My 100g & 75g Crabitats

[Kermie16]

Love them both!

I'm picking up a tank next month that the woman says is 165 gallons, but I think is "only" 125 gallons and it's occupants. I've promised not to split up the occupants or any any more to the tank, but I'll want to decorate it my way.

Ooooo!!! So exciting!! Can't wait to see the set up


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[friesb4uxbabe]

Goals

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[Lothlorien]

So beautiful!

[GotButterflies]

Thanks


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[KayedeeLove<3]

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If you don't mind my asking where on earth do you get that huge cholla?

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[GotButterflies]

you can purchase cholla of that size of off ebay

[daws409]

you can purchase cholla of that size of off ebay

Learned something new!

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[KayedeeLove<3]

Ty will deff needed for the 65!

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[GotButterflies]

Ty will deff needed for the 65!

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Yw! Exciting! Can't wait to see that!

[Hermias_mom]

GotButterflies,

Your tanks are gorgeous!!! Wow!!! Beautiful pictures overall, and then I really had to study them because of the complexity of your design. I like the intricacy of your hides and how much variety you have of things for them to crawl on or over or through, and how many convoluted paths there are. Awesome!

So now I'm totally inspired and want to do a lot of similar things, and I'm wondering how well they are working out for you. I've got a ten gallon working pretty good and am trying to set up a 29 gallon, and I have a few questions. If you've already posted about these things and I just haven't found the thread yet, I don't want to bother you - I'm sure I'll get through most everything on the Forum eventually...

1) How do you clean the water pools? Do you have all the stones I see in the bottoms of them adhered with silicone, or do you lift out the container (I like the stacked containers by the way) and pour out everything and rinse and re-fill them? If the rocks are adhered, how do you get them good and clean? Just a scrub brush?

2) Did the crabs end up liking the moss ball?

3) Do the crabs use the connecting bridges or the craft mesh more? Cool idea, now that I see it I want to try it!

4) I've seen quite a bit of discussion on the benefits of hemp vs. fishnet nets. Have you ever had any problems with crabs getting caught in the fishnet? Seems to me like as long as it's well adhered either type of net should be fine, and I do like the fishnet since it seems to be more open and is readily available (for me). What do you think?

5) Gorgeous greenery! I need to add some more green stuff to my tank and got some good ideas from seeing your setup. Was the plant by the shell shop a live bamboo? How do the crabs like eating it? I want to do a few live plants (mostly plastic, but a few live), and want to be sure I have the correct kind of bamboo (no Lucky bamboo...).

Anyway, thanks for sharing. I think I saw your pictures a while back but now that I know more about what I'm looking at I'm even more impressed.

[GotButterflies]

Hello! I replied with GB for GotButterflies

GotButterflies,

Your tanks are gorgeous!!! Wow!!! Beautiful pictures overall, and then I really had to study them because of the complexity of your design. I like the intricacy of your hides and how much variety you have of things for them to crawl on or over or through, and how many convoluted paths there are. Awesome!

GB: Thank you very much!

So now I'm totally inspired and want to do a lot of similar things, and I'm wondering how well they are working out for you. I've got a ten gallon working pretty good and am trying to set up a 29 gallon, and I have a few questions. If you've already posted about these things and I just haven't found the thread yet, I don't want to bother you - I'm sure I'll get through most everything on the Forum eventually...

1) How do you clean the water pools? Do you have all the stones I see in the bottoms of them adhered with silicone, or do you lift out the container (I like the stacked containers by the way) and pour out everything and rinse and re-fill them? If the rocks are adhered, how do you get them good and clean? Just a scrub brush?

GB: I use a gravel vacuum once a week to clean them. It is God-sent! https://smile.amazon.com/Genuine-TERAPU ... vel+vacuum About once a month I take the pools out and clean them. They are the stacked containers. The gravel and rocks loose. I just rinse them. I do not use soap, vinegar or anything like that. No brushes, just my hand, and sometimes I use a paper towel.

2) Did the crabs end up liking the moss ball?

GB: I haven't seen either crabs mess with them, but the marimo balls are doing great in there!

3) Do the crabs use the connecting bridges or the craft mesh more? Cool idea, now that I see it I want to try it!

GB: I actually re-did my pools a little. I attached craft mesh to the front of them for my isopods to get to the water a little easier. The hermits use the craft mesh to go into it on occasion. They definitely use the bridge! I see them on the bridges a lot

4) I've seen quite a bit of discussion on the benefits of hemp vs. fishnet nets. Have you ever had any problems with crabs getting caught in the fishnet? Seems to me like as long as it's well adhered either type of net should be fine, and I do like the fishnet since it seems to be more open and is readily available (for me). What do you think?

GB: I have never had an issue with the fish net. It doesn't mold, nobody has gotten caught or anything! I love it, and my crabs appear to also.

5) Gorgeous greenery! I need to add some more green stuff to my tank and got some good ideas from seeing your setup. Was the plant by the shell shop a live bamboo? How do the crabs like eating it? I want to do a few live plants (mostly plastic, but a few live), and want to be sure I have the correct kind of bamboo (no Lucky bamboo...).

GB: Thanks! No, all of it is plastic. The only live plants I have put in there is aloe, and a couple of palm frons They get destroyed promptly by the crabs!

Anyway, thanks for sharing. I think I saw your pictures a while back but now that I know more about what I'm looking at I'm even more impressed.

GB: Thank you very much!

[GotButterflies]

I've worked on my crabitats more, I'll try to update my pictures tomorrow

[Hermias_mom]

GotButterflies,

Thanks so much for all of the information! I appreciate your help. I would LOVE to see new pictures!

I hadn't thought to use a gravel vacuum like that. Cool! I'll have to get one of those - thanks for the specific recommendation. I remember using a hose/piece of tubing to empty fishtanks as a child, but I hadn't thought of cleaning rocks/gravel with a similar pump.

Do you change out your water once a week when you use the gravel vacuum, or more often than that? With that vacuum, even water changes probably won't be as difficult as what I do now. Sturdy ceramic pet bowls full of water are HEAVY, and I end up walking across the entire house with them. I didn't think about that when setting up the 10 gallon. And once I switch over to the large plastic tubs for my new 29 gal tank, there will be a lot more water in each tub. Perhaps it won't get funky so quickly...

I'd been debating how to connect my two water bowls, but since yours like the bridge, I'm going to guess that mine would prefer sturdy surfaces as opposed to the craft mesh as well. I'll give it a shot and see how it goes. I've tried craft mesh, but have never seen them use it.

I'll try the aloe and palm fronds, if I ever get a palm. I think I could probably manage an aloe - they're hard to kill, and I've been successful in the past with growing those.

Thanks so much for sharing! I look forward to new pictures!

[GotButterflies]

Yes, love my gravel vacuum!! I do change out all of the water. All the way that the vacuum will allow me to. I have craft mesh on the front, bridge connecting the two types.

Sorry, spaced the new pics! Will take tomorrow! It's already sun-down time in that room.

[GotButterflies]

I didn't take really detailed pics, but I sprayed the front of the tank clean so you can see better it's been a busy day! I'm canning more tomatoes from my garden. Here are two pics, with a close up up the pools with the mesh and bridge in my 100g.


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