Crabitat dysfunction

[crabs4me]

So, lately I've been having a few problems with my crabitat set up.

First one is, My crabs have been escaping! I have a fish tank lid with the built in like and everything, but it had a few sections missing (where fish tank attachments and stuff would go). and they were getting out, so i switched to a mesh top out of an old window screen. they were lifting the lid to get out, so I weighed it down, then they started picking holes in it and getting out! i switched back to the old fish tank lid and taped all the holes shut. The problem is now, there is literally no ventilation. what can i do to get ventilation, or what kind of lid should I get? Does anyone else have lids that work great for them?

Second one is, I have a nice humidifier, and I've been using it for a while now. Last time I deep cleaned the tank (I do that about once a year) I set up the humidifier and within a week the tank was flooded! I stopped using the humidifier and the flooding stopped and subsided a bit. My crabs couldn't dig because of the flooding, and they wont dig now (I think the sand is too compact) as well as I'm afraid to use the humidifier and cause flooding now. Has anyone else had problems with their tank flooding, and what can I do?

Thanks!
c4m

[Teedeums]

False bottoms can help with tank flooding.


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[Sarasobo]

green house roofing for the humidity http://t.homedepot.com/p/Suntuf-26-in-x ... /100049922 either drill holes in it or cover one side depending on how much humidity u want got the idea here on hca theres a thread somewhere

and a simple wire top to fit the crabitat should keep in the runaway crabs http://www.petsmart.com/reptile/accesso ... tid-500029

[wodesorel]

If your substrate flooded and you haven't replaced it, you need to get in there and check to make sure that anaerobic bacteria hasn't started growing. It will cause dark patches in the substrate and will smell like rotten eggs, which can kill crabs if they bury into it. If the substrate is too moist, the crabs also won't dig to molt and you could end up with surface molters instead. It's really important to make sure your substrate is okay! Even if you get there and fluff it up for them, it will make all the difference.

If your humidity is good and you're going in the tank daily for food and water there isn't a real need for ventilation. There should be some air vents around where the light is. You can also poke holes into the tape to add a few more. Keeping them secure is more important. You can buy lid clips for commercial screen lids for a few dollars that clip the lid onto the rim of the aquarium so they can't lift it. However, if you use a screen lid then your humidity might tank so you may have to break out the humidifier again.

[crabs4me]

Alright, thank you all, this is really helpful!