Matt's new crabitat build. Pictures with updates.

[Matt]

Sand "beach" replaced with substrate. More space for crabs!

[kornchaser]

About 5 inches of substrate. I'll get it to 7 or 8 if you think 4 crabs would work in this tank.
Substrate area measures 18x12.

Also I'm quite surprised by how much my pp's swim!

I have 5 PPs in a 20 gallon tall. They're all in 3/4" shells or smaller. Anyways, not too long ago my tank made me worrisome. The top layer was bone dry and dusty looking and 1-2 inches down was either solid wet EE or sand depending where I dug. I deemed it safer for the molters if I dug them up and re-mixed the sub. It was easier with an extra empty 20g laying around to help mix it in. Good news was there was only one barely done molter, he's fine and active now just a couple days later. Anywho, the point is he was one of my lazy/shy purple pinchers in a 5/8" heavy murex who I found molting at the bottom of a tank just layers away from the glass in a tank with 9 inches of substrate. Mind you it was maybe 6" when he went down before I fluffed it but it was also very compressed, heavy EE and sand. And tiny PPs are more than capable of digging deeper. Image how much more at home your PPs would feel with more sub, Es too if you get them and how much safer molting crabs would be. The bigger the better. Better for your crabs and easier on your wallet for 'between' upgrades. Food for thought if your serious about having Es.

[Matt]

I'm definitley going to pack a few more inches of substrate on. Do you guys think this 20 gallon long tank can support 4 crabs for a year. I'm getting a 40 gallon next year so they won't be getting too much bigger by then. They would all be smalls. Thanks.

[CallaLily]

More substrate is good. A 20long would be fine with 4 PPs for a year, easy. I'd hold off on Es until you get a larger tank. They really do not do well in smaller tanks. I'd say a 40g is a bare minimum for Es of even smaller sizes. Assuming the tank is tall enough for deep substrate - like around 8 inches for smaller Es I'd say. More being better of course.

Edit: From my past experience with Es and posts I've read on this forum, I hesitate to recommend Es in smaller tanks even as a temporary thing. Even without aggression problems they are just so active, especially in digging, I wouldn't risk it.

[Matt]

Well this morning I went to get new shells and decided to buy two crabs. If any territorial behaviors happen or if they act unhappy or a problem with molting occurs I will get a 40g immediately. But the place I got them from had a tank with 1cm of calci sand. 50% humidity and 73 degrees Fahrenheit. So I figure they are better off here anyway for now. Pics to come

[Matt]

The very small e changed shells instantly, he was about to switch back but I threw that painted shell out.

[soilentgringa]

Since you now have E's, you will definitely want to have deeper sub at the very least. If you are going to attempt to have them in a 20 gallon, I would suggest making the sub no less than 12" deep. With the amount of molting and digging space lost to the pool, they do not have adequate space. E's are notorious for cannibalism and aggression, which is why we recommend a minimum of 40 gallons, even for just 2 or 3.
I didn't realize your tank was only 20 gallons. Please know that none of us are attacking or trying to be mean. IMO if you are going to try to keep 4 crabs in a 20 gallon tank, especially E's, they need every bit of the floorspace and deep sub to dig and molt. You may want to reconsider the pool and get some tupperware tubs for waters until you can upgrade. I feel bad because you've put so much effort into it but that is not enough substrate or space for your crabs.

Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk

[Matt]

Just an update, since July, I increased the depth of the substrate and removed the pool, the pool was replaced with a large above ground sw pool which allows digging under, I will
post an updated picture tomorrow. I will be upgrading to a 40 gallon this spring. I had 4 crabs in the tank, 2pp's and 2 e's one of the e's died of pps. The other e has molted with me successfully twice now. One of my pp's has molted 6 times now, and the other pp has molted 4 times. When's get the 40 gallon I will introduce another e as a species buddy for my existing one. There has been no aggression between the e and 2 pp's and they all eat and hangout together.

[KellyCrabbieLove]

That is awesome news! Can't wait to see the pics.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk