Crab Newb. Guidelines? Help? Love? Mentor?? ZOMG

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 1:03 pm

Yes ma'am.

Oh, the adventures I'ma go on when I get my car back

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 5:57 pm

Ok kids and turtles!
I just got back from a trip out, I returned the little box I had gotten ((I still have a smaller one i can use for travel and all that jazz)). I got a 10 gallon, a top, a heat pad, sand, and the gagues. =O
These crabs better be happy, I got lectured by my mom =( that they could live in the other one, but.. whatever. I'm moving out on Saturday, she'll get over it =X

anyways, the sand all had a small hole in the bags, so I assume I'll have to wash/bake it. That just means putting it in the oven for about 30 minutes, right? Hope so. I'll do that tommorow morning.

For tank extras, do you guys only use things youve bought, or can you use rocks and stuff you find?? As long as it's cleaned?

Katie

Edit
Sands in the oven.

annopia · Post by **annopia** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 7:34 pm

for extra stuff for the tank, you can find a lot of stuff for really cheap at either walmart or the dollar store. you can get plastic plants and flowers, netting for them to climb, and all sorts of containers for cheap that you can make into hideys. definatly check out the DIY section.

Caroline

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 8:18 pm

Thanks Caroline, you've been SO helpful.

My sand is currently cooling in the oven and my crabs are relaxing in their little KK. Soon to be released into the big tank =)

To keep the humidity up (Besides keeping the sand damp) I would put shells with purified water over the sand on the side of the heater, correct? Do these need to have sponges in them, or will one sponge do, and just have multiple water shells? ((baby steps, haha))

Also, if I were to put a 'bath' or 'pool' in their tank, that would be on the cooler side, right?? and this wouldnt be deep, very shallow, with pebbles on the bottom, I think I read that somewhere. I'm working hard =)

annopia · Post by **annopia** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 8:27 pm

I have never used the method of having little shells of water all over the tank. the way I boost humidity is from adding soaked sponges, moist reptile moss, or building my own DIY humidifier (which is cheap and easy to make). but, I suppose that if you do go the small shells of water route (which would take up so much space), that putting them over the UTH would make them evaporate more quickly.

the bath can be on either side, and needs to be deep enough so that your tallest crab can fully submerge themselves. you can make it safe for the smaller crabs by creating a ramp out of pebbles (boiled to sterilize) on one side so they can get out.

you're very welcome for the help!

Caroline

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 8:55 pm

Heat pad.

It says in the how-to that it is reccomended to put the UTH on the side of the tank, since I will not be putting the tank on a stand. How should I go about this?? Just go ahead and put on the bottom? (the tank will start on a cabinet, then end up on my desk at school))

annopia · Post by **annopia** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 9:24 pm

I would still put the UTH on the bottom of the tank...position it one either the right or left side, then use the little feet that come with the UTH to prop up the cage a bit so it's not directly on the cabinet/desk. I have a layer of styrofoam between my heater and my tank, this way it heats more efficiently and there's no danger to the surface below. but putting the UTH on the side isn't as good because it doesn't heat weel, and it only heats the air (not the substrate). so just use it on the bottom and use the little feet they give you.

Caroline

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 9:36 pm

nifty nifty then

Ehhh, salt water.

Will this go in drinking water?? Also, for the drinking water, do I need to have water purified like with, the drops?? or is bottled water okay?

also
Legos, yay or nay for building a crab house with??

annopia · Post by **annopia** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 9:41 pm

hmmm....I'm confused as to what you're asking about salt water, so I'll give this a shot in the dark: hermies need both fresh dechlor water and dechlor salt water to survive and be healthy. the salt water mush be made from a marine salt, as table salt is poisonous to crabs. you will still need to offer fresh water, however.

yep, legos are good, I've seen several people here use them. I would rinse them in dechlor salt water (again from a marine salt) and then let the airdry.

Caroline

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 9:46 pm

dechlor= dechlorinated, right?? Would this be bottled water? Or do I need droplets like you would find in the fish section of a store? Marine salt I can also get at a pet store, I think. I looked when I went for the tank today, but there were a couple different things I was looking at. Both the salt to use for a big salt water tank as well as somthing else, I cant really remember.
Mix the salt and water, then serve? hah

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 9:55 pm

bottled water is okay if it is spring water otherwise you will need the drops from the fish section. Be sure that the drops don't say enhances fish slime coat or something similar, this isn't good for the crabs. Salt for salt water tanks is fine, some common brands are Oceanic, API/Doc Wellfish, and Instant Ocean.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 10:03 pm

Guess I'm going on another store run tommorow. Can you get the salt at walmart?? That'd be great if you could ((I get a discount there..))

Okie dokie, we're in the big tank now, there isn't much in there yet, but I figure I can build tommorow =)

They're running around the edge of it, kinda tapping on the glass, is this normal?