Does anyone have any suggestions about it?
Also, if you can help with some questions... How many bricks of EE would I need?
I would probably keep the same hides and pools I already have in my 30 and considering how cheap those are to put together anyway...
Any suggestions for climbers or anything to keep it interesting. Right now I have the shower caddy levels [3 of them] with cholla and net climbers up to them. I'm thinking about a bridge from one side to the other but I'm afraid of fallers [Yes I know they're probably tougher than we give them credit for when it comes to a fall in the tat but still.. I'm a fretter...]
Any and all suggestions welcome. [first I gotta rehome the single fish...]
Upgrade started. With Pics
Upgrade started. With Pics
Last edited by SebbyCrab on Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
PP's, E's, Straws, Violas
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Willow
Yeah, you'll need a lot of EE. I think I used 9 bricks of EE plus 100 pounds of playsand last time I re-did the 75g. Fun times. Depends how deep you want the substrate, of course. Mine was 8-10 inches deep because of my jumbo.
75g tanks aren't really tall enough for falling to be a concern. So the bridge idea should be fine. I like to drape vines all over the place.
75g tanks aren't really tall enough for falling to be a concern. So the bridge idea should be fine. I like to drape vines all over the place.
Re: Possible upgrading to 75 gallon ?
Yes - depending on how you are getting this, if a 90 is a possibility go for it. The extra height would be nice if you have large crabs who need deeper substrate. If this is a used tank no worries - they are still a very nice size in terms of surface area.SebbyCrab wrote:Does anyone have any suggestions about it?
Depends is this EE alone, with sand etc. I think I used 12, possibly 15. Mixing with sand would make a difference. Recently I have seen a recommendation for a 5:1 Sand coco mix. I am going to try it so it could be a money saver.Also, if you can help with some questions... How many bricks of EE would I need?
How big are the crabs? I think 3 levels would be tough unless these are fairly small animals who only need a few inches of substrate. Other than that climbers are climbers. I did pick up some of the twisty natural vines you can get through various reptile suppliers and they are fun and the bigger guys can use them as well.Any suggestions for climbers or anything to keep it interesting. Right now I have the shower caddy levels [3 of them] with cholla and net climbers up to them.
IF a very large crab were to fall the wrong way onto something ahrd - food dish, other crab etc.) it would be worth fretting about. I know someone who lost a very large and much loved perlatus to a cracked cephalothorax when another large crab fell on it. Very sad story.I'm thinking about a bridge from one side to the other but I'm afraid of fallers [Yes I know they're probably tougher than we give them credit for when it comes to a fall in the tat but still.. I'm a fretter...]
For most animals, bigger is better when it comes to enclosures. Go for it, and have fun with all the new real estate. If it is in the cards, try for something deeper, if not - a 75 is still a great tank.Any and all suggestions welcome. [first I gotta rehome the single fish...]
Keith
PS: What kind of fish?
Thanks, a 90 sadly is not in the cards for me currently. The only reason the 75 might be is because it already is present in the home.
Currently none of my crabs are bigger than a 1-1.25 opening shell, I have the 3 shower caddy levels in my current 30, with only one escapee [who was quickly wrangled by Zimba the crab fetcher.] And the tank lid securely fastened after that.
As for the fish... A 17 inch long Pleco resides currently. H. plecostomus He also has a 4 inch long same species tank buddy, who was unfortunately stunted by his previous owner before finding his way into the 75. The small one I have no issues taking to the pet store, and I wouldn't have an issue with the large one returning there as well, since I'm very good friends [a lifetime customer] with the only fish store in town that I would take them to, but the prospect of him ending up in a home where I haven't met the person is just ... for me.
Currently none of my crabs are bigger than a 1-1.25 opening shell, I have the 3 shower caddy levels in my current 30, with only one escapee [who was quickly wrangled by Zimba the crab fetcher.] And the tank lid securely fastened after that.
As for the fish... A 17 inch long Pleco resides currently. H. plecostomus He also has a 4 inch long same species tank buddy, who was unfortunately stunted by his previous owner before finding his way into the 75. The small one I have no issues taking to the pet store, and I wouldn't have an issue with the large one returning there as well, since I'm very good friends [a lifetime customer] with the only fish store in town that I would take them to, but the prospect of him ending up in a home where I haven't met the person is just ... for me.
PP's, E's, Straws, Violas
Any more suggestions from anyone? Please? How about on heating and humidity, what specifically would I need? The house is older and holds heat about as well as a colander holds water. So I am worried about heating it.
The tank would stay as it's situated in the room now. So there's not really a way to put a uth on the back of it without an adhesive, and I am not wanting to do that since heat and adhesive is sure to make a mess. [?]
Please note, the last 12 years of my experience with putting together habitats has been for fish, chiclids at that, so not much decor needed there, other than the slapped together 30 gallon I just did for the crabs. I'm looking to improve that, while I wait to re-home the fish.
The tank would stay as it's situated in the room now. So there's not really a way to put a uth on the back of it without an adhesive, and I am not wanting to do that since heat and adhesive is sure to make a mess. [?]
