HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Well, we moved the crabitat yesterday to our new apartment. Luckily no one was molting, because we dug up all the substrate and put it into buckets.

When I was scooping, I noticed that a couple inches down, the substrate had hardened significantly. Underneath was DRY substrate.

I spray and keep the humidity up around 80%. That seems to work for the top layer. Is there any way to make sure the deeper substrate stays sand castle consistency?

Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I should have titled it "Keeping substrate MOIST." Lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

All I do is make sure to mist the surface very well every so often or when I notice it drying. I've never found dry substrate at the bottom before so I don't really have any advice there. What heat source are you using and where? What kind of substrate and how deep?

I have a UTH on the outside back wall, but it's up higher, not below the substrate level. On one end I also have a reptile daytime light (can't remember wattage). The substrate is seven inches deep, play sand and EE.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'll bump up spraying for sure. Maybe that's all I need to do.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Weird how the bottom's drying out. Hopefully spraying more often or thoroughly will work. Be careful not to create the opposite problem though! Hopefully others will have more advice too.