HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I would like to request a forum specifically for serious large-scale vivarium/paludarium builders w/ a focus on it being suitable for crabs. There are many crab topics which deal with small scale builds & tanks, but large builds require quite different materials, costs & changes to make it safe and habitable for crabs.

For an example, my recent post "Your MASSIVE Dream Tank" would be a perfect example post in such a forum. Most likely suitable in the General (parent) section.

Forum naming could be:

Large Vivarium - Crabitat Builds
"Sharing ideas, tips & tricks for 200+ gallon massive builds."

I feel to have a forum like this would help to make some big waves in the community. After all, there's probably many crab enthusiasts out there who would make a much larger tank if they only knew how.

Maybe not start the number so high? Maybe at like 100+ gallons?

Great idea!!! I've seen quite a few members show an interest in larger tanks and building custom terrariums.
I am actually in the process of finding a China cabinet to convert into an E tank, I figured it'd be better since they're such monkeys!

brittperry89 wrote:Maybe not start the number so high? Maybe at like 100+ gallons?

100 gallons is not really massive imo. It's still fairly small & can be made easily w/ a couple extra tanks. The lighting/heating requirements would be the same; basically extra UTHs & lamps.

200+ gallons require completely different build set-ups. Things like planning how to hold hundreds of pounds worth of substrate, difficulties heating a massive tank, etc. Hence why I suggested a forum for 'serious builders' who've the money & the time to make a large-scale crab paradise.

kip, that's great. In the next house (this summer) I'll be doing the same for a viv/palu build, complete cabinet style. But I found out I may be getting a large basement so I'm going to take advantage of that space & go more horizontal (for substrate) than just vertical if I can manage.

Ebonsong wrote: 100 gallons is not really massive imo. It's still fairly small & can be made easily w/ a couple extra tanks. The lighting/heating requirements would be the same; basically extra UTHs & lamps.

200+ gallons require completely different build set-ups. Things like planning how to hold hundreds of pounds worth of substrate, difficulties heating a massive tank, etc. Hence why I suggested a forum for 'serious builders' who've the money & the time to make a large-scale crab paradise.

kip, that's great. In the next house (this summer) I'll be doing the same for a viv/palu build, complete cabinet style. But I found out I may be getting a large basement so I'm going to take advantage of that space & go more horizontal (for substrate) than just vertical if I can manage.

Gotcha.

Look, my 180 gallon takes up like, 1/5th of my office room. Rather large room as well. We should set the bar at 150 as there is still a lot of room to work with. I think that any tank over 100 is large. Just because 10-20 gallons seem to be the most common size. The forums would only have a few posts if its 200+. 100+ OR 150+ would have more. These sized tanks are most likely going to be easier for people to build or find used. I have seen some amazing smaller tanks and some not-so good large ones. I agree that the forum should be 150+ or 100+. Just because a tank is only 150 gallons doesn't mean it doesn't have difficulties of its own. Like I will be having a large UTH and a heat lamp in my tank because the crab room tends to stay at 72f so the heater will bring it higher as needed. Building a lid for my tank was VERY hard. I spent 5 hours nailing wood together (only lost one finger nail..) and then staining, fainting from stain fumes, nailing on some mesh. Bleeding from mesh sucks and really hurts. The plastic part of my lid had problems too! Making my waterfall was a challenge as well. Siliconing in my tank divider and doing the upper levels had there own problems. Any tank over 100 may be easy to get used, but adding everything also has a way to mess with you and make you want to punch a dolphin.

Chelsea, I'm sad to hear you had such difficulties building your 150gal. Unfortunately, if I lower the gallon size for you in the request, another person will want 100, then another w/ 75 and we might as well just all post in the same forum then. We might lose the opportunity to bring in more big crabitat builders w/ a lot of knowledge under their belts.

I'd like it so that 200gal is a good solid cut-off as it takes a lot of time & money invested to make such a large tank & again requires different heating & lighting set-ups than you'd normally find for aquariums/terrariums. 150gal tanks are easily available in the salt water aquarium hobby, and again the heating/lighting typically requires the same items, just more numerous.

If you personally feel 150 should be the cut-off, feel free to make a counter-thread on the forums here & work on building popularity for it.

Ebonsong wrote:Chelsea, I'm sad to hear you had such difficulties building your 150gal. Unfortunately, if I lower the gallon size for you in the request, another person will want 100, then another w/ 75 and we might as well just all post in the same forum then. We might lose the opportunity to bring in more big crabitat builders w/ a lot of knowledge under their belts.