Please note, the last 12 years of my experience with putting together habitats has been for fish, chiclids at that, so not much decor needed there, other than the slapped together 30 gallon I just did for the crabs. I'm looking to improve that, while I wait to re-home the fish.
Last edited by SebbyCrab on Tue Oct 06, 2009 5:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
PP's, E's, Straws, Violas
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sugarselections
- Posts: 360
- Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:59 pm
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I have a 90 gallon, which is similar, just a bit taller.
Within a week or two of setting up the tank I got a system worked out to heat the crabitat perfectly. I heat through two methods. There's a hood with lights. One bulb is a plain florescent and the other is a UV bulb. They're on a timer and run from about 9am-6pm every day. I also have two 50-60 gallon size UTH. Both pads are attached to the sides of the tank, one along the back and the other wrapped around a back corner to make the hidey cave there the warmest spot in the tank. However, the UTH along the back is on a timer and is only on at night during the more warm/moderate months. Both UTH run 24/7 during the cooler months. I should mention that my turtle's tank is only about a foot away from the crabitat and her basking bulb keeps this entire room at a slightly higher temp than the rest of the house during the day.
If your house is really cold, you may want to look into adding some type of insulation to the outside of the tank. You may be able to search around this forum and find some topics where people did that.
I also don't have any issues with humidity. The regular aquarium hood works well to keep the moisture in. I do have to spray the 3 raised moss pits about every other day but that's because they tend to dry out since they're closer to the lights.
For the most part taking care of the 90 is no different from maintaining my old 55 (or the 29 before that). The only exception for me in the 90 gallon is that I have built-in pools and those take a heck of a lot of extra work.
Within a week or two of setting up the tank I got a system worked out to heat the crabitat perfectly. I heat through two methods. There's a hood with lights. One bulb is a plain florescent and the other is a UV bulb. They're on a timer and run from about 9am-6pm every day. I also have two 50-60 gallon size UTH. Both pads are attached to the sides of the tank, one along the back and the other wrapped around a back corner to make the hidey cave there the warmest spot in the tank. However, the UTH along the back is on a timer and is only on at night during the more warm/moderate months. Both UTH run 24/7 during the cooler months. I should mention that my turtle's tank is only about a foot away from the crabitat and her basking bulb keeps this entire room at a slightly higher temp than the rest of the house during the day.
If your house is really cold, you may want to look into adding some type of insulation to the outside of the tank. You may be able to search around this forum and find some topics where people did that.
I also don't have any issues with humidity. The regular aquarium hood works well to keep the moisture in. I do have to spray the 3 raised moss pits about every other day but that's because they tend to dry out since they're closer to the lights.
For the most part taking care of the 90 is no different from maintaining my old 55 (or the 29 before that). The only exception for me in the 90 gallon is that I have built-in pools and those take a heck of a lot of extra work.
Thanks! Believe it or not I'm taking notes on all of this. 
Like I said I've had chiclids before this and there's not a lot of decor needed in their tanks. I'll look around and see about insulation, my house is cooler in the winter, but in the summer I have no issues with heating. If anything I start cooling the tat.
Like I said I've had chiclids before this and there's not a lot of decor needed in their tanks. I'll look around and see about insulation, my house is cooler in the winter, but in the summer I have no issues with heating. If anything I start cooling the tat.PP's, E's, Straws, Violas
Ok so here's the basic set up. The aquarium has glass panels on the top that are hinged, there's plastic on the back of the glass that meets up with the back of the tank, I would remove it but turns out that leaves almost a 5 inch gap. There is a section of it that is cut away to allow for the filter that's in there currently that leaves about a 9 inch slot. Would that be enough for ventilation or would they need more?
The light is a single bar fluorescent that runs across the entire top. I'm going to shoot for 7-8 inches of substrate, with my levels. Two of which will be moss pits. Hopefully that will keep the humidity up enough. I plan on getting a larger UTH for the back side of the tank.
The light is a single bar fluorescent that runs across the entire top. I'm going to shoot for 7-8 inches of substrate, with my levels. Two of which will be moss pits. Hopefully that will keep the humidity up enough. I plan on getting a larger UTH for the back side of the tank.
PP's, E's, Straws, Violas
Go for it - I did and the humidity is frequently if not mostly in the 80+ range. I completely removed the plastic from one side. The lowest it has ever been is 77% - and that is with an accurate and calibrated hygrometer.SebbyCrab wrote:Ok so here's the basic set up. The aquarium has glass panels on the top that are hinged, there's plastic on the back of the glass that meets up with the back of the tank, I would remove it but turns out that leaves almost a 5 inch gap.
You need the ventilation. I am rigging up a computer fan to produce a buoyant airflow as the orchid people call it. Most of these crabs live at the sea shore = breezy.
Do you have a pick of this - I know what the glass tops look like - but I am not sure I am envisioning this correctly.There is a section of it that is cut away to allow for the filter that's in there currently that leaves about a 9 inch slot. Would that be enough for ventilation or would they need more?
The light is a single bar fluorescent that runs across the entire top.
