaptors for LEDs... Leds produce a lot less heat and resulting in being cost effective. (But im biased, I love my leds on my fish tanks...)

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Yeah, I switched to leds for my plants & adore them. The lifetime alone is wicked.

There's a youtube chap with a tutorial on making your own led canopy (you'd hafta make adjustments for crabs - but you seem pretty good at comming up with creative design solutions). If you look up King of DIY aquarium led, a basic & pretty simple plan is laid out.

Joey's design is pretty good. I dont think any adjustments are needed tbh, works pretty well as is.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk