55g tank build (5 years in the making!)

[hermitcrabdc]

I had no idea it'd been 5 years since the crabbies moved into the 32g tote. I wasn't planning on upgrading until I moved out. BUT, my ACFs got an upgrade and I felt like the crabbies were being left out. Somehow my parents were open to the idea of a massive tank being installed, and therefore, for the first time in 5 years, I will be able to see the crabs at eye level, through GLASS, and it is going to be beautiful! (Don't get me wrong, the tote served very well, but the time has come..)

I found a pretty good deal on FB marketplace and I got a 55g and a stand for $50. It needs some love before it can be used, but I have nothing but time during this quarantine.

I was able to get a good portion of the junk off the bottom. But my question is, how should I treat the rim? It's a bit melted and chipped on the top, should I leave it or try to sand it down maybe? The tank seems structurally sound, but I'm afraid of hitting one of the edges and breaking something.

Any opinions or suggestions are welcome!

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[hermitcrabdc]

More pictures to come as things get going! So stoked for this!

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[Crabby7Crabber]

I'd hyperventilate in your situation ! I'll be sticking around for updates!

[CrabbyLover77]

Congrats! I would try sanding down any jagged/sharp edges that you find on the trim. It doesn't have to be perfect, just so it can't injure any crabbies.

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[hermitcrabdc]

I just finished sanding/cutting away the jagged edges of the top rim. I used an electric sander and it would have taken hours to get it to where I wanted it. I opted to use a box cutter and slowly cut away the large pieces. It probably wasn't worth it, but I'm happy with the results

I also started what I'm calling the "treehouse." It's going to be the largest piece right in the center. I cut down some wood and fitted them together and drilled a hole for a fake fern. I also wanted an elevated food dish, so I cut out a little bowl in the top piece of wood. Once I'm done cleaning the wood I'll zip tie everything in place.

The next step is to clear out a spot for the tank and then the fun can really begin!



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[CrabbyLover77]

I just finished sanding/cutting away the jagged edges of the top rim. I used an electric sander and it would have taken hours to get it to where I wanted it. I opted to use a box cutter and slowly cut away the large pieces. It probably wasn't worth it, but I'm happy with the results

I also started what I'm calling the "treehouse." It's going to be the largest piece right in the center. I cut down some wood and fitted them together and drilled a hole for a fake fern. I also wanted an elevated food dish, so I cut out a little bowl in the top piece of wood. Once I'm done cleaning the wood I'll zip tie everything in place.

The next step is to clear out a spot for the tank and then the fun can really begin!



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Looks good!

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[Hermiesguardian]

Awesome!

[Crabby7Crabber]

Nice job! I can't wait to see how it turns out!

[hermitcrabdc]

It's been a couple days of slow progress, so here's an update from the last 3 days:

-I sealed the cracks in the plastic with flex seal to strengthen the tank's structure (I only sealed parts on the outside that are not accessible to the crabs, I dont want them eating flex seal!)

-The treehouse is complete!

-After some reorganization, the tank is finally inside and I added the sub a few hours ago.

So I have an idea forming but I need some help working out the details. I'd like to invert a 5 gallon tank on top of the 55g to provide height for climbing. The 5g is 8 3/8 inch wide while the 55g is a foot wide. Since the 5g is thinner, I'm going to have to build some sort of platform for it to rest on. There's a picture of a rough sketch that I drew for a visual of what I'm thinking. Any ideas on materials?

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[hermitcrabdc]

Came up with a plan! I found a plastic tote lid that is almost exactly the right width. I cut it to the right length and I'll cut out a section of it to give access to the topper. AND if anyone is wondering, a 20g long tank lid is the same width as a 55g, so that's what I'll use for the other part of the tank. I'll obviously have to keep some weight on top to keep the crabs in and it's not the most attractive thing ever, but I'm down for that if it gets them for climbing room.
I'm not sure when I'll get around to more progress as I start a new job tomorrow and college classes resume on Monday, but I'll keep this updated when things progress!

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[hermitcrabdc]

It's been a while since I got much work done, it's been harder to get materials than I thought it would be. But I got out to the craft store today to get canvas.
I bought the water dishes the other night and and finished the liners today. I hate cleaning water dishes, so I made the liner to make it easier to get the dirt out from between the gravel.
That's pretty much the only solid advances I've made other than purchasing some minor things.
Here's some pics. (Got the cholla at Joann, they had some nice pieces, no smells or anything!)

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[aussieJJDude]

Wow, this is coming along nicely. I loce the tree climbing thingy, treehouse is a suitable name.

I'm sure they'll love their digs.

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[avocadocrabbies]

Looks so good! I probably missed it in one of the earlier posts, but where are your crabs during this transition?

[hermitcrabdc]

Looks so good! I probably missed it in one of the earlier posts, but where are your crabs during this transition?

Yeah, so they're still in their old tote that I built several years ago.

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[avocadocrabbies]

Yeah, so they're still in their old tote that I built several years ago.

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ahhh, I see. Cool!