HCA: Hermit Crab Association

This is going to be a long one as I’ve been busy moving, holidays, and procrastinating on moving my crabs from our old house, I haven’t really posted much in awhile. Anyway we drove out in the middle of nowhere, New York, and bought a 125 gallon that had broken frame braces. Just didn’t have the time to fix it so I got an early Christmas present, a brand new 120. Ordered ultratherms but they sent the wrong size. I finally got the sub in yesterday and hopefully finishing it up today and start moving crabbies over. I’m always so indecisive so I can’t make up my mind on anything, that’s been holding me back more than anything. I wanted to take pictures of my every step but the lighting in my crab room isn’t the greatest, so the pictures didn’t turn out great. That and I’ve got such a mess in there with crab parts, a broken 125 gallon and other tanks and stuff all over from me changing my mind a million times. Hopefully getting this tank done, I’ll get my crab room finished and how I want it, rather than looking like a used reptile store in there. It won’t let me upload the pic, I’ll try later.

Sounds amazing. Look forward to seeing all the pics.

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Got the pools in! The crab mesh ramps are temporary until I make or buy some ramps. Wires kinda hanging everywhere but it’s getting there.

Looking good! I know all about the mess and indecision. I just finished bulding an aquarium stand and setting up a 75 and I'm so relieved its fi ally finished. My room is and will probably stay a mess for a while.

You got the worst part of mixing the sub done! I think that's the worst part of a new tank! The decorating is always fun if you can make up your mind! lol

I'm rocking the "used reptile store" look here, as well.

My crab room looks even worse now! A tornado hit the used reptile store! Lol! Still have some tweaking to do, crab mesh ramps in pools are temporary, need to get wires up better, put my wyze cams where I want them, shell shops, other stuff I’m probably forgetting to mention. I kinda threw this together bc most of my decor is from my 3 tanks that I was combining. Also, an amazing start to 2020 for my crazy crabby crew, my large strawberry hermit, Lessie, came up from her molt the day I was moving them, New Years Day! I was soo happy, I was freaking out! Perfect timing on her part! I was a little extra worried for her since I had lost my large male that was given to me due to molt gone wrong. Anyway! Here’s some pictures. I’ve got one strawberry, two violas, three Es and seven PPs in here, one crab too many bc I like to go with 10gal/crab but a lot of my pps and my Es are small so they’ll be ok for awhile.
Lessie(straw) and Tango(violascens)


Nitro sleeping by the pool


Paco(small PP) and Nova(little E)


Cash (Violascens)





Another of Nova to try and show that corner bc you really can’t see it in the picture.

Wow, the setup looks amazing! I love it

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Love it! I need to do something similar. I need few more inches of sub and need filtered pools instead of Tupperware I’m using w bubblers. I need to maintain their water like an aquarium. I’m also using hoods like yours only mine is 55gal. I got some uvb bulbs. I think they are 100’s. I removed the glass underneath. Now the smaller crab I have aka hudini sits up high near light all day now. Are you doing anything different with your lights?

Edit: how can i maintain my current 1 gal pools until I upgrade?


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aussieJJDude wrote:Wow, the setup looks amazing! I love it

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Thank you! <3

jrleath wrote:Love it! I need to do something similar. I need few more inches of sub and need filtered pools instead of Tupperware I’m using w bubblers. I need to maintain their water like an aquarium. I’m also using hoods like yours only mine is 55gal. I got some uvb bulbs. I think they are 100’s. I removed the glass underneath. Now the smaller crab I have aka hudini sits up high near light all day now. Are you doing anything different with your lights?

Edit: how can i maintain my current 1 gal pools until I upgrade?


