Tension shelf

[Arkos]

So I know metal is a little iffy in crabitats. But I would cover this shelf with hemp rope, plastic canvas and other stuff. I would put one on either side of my tank to not only make 2 platforms at the second level but it would also be amazing to hang things from. Let me know what you guys think of these tension shelves https://www.amazon.com/TabEnter-Adjusta ... th=1&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/APSOONSELL-Ajust ... th=1&psc=1


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[wodesorel]

Should work, but keep in mind too much pressure against the glass could cause issues so don't use too much weight on top. Another option would be a solid plastic one.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/LockerMate-A ... /911533928?

[Arkos]

That's perfect, there wouldn't be very much weight, on top just craft mesh and hemp rope, with some bridges and maybe chola wood going across. So I'm pretty certain my hermits don't have any tunnels along the back side of my tank or the left/right edges yet, if I took egg crate do you think it would be possible to just push it down through the sand/ee? Maybe if I cut a few of the horizontal pieces so it's mostly just the vertical parts of the grid going into the sand? I would rather make a proper second level for them, I just didn't have money for egg crate at the time I set up the tank.

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[wodesorel]

I've found eggcrate to be a little messy to work with and you don't want to put too much pressure on it or it will shatter. You'll probably have to dig out where you want it to sit and then pack the sand back around it. If you don't have molters down then you can do it without any worries. They don't really make permanent tunnels so you won't be destroying anything by moving substrate. The light diffuser panels are about $17 for a piece that is nearly as large as a 75 gallon tank, so it goes a long way.

[Motörcrab]

Egg crate does make a little bit of a mess when you cut it. Tiny hair like pieces of the plastic come off when cutting it close to the corners. You can't really get a smooth surface unless you use a fine set of cutters and trim it a second time. You could possibly do it in one step, but it may be a bit tougher on the hands doing full cuts with smaller cutters. When I cut the longer pieces off to make a straight edge I hold my finger on the top of the piece. That helps it from becoming a flying projectile! Safety glasses are a good idea!

Heavy duty diagonal cutting pliers work excellent to make clean cuts without the plastic shattering. I use this type and have had them for 20 years and still work great. They leave little bumps but shouldn't affect anything. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0000302W8/ ... C0F8WR2Q7Q

I just made a bit of a jungle gym for a 10 gallon ISO tank. I made two platforms that go to the front for each side of the tank to support the back from falling. Then attached a vertical section down to the substrate on the platforms. I had a piece of cholla that fit perfectly between the egg crate so that made another climbing area! These aren't into the substrate just on top.



Here's a shell shop we made out of egg crate and mesh. We cut a hole out of the center of the mesh so we can see what the crabs are doing.



The egg crate comes in pieces that are 24x48 inches. I found it much easier to add the egg crate in two pieces for the back instead of one because of the divider.

A few packs of small and medium sized zip ties will be a good idea too!

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[wodesorel]

I used a pair of flat pliers and just twisted and snapped my way down the rows, rather than trying to cut it. Still launches pieces across the room, but easy enough to sweep up! Leaves a pretty clean edge and super quick with no hand strain.

[Arkos]

Awesome, thanks for the info guys. I really wasn't quite sure how to go about this

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