Day/Night Cycles

[Guest]

I haven't had crabs very long, but some questions have come up I need to store away for future reference...

Just a quick update...
Brave (formally/sometimes known as America) seems to love the new shell. I've not noticed him up in the shell shop since the change. He also doesn't click back into his shell at my movements anymore. He is always the first riser, and loves to sit on top of the hidey hut and check things out.

Spidey has been quite active. He doesn't climb much, but I did just witness him try to climb up a vine. He is missing the bottom half of one leg and is missing a small section near the bottom of another on the other side. Not sure if he's crippled to climbing because of this or if he needs to relearn. He has also gotten used to my face being pressed against the cage.

Flower has only made an appearance once, that I've seen. I made the mistake of standing in front of the cage expecting a passive reaction like that of what I get out of Brave. Haven't seen him for two nights, including today.

ANYWAYS, onto my questions

Since they are nocturnal, how do I expect to do a deep clean (eventually) if I can't dig them up? I don't want to be cleaning a crab cage in the middle of the night...

Another one of the questions that has popped into my head includes handling. I've seen a topic about who does/does not handle their crabs. I very much want to handle mine in the future. Do I have to worry about the length of time I have them out? I live in Minnesota, and the house is colder and dryer than their cage by quite a bit during the winters. Is it going to be stressful to take them out for short/long amounts of time in these conditions? Summer can be quite hot and humid, and I would like to be able to take them outside (in an escape proof covered tub), but can this cause lots of stress being moved from one environment to the other (assuming they'll be awake during the day when I can take them out)?

Also with handling, how should I wash my hands before handling them?

What sort of behaviors can I look for when they are out to know if they like/dislike being handled while free roaming?

Sorry if some of these are repeat questions. I did some searches, but I'm not good at picking out keywords and I felt some of the threads didn't quite answer what I was looking for.

Thanks for the help!

[MudCrabDude]

Since they are nocturnal, how do I expect to do a deep clean (eventually) if I can't dig them up? I don't want to be cleaning a crab cage in the middle of the night...

Well, for the most part when crabs do sleep in the day, they just plop in the corner of a tank and not bury themselves...just hidden under a piece of wood or rock or something. There are some crabs that do bury themselves when they sleep in daytimes, so for them, you might just want to wait until they do decide to sleep on the surface.

My deep cleans are not too regular, by the way. I just do more "medium cleans" regularly and deep cleans as rarely as possible when conditions are right, such as when all the crabs are on the surface, which is very rare in a year.

Sometimes, if there is an emergency, such as a pool leaking or massive molding or bacterial spreading through the substrate (indicated by the dark mass of sand), I would just go for it and evacuate the entire tank regardless if the crabs are buried or not, alive or dead.

Another one of the questions that has popped into my head includes handling. I've seen a topic about who does/does not handle their crabs. I very much want to handle mine in the future. Do I have to worry about the length of time I have them out? I live in Minnesota, and the house is colder and dryer than their cage by quite a bit during the winters. Is it going to be stressful to take them out for short/long amounts of time in these conditions? Summer can be quite hot and humid, and I would like to be able to take them outside (in an escape proof covered tub), but can this cause lots of stress being moved from one environment to the other (assuming they'll be awake during the day when I can take them out)?

In your case, I would limit handling during the cold and dry seasons, or just not handle them at all. When I handle mine, during the warmer months I don't generally take them out of the home, just about 5-15 minutes outside the tank, but not outside the home.

Also with handling, how should I wash my hands before handling them?

Just a thorough rinse would suffice generally. If you have been handling, say, tools with WD-40 oil, I would probably not handle the crabs for the day.

What sort of behaviors can I look for when they are out to know if they like/dislike being handled while free roaming?

One sign I observed is if a seemingly dry crab in the tank starts dripping water outside the tank, I think if they are displeased they start pushing out vital shell water, which can be stressful for the crabs.

Another is if a normally active crab in a tank fully withdraws in its shell when placed outside the tank for about 5 or more minutes. This is a good sign that the air conditions outside the tank may be not humid enough (as well as a good indicator that the humidity in the tank is just right.)

[Guest]

I know this is contrary to what alot of people do and I am just putting my two cents in just because it has worked well for me.
I don't do deep cleans, just spot cleans. I do use pill bugs thought. I also leave my lights on all the time since I use them to heat the tat. I have alot of hiding places for them to get into the dark though.

[Guest]

I can help with the day/night cycle for you. Crabs are not really nocturnal, they are usually hiding in the day from predator's that will be on the look out for moving things in the shadows. You have to have a night/day cycle for them. I have a night glow bulb and a day bulb both provide heat. I have 2 clamp lamps so I don't have to switch bulbs when hot either. I just turn off the day one and turn on the night one and put it over the hole in the lid. I do this when I feed them at night and change their waters. You will need to find the right wattage for your tank so I can't help you with wattages on the bulbs, just remember to keep your receipt and the pet store will take them back if they are not right for you.

[Guest]

Freddy and I are hands on, especially Freddy. If a crab seems to like to walk on me or my desk, I consider it one that doesn't mind being handled. We have several that won't come out when handled, so we leave them alone.

If they're going to be out, it's best to mist them first to be on the safe side.

But to handle or not to handle is definitely a personal choice.