HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hey all! Sorry I've been MIA...I've been dealing with some mental health issues for the past month, as well as busy with life in general. I also find it really hard to remember to get on here when the crabs are all burrowed...which they have been for two months! Finally most of the crew came up the past two days - I've seen Shelob, Frodo, Sam, and Eowyn in the main tank, just little Pippin still hiding. Merry's still MIA in the ISO tank, which makes me nervous...haven't seen them since we moved in December. They've always been extremely scared & shy though, so I'm not ready to try digging or anything yet.

Anyway, reason for the post...I have a new cat, only been in the apartment for a week. She's all about watching crab tv now that they're up. I wasn't going to fuss much with her watching & occasionally batting at the tank walls. But unfortunately sometime last night, she tried to jump on top of the tank & caved in the left lid (split top 55g tank with a glass lid). Guessing the collapse scared her off, I don't think any crabs could climb out past the lid, and everything looks okay in the tank. And the lid isn't broken, thankfully. But I'm still worried!

Anyone have suggestions on how to keep an interested kitty off the tank? Or on ways to make the lid fit a little more tightly so it won't collapse again if she climbs up? I'm hoping to avoid doing something like stacking stuff on the lid because I don't want to make it a huge ordeal to get into the tank to change food/water every time I need to...

Ah, well this should be an interesting battle. Cats can be so creative and determined!

I would suggest some double sided tape over the top should do the trick, or some tin foil taped over the top. Something crunchy or sticky or bumpy-something the little one wouldn't like should she lay on it. I have that over the top of my python cage with it's screen top to keep my daughter's cat (who is SUPPOSED TO STAY DOWNSTAIRS IN HER APARTMENT) from trying to plant a nail in it's head like she sadly did with our other python. We used to call the cat Snakesnack as a nickname (I have a very warped sense of humor-hopefully not offensive) but we don't do that anymore.

Luckily the cat won't try and kill your crabs, other than letting them all out!

The best lids I've found are the ones that have hinges front to back (across the short distance) rather than the ones that have the hinge side to side (long ways). I know they make them in 55 gallon sizes, I saw them at Pets Supplies Plus where they hinge in two places, so there is three sections of screen. Something like that would keep the lid from collapsing from the weight, since the distance across is only 12 inches and the hinges are sturdy it can support the weight of a curious cat without bowing. I had to do that with my 30 gallon (3 foot long) back in the day when the cats busted straight through a plain unhinged lid.

Personally, I don't try to fight them on the tanks. It's a very warm location, and they're going to want to be up there because of it. You might try a heated cat bed, or making a spot for them in another warm location like the top of the fridge or the TV/cable box. At any given time there's usually four or five cats shoving each other off the top of my 135 gallon because they want to spread out and there's no space left. Thankfully that one is entirely glass! There was always a cat on the 15 gallon when it was up and running, too. Both fish tanks that are in the main house are catted at most times as well, since the florescent strip lights get nice and toasty on top.

I would just place a board over the top of the glass so that a little hangs over the long edge. You'll either have to cut it out around the handles or just fit it behind the handles.

I don't have cats but my crabs could easily escape my 20L when they were in there. The board trick worked very well to keep the crabs in. I also think they liked the darkness. I covered about 2/3 of the tank top and put a light over the remaining 1/3, so they always had light and dark.

I can't offer any help, I just wanted to say I feel your pain. My glass canopy has somehow not collapsed so far.

I can't offer any advice but I do wish you luck. I put one of our cats on top of my tank last year to show him and he was not amused. He took off. I thought he would like crab tv. I guess I was wrong.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

At least yours aren't IN the tank.

THAT is hilarious!

LOL that is soooo funny! My luka would be in there if he could too! Instead, he just tries to leap to the top of my 125g and usually bounces off the side, hits the floor and sheepishly struts away in shame. Sorry buddie, not happening!

Man, sorry for late response! Had some laptop troubles, by which I mean I killed mine & had to wait several days to get a new one. I figured I wasn't the only one with this problem. I think the lid collapsing under her scared the heck out of her, and I haven't seen her try to jump back up or any evidence that she's tried since. She did watch CrabTV once since it happened, but kept her butt on the safe carpet and watched from the side! Hoping the lesson will stick long-term, but I'll keep the ideas in mind in case I need them, thank you!! I'm leaning towards a long piece of plexiglass or clear plastic or something that I can set on the top that she would land/sit on instead of the lid. But we'll see. The crabs don't seem too traumatized anyway, they're all still pigging out every night & moving around normally. I'm having a blast feeding them and watching them chow down. My favorite thing to do with them, since I like feeding animals and they can have such a wide variety of foods.

That's a good idea...a piece of plexiglass cut just slightly larger than the top of the tank. The cats can walk around and sit on it without collapsing it or tipping it over!

fantasybookworm wrote:Man, sorry for late response! Had some laptop troubles, by which I mean I killed mine & had to wait several days to get a new one. I figured I wasn't the only one with this problem. I think the lid collapsing under her scared the heck out of her, and I haven't seen her try to jump back up or any evidence that she's tried since. She did watch CrabTV once since it happened, but kept her butt on the safe carpet and watched from the side! Hoping the lesson will stick long-term, but I'll keep the ideas in mind in case I need them, thank you!! I'm leaning towards a long piece of plexiglass or clear plastic or something that I can set on the top that she would land/sit on instead of the lid. But we'll see. The crabs don't seem too traumatized anyway, they're all still pigging out every night & moving around normally. I'm having a blast feeding them and watching them chow down. My favorite thing to do with them, since I like feeding animals and they can have such a wide variety of foods.

I have a screen lid for my 125g with a custom cut plexi glass cover and it works great! There is no way the cat can get through that sucker! The only thing with plexi is that it warps, so you have to flip it every week or two so it bends the other direction. But it has been my favorite lid out of all 3 of my tanks (one is all glass, the other is aquarium hoods). Do everyone's cats watch the crabs? Mine did for like a minute when I got them and they don't pay any attention to them now. If they hear a thunk or something, they will look around, but it ends there. PS- I LOVE feeding the crabs too, I do it every other night right when I get home. Its like an hour process haha

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who spends forever feeding their crabs. I feel like I take way too long putting their meals together! But eh, I enjoy it. And my process will probably be more streamlined and faster once I have more frozen foods prepped for the bigger animals (cat & hedgehog) that the crabs can share and have my freezer more organized. Right now it's pretty haphazard & hard to get things out. Organization will happen soon...it's driving me nuts right now!

I'll definitely keep the plexiglass as a first option then! And I'll remember the flipping thing, thank you.

wodesorel wrote:At least yours aren't IN the tank.

Lmao no way! Doesn't the cat attack the crabs?

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

DarthKrab wrote:

wodesorel wrote:At least yours aren't IN the tank.

Lmao no way! Doesn't the cat attack the crabs?

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

or use the substrate as a litter box?!