I'd like it so that 200gal is a good solid cut-off as it takes a lot of time & money invested to make such a large tank & again requires different heating & lighting set-ups than you'd normally find for aquariums/terrariums. 150gal tanks are easily available in the salt water aquarium hobby, and again the heating/lighting typically requires the same items, just more numerous.

If you personally feel 150 should be the cut-off, feel free to make a counter-thread on the forums here & work on building popularity for it.

I love the idea of two threads, one for each size cut-off. The Exo Terra I'm working on is only 65 gallons (large/tall) but I'd like to get ideas from both threads...some more affordable with the "smaller" tanks, some more extravagant with the larger tanks. I've been searching youtube for ideas until my eyes want to cross. It could have been set up weeks ago if I didn't want to be too creative with it, but now I have time and money invested in materials and I'm still looking for more ideas and info. Ahhhh...to be able to turn one room into a crabitat. That's my dream, but my very sweet and supportive hubby has a "cut-off" of his own. Maybe one day... *sigh* :roll: I'll just have to make due with seeing all of your dream tanks whilst I plot mutiny . Pretty sure the crabs will have my back...

In Germany there are a lot of > 100 gallons tanks. Even > 200 gallon tanks can be found very often. But in mostly all cases these are terrariums not aquariums.

Imho mostly there are too small tanks for too many Hermits. "the more the merrier"

For example I got a 114 gallon terrarium plus a 76 gallon terrarium. Bound together with a acryl tube. And I got no problem to hold the temperature nor the humidity. But in my opinion it is still too small for my 21 adult Hermits, the chance to distrub each other while molting is very high. But that's another issue...

Even 250 gallons tanks are no problem! When they are a terrarium with louver at the ceiling and underneath the doors.

You need a 60W or 100W infrared heater (in Germany it is for example a lamp called "Elstein") which is controlled by a digital temperature control. To hold temperature between 21°C at night an 26-28°C at day. (69.8 °F night and 78.8 - 82.4°F day). I am using a 60W infrared heater in the 114 gallon tank and a 40W in the 76 gallon tank.
Humidity can be handled in the same way, with a digital controlled overhead sprinkling system or, like I do, with moss, a bigger saltwater pool and manually spaying water with a flower spray (? I do not know if this is the righ word for it). My humidity is constantly between 75% at day up to 84-90% at night.

To keep the plants alive and to spent light for the Hermits I have 11W daylight aqaurium lamps integrated in each tank.

Here are my tanks:
114 gallon terraium (with tube on the right side > with leaves on it).


76 gallon


Hope you understand my explanation

Curlz, thank you for the support as well as showing a method to expand upon smaller tanks.

I do agree that the bigger the tank, the better when it comes to floor/moulting space as we don't want crabs bumping into each other.

flower spray = misting bottle; I think that's the word you're going for.

As an aside, I'm very impressed w/ how people in and around Germany take care of their pets. I've seen pictures of German-style hamster 'cages' that look like mini jungles. I could only imagine what you do for your dogs/cats/birds as well.

Thank you for adding your thoughts and tips to this topic.

@Ebonsong: you're welcome

I think all needed technical stuff can be bought in USA, too.
Most technical ideas and experiences are from reptile carer and their terrarium. Ok, it is expensiv when you have to buy all at one time. And it should not ne the "super duper" rainforrest overhead sprinkling system!

My two glass terrariums where build by a glazier (who build aquariums and terrariums) with the dimensions I told him. The tube access are special, too. It was not too expensive: $390
The heat controller was round about $100. Two lights and infrared lamps: ~ $100. And do not forget all the other stuuf like: sand, mussels, waterdish, waterpool, minerals, plesxiglas, corkbark and so on...

But I did not bought it in one time. These are my 3rd terrariums, so I got already some of the technical items. And I am planning my 4th ones
http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... &start=250
There are some options to get the terrariums and technical stuff at a reduced rate (second hand).



Off topic:
hm I have 4 cockatiels and I try my best to give them species-appropriate place, too. They got a big aviary, playgrounds and natural toys.
And yes, a colleague of mine build up a paradise for her little Hamster (?). It's nearly 150 gallon. An Aquarium with a part with grid.

I do not know if this is a "special german tic"