Maitnence free crabbing

[Guest]

I was looking foward to doing this for my next deep clean. Taking hermit crabbing to another level.

Timers for humidity and temprature, absolute humidity hydrometer, Hidden tubes for bubble dishes, custom lighting, pumps for new water/waterfall ect. This will be in a 20-30 gallon tank , im still deciding. What im basically trying to accomplish here is a less maitnence tat, with exact replicatition of a natural habbitat.

what I plan to accomplish:

1. A sort of.. waterfall, with a large/medium sized dish that recycles water, and makes a waterfall in one of thier dishes.I can get tubing and stuff through another retailer.

2. Timers that would turn on the humidity pump and heating sources until the temprature was back to acceptable levels, these would of course be set to only go off when the temp/ humidity drop below 60, like an emergency backup.

3. Tons of climbing toys, however I need help figuring out natural things I can put in.

4. EXACT humidity and temprature.

5. good lighting system, moon glo's, sun glo's, and some other lights like that.

Would I be able to put plexiglass on top but still have a heat lamp on top of it, or would it melt the glass?


What I currently need help on; Finding a digital hydrometer that is strictly for measuring humidity, anyone know where this can be had from?

[Guest]

Sounds like a cool idea...

I've seen thermostats for the heat lamps but nothing for the humidity... how are you going to have it set up for when the humidity gets to high? Humidity is my struggle... to high, open lid, humidity drops close lid... repeat...

[Guest]

Humidity will be a problem..

[Guest]

check the small appliance dept at walmart. near the thermostats and lightbulbs. I seen a few there and they even sell one that measures temp and humidity for under $12.

[Guest]

Humidity controllers are quite expensive, Hydroponic stores carry them but they are like $100-$200. Honeywell sells a humidity senor for $60 and you would have to design/construct the electronics for it.

I have a thermostat that controls heating lamp (Temp is very stable) and a 2 diy timer circuit that turns on a mister/humidifier every x minutes for y seconds.
(eg. currently set to turn on every 45mins for 30 sec)

I got one of my timing circuit here

*edited by ripshaw to shorten url link

[Guest]

Natural climbing toys would be, assorted types of corals, tree branches (check safe food list), rocks and larger shells. They like to eat most of these items too.

Sounds like a wonderful idea, keep us posted and don't forget the pics!!!

Have fun!!!

[Mormegil]

Hmm, just had an idea to maintain humidity at 75%.

What if you put in a jar with damp table salt in it, with a few holes in the top. The crabs can't get in, and the damp table salt is suppose to maintain a 75% humidity (according to the Hygrometer Calibration info).

It may require quite a bit of salt to do this.

Anyways, just an idea.

[blaze88]

Yes you can put heat lights on plexi glass. Well, I lied, only if it is under 100 watts and you have thick plexi glass.

[Ryanstein]

I have a glass top lid for my tank, with a 60 watt sun and a 75 night glo bulb, which I alternate day/night. My tank is what I guess you could call low maintenance, as my temp and humidity are very stable. I love my 20 gal .

The thermostat idea is fine, but the humidity thing would be very hard to do electronically, and I don't know if I would trust an electronic gizmo for humidity. But maybe such a device exists, I'm not sure.

Ryan