I have created a system which eliminates the chances of flooding my crab tank, It has been in operation for over the past 12 months.
I am very happy with its performance and now have piece of mind knowing that my crab family is in a safe environment
I am now able monitor how much misted water go's into the tank and how much waste water leaves the tank.A small hole was cut in the base of my tank (18 mil or small circle on crab size chart) left back corner )
Under the tank I cut away the white foam to expose the hole. I taped a funnel over the hole and then got a coat hanger to wrap around funnel for support then I hooked the coat hanger over back edge of the tank stand.
I pushed a clear plastic hose onto the end of the funnel .
I then placed the end of the hose into a tall plastic container which is sitting on the floor under the funnel. I marked the container so I know how much water is collected
I then got a large piece of yoga mat which I cut to fit the pool area. On the underside I cut channels so any water laying in the tank would move towards the hole. I then placed the yoga mat in the tank.The mat sits against the glass walls of my old built in pool ( sand area on other side of glass). I cut sections out of the silicon along the floor which holds the glass walls in place so the water can drain under the yoga mat and towards hole,
Steps of my system are
1) 5 Litres of fresh dechlorinated water sits in the base of my Monsoon mister unit.
2) Every 2hrs a fine mist turns on for 12 seconds.
3) Any excess water drains to the floor of the tank and runs towards the hole at the left back corner under the saltwater pool.
4) The waste water runs down the funnel through the clear plastic pipe and into the plastic container.
5) Every 3 days I check record and remove the waste water. ( I can calculate how much water cycles through my tank at anytime)
The substrate of my tank is able to maintain a sand castle constancy at all times.
If the weather becomes hotter or colder i can turn up or down the amount of water entering the tank with a simple turn of a knob.
I hope you will consider this option if you are having problems with your tank. (If water sits on the bottom of your tank for too long to will go bad)
This system reduces your work load and will create a better home for your crabs. On a small tank you could use a mister bottle in lieu of the monsoon mister unit.
Cutting a small hole to remove waste water can be done on any sized tank. Mosts glaziers will cut a small hole in a tank for a small fee.
Kind Regards
Sweetp