Salt and Fresh Water Pool Upgrades! 2.5G Cycled

[Motörcrab]

Your pools are great Dan!

Thanks! Fleabag helped with them!

[GotButterflies]

Thanks! Fleabag helped with them!

Of course Fleabag did!

[SlimPickins]

I just finished installing 10 gallon pools into my 180 gallon acrylic. I put my crabbos in a few days ago (well 4 of 8...stupid dumb molters) and was watching my jumbo playing around the freshwater pool toe dipping, crawling on a cholla branch that is forked and one fork is horizontal across the surface connecting an underwater platform to another. Wife called me over to the hvac machine which was full of water (stupid dumb filter that didn’t change itself), so after that charade (20 mins) I went back to watching the crabbos (new owner and slightly addicted) and couldn’t find my jumbo...because he was making his way up the wall in the saltwater pool and he was over 6 inches deep (water is 11” deep). He’s a pp and I was probably more excited than I should be. I’ve had these guys since mid July (beach buy for my autistic son, had no idea what I was getting into but I don’t do anything half a** and without extremely thorough research...$3k later...). Don’t mean to jack the post but just to give someone hope that the PPs will submerge, just make it as easy as possible for them to do so.

[aussieJJDude]

The setup sounds amazing! feel free to make your own post and share some pics. Im sure crabbers would love to see them!

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[VickieG]

Ok, I have a question. I had to redo the 75 gal tank I set up last year and was going to put in a larger saltwater container. Nothing colossal, under 2 qts, enough for them to take a full dip. Am I wasting my time? I have a dozen PPs and one E. I mean, if they're really not interested in going in why bother with the headache of where, how, etc. The current dish holds about 10 oz. Thoughts?

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[Motörcrab]

I really like my bigger pools. I think they are a lot less day to day maintenance since mine are filtered and I only change half the water out monthly.

I feel that water use is dependant on the crab and how comfortable the crabs are getting in and out. I think some of crabs not using pools is them not thinking they will be able to get out easily.

I really think crabs teach other crabs to use things like wheels. It takes weeks for one crab to go into it. As soon as one starts going in the wheel before long the others follow.

I don't think it would be a waste, so to speak. I like to experiment and change things to see what happens. Sometimes it works out, other times it doesn't. The worst that can happen is your crabs don't use it and you can change it back.

If you do decide to make bigger pools just be sure to give them a month or two to get used to the change. When I did my pools I did one then the other a month or two later.

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[Hermielover121]

I have 4 pps and they love the deep water dishes. Would definitely recommend


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[VickieG]

I never can tell if my "swimmers" go in on purpose or fall. Once they're in, some check out the mystery snails and walk the length of the pool underwater, but sometimes I think it's because they know I'm watching & want to get far away before climbing out.

So here's my next question then, how do you remove the water for total cleanings? I'm not sure I can find a filter small enough to prolong water changes. I was toying with putting in a spigot. I considered a simple plug, but they'd have that out in a heartbeat and I'd have a mess. I can always use cups and a turkey baster, but that's a pain.

This rebuild is taking way longer than I wanted. My plans aren't coming together like I'd hoped. I wanted to put a topper on, but I've come to the conclusion that the only way to do that is to make a full-sized top, instead of on just half. The lights and creating/maintaining access to the main tank and the newly extended portion, are proving to be my undoing.

The only other way around the issues as I see it, is putting a tank beside this one and running a habitrail kind of link between the two. My goal was to give them more room and to allow me to adopt more crabs. I really wanted to give them more vertical enrichment opportunities, not just space. It's the exact same dilemma someone else posted about their 75 gal tank. I think they did a half tank topper and put the lights on that, but for me, the light isn't secure enough.

Any suggestions, thoughts?? I don't have a recent pic of my tank before the rebuild, this is what it initially looked like, but only for about 3 wks! I ended up adding another 4 inches of sub, the plants are all dead, and there's more coconuts, wood, etc. Oh, and they destroyed that little house too!

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[Motörcrab]

I never can tell if my "swimmers" go in on purpose or fall. Once they're in, some check out the mystery snails and walk the length of the pool underwater, but sometimes I think it's because they know I'm watching & want to get far away before climbing out.

So here's my next question then, how do you remove the water for total cleanings? I'm not sure I can find a filter small enough to prolong water changes. I was toying with putting in a spigot. I considered a simple plug, but they'd have that out in a heartbeat and I'd have a mess. I can always use cups and a turkey baster, but that's a pain.

This rebuild is taking way longer than I wanted. My plans aren't coming together like I'd hoped. I wanted to put a topper on, but I've come to the conclusion that the only way to do that is to make a full-sized top, instead of on just half. The lights and creating/maintaining access to the main tank and the newly extended portion, are proving to be my undoing.

The only other way around the issues as I see it, is putting a tank beside this one and running a habitrail kind of link between the two. My goal was to give them more room and to allow me to adopt more crabs. I really wanted to give them more vertical enrichment opportunities, not just space. It's the exact same dilemma someone else posted about their 75 gal tank. I think they did a half tank topper and put the lights on that, but for me, the light isn't secure enough.

Any suggestions, thoughts?? I don't have a recent pic of my tank before the rebuild, this is what it initially looked like, but only for about 3 wks! I ended up adding another 4 inches of sub, the plants are all dead, and there's more coconuts, wood, etc. Oh, and they destroyed that little house too!

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I think crabs are like cats sometimes. Where they misjudge a jump and fall then act like they meant to do it. My strawberries will willingly venture into the pools and chill. I've seen one hang out for maybe 3-4 hours.

The monthly water changes like I do will depend on the activity of your crabs. Without a cycled pool you may get more time between water changes, but you should still monitor the ammonia, nitrate, and pH levels to be sure they don't get too high. Otherwise crabs will avoid the pools too. I use a small cup to scoop the water out of my pools. I can pull my ladders and platforms out in two pieces and drop them in the tub I put the old water in. I'll also rinse the shells off in that water too.

I have been wanting to add a topper to my 75 for about a year now. I really want an Exo Terra large /Xl terrarium, but don't want to pay the price. I decided I need a terrarium since they have doors on the front. I think flipping a tank up side down on another tank would be a pain. Knowing my pinchy crew they would all huddle in the topper when I wanted to pull it off to do maintenance.

I have seen pictures where people would put two 75's side by side then flip another one upside down to connect the three together. It would still give you access to each end for water placement. Someone in another group has 4-5 tanks linked together like that. It's pretty crazy!

[Beckanai]

Oh my gosh that pool set up!! I just came upon this post so I haven't done any other checking, but how did the babies do and are your pools still the same?