You might look into something a bit brighter, at least keep it on the list for a future upgrade. The human eye can accommodate a million fold change in light intensity and fluorescents, especially a single bulb (a T8 or T12 most likely) is remarkably dim in comparison to sunlight. Incident light has a lot to do with molting cycles so some brightness during the day may play an important role. Coralife makes a decent 2 bulb single reflector (the only think I don't really like about this fixture) T5 fixture that is fairly cheep for the lumens it puts out.
Sounds pretty good - the crabs are going to love the room!I'm going to shoot for 7-8 inches of substrate, with my levels. Two of which will be moss pits. Hopefully that will keep the humidity up enough. I plan on getting a larger UTH for the back side of the tank.
Keith
Last edited by kgbenson on Fri Oct 09, 2009 7:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
The tank is almost directly next to a window that allows in a lot of light as well. So I'm not sure if I still need to boost the light. Add that to the fact that the living room lights are incandescent, and almost aways on until 9 pm or later. I am interested in getting a UV light for at least half of it, since I've been reading that the uv is good for them. [Might even still have one from the chameleon set up a few years back.] Not sure on that will ask mom.
As for the section that's removed that I was talking about no I don't have a pic and that would be difficult to come by now as there is still a filter filling the slot. It is the full 5 inch gap from the glass panel to the back, and that opening runs along the back of the tank about 9 inches long.
I don't want to leave that 5 inch section open all the way across the tank because Hercules is a notorious silicone climber, would opening that, and covering it with window screen change anything when it comes to ventilation? I'm well aware of fungal and bacterial problems, I've read far too much for my own good when it comes to that subject. Which is The main reason I'm concerned with the ventilation issue.
I'm making a trip out to Petsmart this weekend, and will be looking at, pricing and possibly purchasing the starting items for the upgrade. I'm not sure I want the big fishy to go tomorrow which is the last day off this week that the store I'm taking him to is open. But since it's my birthday and I'm super attached to him, and wouldn't even be considering rehoming him if it wasn't a space issue, and I felt I was being cruel to him by keeping him in the size tank he's in now.
The store owner that is taking him in has promised me that if it appears he is uncomfortable in the tank they are going to have him in that they will set up one of the pools that keep the summer pond fish in. So that makes it about wee much easier to take him in there.
As for the section that's removed that I was talking about no I don't have a pic and that would be difficult to come by now as there is still a filter filling the slot. It is the full 5 inch gap from the glass panel to the back, and that opening runs along the back of the tank about 9 inches long.
I don't want to leave that 5 inch section open all the way across the tank because Hercules is a notorious silicone climber, would opening that, and covering it with window screen change anything when it comes to ventilation? I'm well aware of fungal and bacterial problems, I've read far too much for my own good when it comes to that subject. Which is The main reason I'm concerned with the ventilation issue.
I'm making a trip out to Petsmart this weekend, and will be looking at, pricing and possibly purchasing the starting items for the upgrade. I'm not sure I want the big fishy to go tomorrow which is the last day off this week that the store I'm taking him to is open. But since it's my birthday and I'm super attached to him, and wouldn't even be considering rehoming him if it wasn't a space issue, and I felt I was being cruel to him by keeping him in the size tank he's in now.
The store owner that is taking him in has promised me that if it appears he is uncomfortable in the tank they are going to have him in that they will set up one of the pools that keep the summer pond fish in. So that makes it about wee much easier to take him in there.
PP's, E's, Straws, Violas
Is there a brace running front to back as part of the top molding? Most 48 inch tanks will have this to prevent bowing of the glass, effectively creating two places for a hood. I have the plastic missing from one side of mine and have arranged the furniture so that no one can reach that areaSebbyCrab wrote: As for the section that's removed that I was talking about no I don't have a pic and that would be difficult to come by now as there is still a filter filling the slot. It is the full 5 inch gap from the glass panel to the back, and that opening runs along the back of the tank about 9 inches long.
It will reduce it a little - but I doubt it will be a big deal. I suspect though that anything but fairly smallish crabs can tear through window screening. I would ponder 1/4 inch hardware cloth. It is considerably sturdier.would opening that, and covering it with window screen change anything when it comes to ventilation?
Sounds like some nice people - good luck with moving him, it's likely be a wet experience!The store owner that is taking him in has promised me that if it appears he is uncomfortable in the tank they are going to have him in that they will set up one of the pools that keep the summer pond fish in. So that makes it about wee much easier to take him in there.
Keith
There is a brace across the middle, it's what splits the top of the tank so that there's two sections of the glass panels in the top. I wasn't planning on putting anything quite that high. *is still a chicken about the crabs possibly falling* So I'll just remove the section on the side that the filter was on to begin with and keep an eye on things.
I'm going out today now that arrangements have been made for the fish and pricing things like heaters and plants. I never thought I would be excited about redoing a tank for crabs.
I've always been more of the make pretty fish tanks type. Now though it's the crabs turn, and I intend to make it look good.
I'm going out today now that arrangements have been made for the fish and pricing things like heaters and plants. I never thought I would be excited about redoing a tank for crabs.
I've always been more of the make pretty fish tanks type. Now though it's the crabs turn, and I intend to make it look good.PP's, E's, Straws, Violas
