Pictures of my 55 gal Crabitat

CrabbyMommy2017 · Post by **CrabbyMommy2017** » Tue Jun 13, 2017 7:18 am

I've been on HCA for a few months now. Been crabbing since February 2017. I just finished an overhaul of tank decor. Wanted to share some pics. Trying to figure out how to share the video I just took too. Please bear with me. I'm using the tablet and Tap Talk here. Both of which I'm not super familiar with (I usually post from Google Chrome on my smartphone).

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emberfusion · Post by **emberfusion** » Tue Jun 13, 2017 7:22 am

Nice!
I both loved and hated my 55gal. I always felt like it was too narrow but i LOVED the length of it. Looks like you have definitely made good use of the space there, though!

How deep is that substrate? It looks a little shallow but it's always hard to tell in pictures. :crabbigsmile:

CrabbyMommy2017 · Post by **CrabbyMommy2017** » Tue Jun 13, 2017 7:32 am

Thanks @emberfusion!

Substrate is 5 and a half to 6 inches deep, play sand Eco Earth mixture. I've got more substrate coming soon. I have three bricks of Eco earth and a 50lb bag of play sand ready to go in. There are two crabs underground right now. I'm waiting for them to resurface so that I can mix the bag of play sand as well as the three bricks of Eco Earth that I have purchased. I want to make sure that I mix everything together very well. I don't like to see layers of unmixed substrate. I guess that's my OCD.

Once I have all 5 crabs top side where I can take them out into a separate safe location, I'm going to take everything out of the tank and mix all of the old substrate with the new.

I took a video of the crab tank just now and I'm trying to post it using YouTube.

CrabbyMommy2017 · Post by **CrabbyMommy2017** » Tue Jun 13, 2017 7:36 am

Here is a YouTube link to the video I just took of our crab tank.

https://youtu.be/TFg498-bGUs

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daws409 · Post by **daws409** » Tue Jun 13, 2017 7:44 am

I too hate the floor print of a 55G but love the way you've utilized it. Looks good!

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emberfusion · Post by **emberfusion** » Tue Jun 13, 2017 7:44 am

CrabbyMommy2017 wrote:Here is a YouTube link to the video I just took of our crab tank.

https://youtu.be/TFg498-bGUs

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It looks so good!
I REALLY love the way you have all that wood set up. So many perfect little hidey holes!

YouTube · Post by **GotButterflies** » Tue Jun 13, 2017 7:48 am

That looks great! Can't hear video on Tapatalk.

Are both pools deep enough for them to fully submerge in? Also- the half logs that are commonly used for reptiles (to the right at top of steps) are Pine. I don't recommend using those. But that's me

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Post by **aussieJJDude** » Tue Jun 13, 2017 7:54 am

Looking good, you really utilised that 55 well. Sure they are liking it.

Giner13 · Post by **Giner13** » Tue Jun 13, 2017 8:13 am

I love it!! How'd you do the stand level?

And how did you get the video to post? lol I can't ever get mine to.

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Menders · Post by **Menders** » Tue Jun 13, 2017 10:46 am

That is very nice! You utilized the space nicely! I think that it is easily forgotten that tanks have lots more space if you can find a way to add "levels" to get the most out of it.

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CrabbyMommy2017 · Post by **CrabbyMommy2017** » Tue Jun 13, 2017 11:19 am

Awww, Thanks guys! I've put a lot of work into this and it's nice to finally show it off to someone who can appreciate how much work it was.

@GotButterflies both pools are deep enough for the largest crab to fully submerge in. The saltwater pool is a lot deeper than it looks because it gradually gets deeper towards the back. Those are the pools that came to me with the crabs when I adopted them. At some point in the future I will probably have to get deeper bowls but these are working for now.

@Giner13 I have a little piece of plastic, that I cut out of the top of a tupperware bowl, that I use kind of like a spatula to rake all of the substrate flat and level. It's kind of my own personal meditation garden technique. LOL. Of course the only reason the substrate looks so level right now is because I just now finished rearranging everything. I'm sure the crabs will have the sand all dug up an unlevel very soon.

With two crabs underground right now there wasn't much I could really do. But I did manage to get all of the extra shells and decor (which was cluttering the tank) off of the substrate.

All of the shells were boiled and washed. I made a shell shop that attaches to the back wall with suction cups. I also moved the moss pit (from being embedded in the substrate in a tupperware bowl), up to the back wall, same as the shell shop, attached with suction cups. There used to be a lot more sticks and branches in there. But with all of the decor that was in before you could hardly see the crabs. There were a lot more hiding spaces before I removed all of that stuff. But I got tired of company coming over (as well as my kids), not being able to find the crabs. So the crabs have less climbing branches and hiding places. But at least now we can spot them! LOL.

Hermias_mom · Post by **Hermias_mom** » Tue Jun 13, 2017 1:06 pm

CrabbyMommy2017, that looks like a lot of crabbie FUN!!! I love all the little hidey holes and multiple ways to get somewhere. Lots of options for wandering around. And I think that second level, with all the places to go and that porch you built is just clever! There seems to be a balance between places for crabs to hide and stuff for them to do and having people be able to watch & enjoy them. What a nice looking tank!

:crabbigsmile:

For some reason, it never occurred to me to use jar lids for food dishes, maybe because my current tat (10 gallon) is so small. Thanks for the idea.

daws409 · Post by **daws409** » Tue Jun 13, 2017 2:08 pm

Hermias_mom wrote:For some reason, it never occurred to me to use jar lids for food dishes, maybe because my current tat (10 gallon) is so small. Thanks for the idea.

Peanut butter lids are the best IMO!

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Hermias_mom · Post by **Hermias_mom** » Tue Jun 13, 2017 2:18 pm

daws409 wrote:
Hermias_mom wrote:For some reason, it never occurred to me to use jar lids for food dishes, maybe because my current tat (10 gallon) is so small. Thanks for the idea.
Peanut butter lids are the best IMO!

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That's cool! I'll have to try them. I bet the crabs would have more trouble dragging their food all over the substrate out of a peanut butter lid than they do from the scallop shells I'm using. Maybe the sub would stay cleaner. One can hope.

Clelad · Post by **Clelad** » Tue Jun 13, 2017 3:13 pm

Wow! Awesome job!

HCA: Hermit Crab Association