HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Good luck!


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I will be using this tip too! Lol!

I have to ask, there is a tree/ hide in your tank that just looks awesome, where did u get it or how did you make it? I think It's so cool looking.

YYWW wrote:Power Hooks!! Power Lock Suction Bath Hooks - Set of 2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LLSJFCO/re ... uub1PSH1GR

Yep! Work great for me too.

Lol, I could never make something that nice. I bought it from Petsmart. I believe it's called a Bonsai tree, and it was about $25-30. I know other members have used it, and my crabs LOVE it. Funnily enough, though, I've seen I think EVERY single crab chilling on top of the cholla, almost like queen/king of the crabitat

I also created a thread called "How Many Crabs?" in crabitat conditions. Any help would be appreciated

Wow, this is awesome! I have bookmarked this page as I am in love with your crabitat. If I was to upgrade, I think my tank would be set up very similar to yours!
With the 5:1 ratio, is it EE:sand or sand:EE? And if you're willing to share, how much did this cost you (roughly)?

Wow, that is simply awesome!

A few questions: how did you get the cholla and cork to stand straight up and not fall down? Is it supported with something that I just can't see? Also, you mentioned misting, and I can almost see the fog in the picture -- what are you using for misting/fogging the tat?

Bookmarking this for ideas!

aussieJJDude wrote:Wow, this is awesome! I have bookmarked this page as I am in love with your crabitat. If I was to upgrade, I think my tank would be set up very similar to yours!
With the 5:1 ratio, is it EE:sand or sand:EE? And if you're willing to share, how much did this cost you (roughly)?

It's a ratio of five parts eco earth to every one part sand. I mix in the sand to help the eco earth keep form better, making it less spongy than it normally is. I have seen no reason to mix eco earth into a majority of sand, so I keep the left side as just sand. I like the idea of giving them a choice. I've had molts in both sand and EE before, so I don't believe that one is necessarily "better" than the other, it just depends on the crab.

For price: Well, that's a tough one. I already had most of the supplies on the inside, so the big one for this tank was . . .well, the tank . It all depends on what you can find online. I found the tank online on craigslist for a good deal. But there also may be better ones. Here's a list:

Tank, stand, and lighting: $225
Clamp lamp and 150w Ceramic Heat Emitter: $40
4 50lb bags of sand: $20
9 bricks of Eco Earth (3 3-packs): $30
Acrylic divider and silicone: $12

That right there is just the base of it all: heating, tank, lighting, sub
Inside stuff:

Large tree ornament: $25
2 corner and 1 back wall shower caddy: $20-25
Cholla wood: I think $5, I bought it a long time ago online
Hemp net: $10 on ebay
Clings: the water cling came free with an old tank, the forest cling was I think $10, and the dark tropical flora background I found on clearance for like $3.
Huts: all the "regular" coco huts I made myself. For a description, just ask. The large hut in the back left I bought on amazon for like $5.
Pools: Free, I made them myself
Cork panel I found this at a local pet shop for like $10
All other things: Everything else was not very expensive, and so adds up to maybe $25 overall.

That makes a total of: $425

That's a lot, right? The majority of it, as in all the stuff on the inside, I built up over a year while transioning through various tanks. A lot of that stuff is unneeded. For example, you could buy a large pile of 10" cholla wood pieces on ebay and make a huge, intricate climbing structure, without having to buy a huge tree ornament and nets, etc. The biggest expense was the tank, stand, and lighting. Everything else after that is up to the creator .

The tank and stand were my birthday present, and the other stuff was either a result of holiday and birthday money, or money saved up from lawn-mowing. It took a while to get it, and I knew I would have to have more money than the tank itself cost. Luckily, in-laws made up for that .

I honestly stole a lot of ideas from others and put it together. I don't feel like I'm very creative, I just mix stuff together. Sugarselections' 90 gallon was big inspiration, as well as many others.

Oh, and thanks for the praise . I don't mind if others copy at all. I'm not even quite finished, as mentioned above, but it won't change too much. Just do whatever looks nice to you, and whatever makes the crabs happy.

I worked hard on their setup, but I still have to work harder in the area of more diverse foods, and other health treatments. Some people just don't have the money to buy a large setup, but the hard work and effort they put in is, in my opinion, more important.

CrabbySquirrel wrote:Wow, that is simply awesome!

A few questions: how did you get the cholla and cork to stand straight up and not fall down? Is it supported with something that I just can't see? Also, you mentioned misting, and I can almost see the fog in the picture -- what are you using for misting/fogging the tat?

Bookmarking this for ideas!

First question: For the cork, I just pressed the bottom down a little bit into the sand, and then leaned it up against the back glass. For the cholla, I dug a little hole, stuck the bottom in, and then tightly pressed the sand I removed back into the hole. Before I put in the shower caddy, it wasn't even leaning against anything, and my biggest crab, a near-jumbo, was able to climb up and sleep on it without it tipping .

Second question: I don't use a fogger. What you're referring to is the condensation that forms on the glass. I wish I had a fogger, that would be so cool. Maybe I'll convert our old humidifier into one . I use the all living things 2 liter misting bottle to mist. At least I think that's it. You can adjust the nozzle from fine mist to jet-stream, so it's pretty useful. I found it at petsmart for $10.

About once or twice a week, I'll open up the glass lid, and let the tank air out for 30 minutes to an hour. The tank can smell so much if I don't . I'll obviously watch it so as to make sure no crabs can escape. After it's done airing out, I will remove the food and poop, and mist it on fine mist setting for maybe 30 seconds. If the top layer of Eco earth starts to look dry, I'll set it to slightly less "fine", so as to moisten it back to normal.

Got it -- thanks!

Wow, thats for all that info... Now I just have to get the money to even think about what you're doing!
I have to admit, I saves most of your pics on my computer for reminders & inspiration.

Thanks. And I do the same thing! lol. I'm a junior in high school, and pretty focused on my grades, so I don't have a job. My parents help me out on b-days and such. Unlike most people, I don't desire a new car or phone for my b-day. I get tanks, animals, and supplies

Beautiful crabitat!!!! I so love the brown logs?? Holding up the dishes ? If that's what they are ??? It looks so cool ! I always have a hard time with my suction cups I'm def gonna try those power ones mentioned previously


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Due to the whole photobucket debacle, I thought I would link you to the thread with the tank as it stands today:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=116285