HCA: Hermit Crab Association

10 gallon tank, plexiglass lid with holes drilled in it. One heater under tank and one on side. substrate playsand and zoomed coconut fiber hermit soil.
Problem- I can't get my humidity down below 90%
I've now drilled so many holes that I'm losing too much heat but I still have water droplets all over the inside glass of the tank and can't get humidity down unless I open the top.
Ideas???

Have you calibrated your hygrometer? They can often be misleading because they're not calibrated and not reading the right levels.


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Eta: viewtopic.php?t=92540#p852642

Working on that now- but also assuming there shouldn't be so much water collecting on the inside of the tank?

I take condensation as a good sign right now just because the winter has dried out air. If I see condensation, the tank is still humid.


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You can prob sprinkle a thin veil of dry, powdery sand all over the tat. Itll suck up the moisture, probably.


Crabbers unite!!!

ETA: i meant the extra moisture in the tat air, not like throwing sand all over your glass

I just let the kid be open a bit to let the air out some .. Actually had to do that yesterday as the humidity jumped from 75 % to almost 90. I actually haven't had to mist for 36 hrs now. The humidity in my home will naturally jump up if it's gonna rain outside in the next few hours to days.

This always happens after I've done the yearly clean on my 10 gallon in winter. I get a little too generous with rewetting the substrate, and it takes around a month before that excess moisture evaporates and the front stops fogging up. Part of it has to do with the extra moisture in the tank, but part of it is also the drastic temperature change from the air inside the tank against the cold glass at the front of the tank. (It's the same thing that happens if you seal up hot food before it's dropped to room temperature.) Sometimes it is completely unavoidable if you want the humidity to stay high enough for the crabs. In the past, I've prevented the buildup of condensation by running really wide vents all along the front edge of the lid - this lets the moisture escape from against the glass without dropping the humidity too low.

More ventilation and more heating to compensate?

Depending on what the temp is,yes bring up temp and that usually drops humidity. I have a 20 gal. Tank with this happening today, bringing up temp and I do keep paper towel handy and wipe down condensation and that helps.

I just wanted to say, take out the heater from under the tank
there are many reasons for why it isn't good to have it under the tank, but the main reason is because when your hermit crabs go under the soil to molt, you don't want them to get too hot

Hamilation wrote:I just wanted to say, take out the heater from under the tank
there are many reasons for why it isn't good to have it under the tank, but the main reason is because when your hermit crabs go under the soil to molt, you don't want them to get too hot

I'm glad you caught that. I had to reread the thread, can't believe I missed it! It's not only dangerous for your molting crabs but is also a fire hazard. UTHs aren't designed to heat through that much sub and can overheat.


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