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Thank you! I also have a 55 gal, to the left of that one, I also need more sub in mine. Lol! I have been thinking about the uv lights but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do since the glass blocks uv, was looking at maybe a smaller bulb to put inside. I can’t ever make up my mind on anything, it holds me back so bad! I use the big fluorescent light that came with the tank and I have my led from my 40gallon in front of that, that changes colors for night viewing. I normally use red or blue, I’ve been checking on them often since introducing 3 different tanks. You can get the little 3 gallon filters. I know a girl that uses them with small kritter keepers and they work great for her. My filters are really a little too big, they’re for a 10 gallon. I’ll link you to the small internal filters.
https://www.chewy.com/aqueon-quietflow ... ybEALw_wcB you should be able to use those just fine in 1 gallon.
I’m taking out my little water dishes tonight, every one seems to be doing good with the big pools, they were a little cautious in the very beginning bc the crab mesh doesn’t feel too stable to them, it bends a little with the bigger crabs. My one little E is obsessed with them but she got introduced to them a little quickly by trying to climb on the filter and plopped in the water. She tried going back up where she fell in but then turned around and came out using the ramp, she got hung up on the plant a little so I took them out for now. I don’t want anyone to have any problems getting out, just incase.

Looks awesome girl! They’re gonna love it so much. Can’t wait to see the final setup too!!


Dave the Wondercrab~Pat~Maggie~ Billy~Pop~Corn~Ten~Sam~MissTeri~Tim~Gene~ Barry~Mr S~Princess + 5 Es + Mr EnDoh =my crabby clan!

RiNiKy506 wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 03, 2020 7:21 pm

Thank you! <3



Thank you! I also have a 55 gal, to the left of that one, I also need more sub in mine. Lol! I have been thinking about the uv lights but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do since the glass blocks uv, was looking at maybe a smaller bulb to put inside. I can’t ever make up my mind on anything, it holds me back so bad! I use the big fluorescent light that came with the tank and I have my led from my 40gallon in front of that, that changes colors for night viewing. I normally use red or blue, I’ve been checking on them often since introducing 3 different tanks. You can get the little 3 gallon filters. I know a girl that uses them with small kritter keepers and they work great for her. My filters are really a little too big, they’re for a 10 gallon. I’ll link you to the small internal filters.
https://www.chewy.com/aqueon-quietflow ... ybEALw_wcB you should be able to use those just fine in 1 gallon.
I’m taking out my little water dishes tonight, every one seems to be doing good with the big pools, they were a little cautious in the very beginning bc the crab mesh doesn’t feel too stable to them, it bends a little with the bigger crabs. My one little E is obsessed with them but she got introduced to them a little quickly by trying to climb on the filter and plopped in the water. She tried going back up where she fell in but then turned around and came out using the ramp, she got hung up on the plant a little so I took them out for now. I don’t want anyone to have any problems getting out, just incase.

thanks for the advise and funny ive been shopping and have a cart on chewy with these filters. i saw them being used in a youtube video.
heres the filter https://www.chewy.com/tetrafauna-reptof ... /dp/133121
and the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZvBcrxy8Ic

i also couldnt decide what and how to use lights, heat, etc... so finally decided to get UTH for heat and those T8 UVB bulbs in the hoods.

now i cant decide if i want to cut glass and custom fit pools or buy two 5 gal tanks if theyll fit in a 55.

jrleath wrote:
thanks for the advise and funny ive been shopping and have a cart on chewy with these filters. i saw them being used in a youtube video.
heres the filter https://www.chewy.com/tetrafauna-reptof ... /dp/133121
and the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZvBcrxy8Ic

i also couldnt decide what and how to use lights, heat, etc... so finally decided to get UTH for heat and those T8 UVB bulbs in the hoods.

now i cant decide if i want to cut glass and custom fit pools or buy two 5 gal tanks if theyll fit in a 55.

I was going to use the smaller kritter keepers in my 55 and see how that works out. Go with 2.5 gallon before 5gallon for a 55. You could do the 2.5 gallon above substrate so you don’t lose ground space. If you can cut your own glass that would be way cool, to make them exactly how you want them. My main reason for not doing bioactive pools in the 55 was because it was so skinny, none of the smaller glass tanks would fit how I wanted them to and I didn’t want to lose ground space for molting.

Stunning.


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