I currently have 50lbs of sand in a 10 gallon mixed with salt water. I spot clean daily for food and once a week for droppings or anything not ideal, but I've had the tank for a little over 4 months and I'm still not sure what deep cleaning entails. Do I have to completely trash all of the sand and replace it at any point? During my research, I read some people do it every two or so months; others go a whole year.
I want to buy some coco fiber to help make digging easier and to hopefully push up the humidity now that it's winter. Since it's organic matter, does it go bad sooner than sand? How often would I have to spot / deep clean? This also leads me to ask about the risk of leaving dropped moss pieces in the sand, since my one crab loves tearing it out of the hanging moss pit and tossing it all over. I've been picking them up as best as I can, but it gets tedious at times.
Spot Cleaning, Deep Cleaning, and Coco Fiber
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AutumnHermie
- Posts: 136
- Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2015 10:40 pm
- Location: Avondale, Arizona
Re: Spot Cleaning, Deep Cleaning, and Coco Fiber
1.) Its your choice to dump all the sand and get new sand. Another option is to take all the sand out and bake it in the oven for around 20 minutes to sterilize it.
2.) Usually, the bigger the tank, the longer people usually go without deep cleaning. For a ten gallon, I would probably do it ever 3-4 months, but you could do twice a year if you really wanted to.
3.) When I switched from sand to Sand and coco-fiber, I treated it just like the sand, and nothing has ever happened.
4.) I use a big tupperware container for my moss, and they also enjoy watching me pick it up almost everyday. :roll: As long as theres not a huge amount of moss in there, there's really no problem.
2.) Usually, the bigger the tank, the longer people usually go without deep cleaning. For a ten gallon, I would probably do it ever 3-4 months, but you could do twice a year if you really wanted to.
3.) When I switched from sand to Sand and coco-fiber, I treated it just like the sand, and nothing has ever happened.
4.) I use a big tupperware container for my moss, and they also enjoy watching me pick it up almost everyday. :roll: As long as theres not a huge amount of moss in there, there's really no problem.
Owner of 12 PP's , 4 Blue's, and 2 straw's.
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soilentgringa
- Posts: 4352
- Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2014 5:18 pm
- Location: Dallas, TX
Re: Spot Cleaning, Deep Cleaning, and Coco Fiber
It is not necessary or advisable to deep clean or remove substrate unless you have a flood or bacterial bloom.
Removing sub is stressful for the crabs and disrupts the beneficial bacteria that help break down waste.
It is perfectly okay if some moss or leaf litter works it's way into the substrate. In the wild, there are all kinds of organic material in the sand, it won't harm them.
Removing sub is stressful for the crabs and disrupts the beneficial bacteria that help break down waste.
It is perfectly okay if some moss or leaf litter works it's way into the substrate. In the wild, there are all kinds of organic material in the sand, it won't harm them.
Re: Spot Cleaning, Deep Cleaning, and Coco Fiber
I get into my tanks about once a year or so and mix the substrate up really well (after safely removing crabs). I'll add water and/or more substrate as needed.
Every month or two or so I'll carefully remove all surface decorations and extra shells for cleaning and gently smooth the top layer of substrate. I also recalibrate hygrometers at this time.
As needed I will wipe down the glass, straighten up decor, and pick up food they've pulled around.
Every 2-3 days I clean food and water dishes.
Daily check in on crabs, gauges, humidifiers, heaters, lights.
This is just what I do. Other crabbers will have their own methods. One thing I want to stress: I do not recommend pulling out the substrate more often than once or twice a year (in any size tank - whether you're mixing, baking, replacing, whatever) because more often disrupts molting cycles and unnecessarily stresses the crabs.
Every month or two or so I'll carefully remove all surface decorations and extra shells for cleaning and gently smooth the top layer of substrate. I also recalibrate hygrometers at this time.
As needed I will wipe down the glass, straighten up decor, and pick up food they've pulled around.
Every 2-3 days I clean food and water dishes.
Daily check in on crabs, gauges, humidifiers, heaters, lights.
This is just what I do. Other crabbers will have their own methods. One thing I want to stress: I do not recommend pulling out the substrate more often than once or twice a year (in any size tank - whether you're mixing, baking, replacing, whatever) because more often disrupts molting cycles and unnecessarily stresses the crabs.