checking in: pool time/ thinking out loud

[Guest]

oh my, what a year.. // Ive had my crabs now just over a year, the original two are alive, and still doing the best out of all of them.

There have been some incredibly heartbreaking losses.. really like cry my eyes out time.. and some good successes and I've learned a *huge* amount.

One thing I have learned more than anything is that I want to give my crabs more room. And, I want to give them a pool they can submerge in. and, my main problem in this environment is humidity. its very very dry where I live. I have also learned as in anything: KISS - keep it simple!

So.. Ive been planning it for a long time but I think their new place will be completed within the next few weeks. I have a 55 gal tank.. ($30 on craigs list!) i have a good strong water pump ($2.50 at a thrift store!). I will soon have a metal screen lid and also 2 pieces of tempered glass, which will go under my heat lamp. my plan is that the pieces can be slid apart to leave a variable gap between them. if it needs to be more humid I can slide them together and close up the lid completely that way, and not have problems with the heat lamp melting anything.

I feel confident about the lid but now am working on the design for the pool.

the main thing I'm figuring out is whether to make the pool an attached pool, or a container that can be lifted out. following my keep it simple rule, a tupperware tub (which I already have) seems the safest bet. but, im a little concerned about crabs wedging themselves in next to it and getting stuck. an inset pool seems a cleaner design and won't have gaps, but, maybe harder to make and more prone to leaks.


I have access to plenty of cheap scrap glass and can cut it myself. I'm just turning over a lot of designs in my head based on what I've been reading here.

I know that crabs also seem to like to molt underneath pools - so I'm even thinking of a way to put the pool up, for instance on bricks, so they can have space underneath. again, I don't want anyone getting stuck. ///

the main questions I'm considering right now are:

1) if I just use glass (or plexiglass) and silicon, can I build a free-standing *removable* pool that will be strong enough to hold water and not leak? (im thinking right now, probably no, unless I Lined it somehow or something)

2) if I use silicon to actually attach pieces to the tank for an inset pool, can it ever be removed, without damaging the tank? ..

3) what about crabs getting stuck? it seems the only solution is either to have any gaps either way too small or way too large to be a problem. //

4) has anyone ever made a pool with molting room underneath? what do people think of this idea?



I have definitely way outgrown these two little ten gallon tanks. I know the crabs will be *much* much happier with a lot more room, a swimming pool, and better control of humidity.


any thoughts on these questions would be totally great. ill keep going through the archives in the meantime. oh, and my idea for the heavy glass candy dishes as water bowls did work... they are very heavy and the crabs can't tip them. putting concentric rings of silicon on the inside makes it very easy for them to climb in and out, and the bowls are still easy to clean... also the decorative cuts on the outside of the bowls provide a grip into the sand so the bowls are even harder to tip.. so, at least that worked.. i still want a big pool though.

just letting you all know I'm still around, hope everyone is well :}

[wodesorel]

I had thought about doing built-in pools, but part of what I enjoy about crab keeping is being able to redecorate. I've had the pools located all over the tank, so I just couldn't bring myself to stick them in one place permanently. I also keep experimenting with different pools because I just haven't found the "perfect" shape, depth, and color yet. Also, I was very worried about leaks - most days I don't have enough strength to do basic tasks, and I would not want to purposely put myself in a place where there was a good chance for a mid-night emergency!

I have had crabs try and molt under the pools since there's more substrate than pool depth. I have accidental radar when it comes to molting crabs, so even though I wasn't trying to disturb them, I did and they had to be moved to ISO. I've had quite a few crabs try to molt either under or right next to the pools, but my crabs like to molt under objects like wood and cocohuts as well.

I did just add filters to both my pools and the humidity shoots up 10% every time I turn them on!

[wendyj]

I have built ins and still plenty of room to redecorate. Sometimes, sometimes I hate my built ins for that reason and also that it can be hard to clean but my husband got me a thingy for the tank to take the water out like he uses in the fish tank. So cleaning is not that bad. I know my crabs like the built ins. There are a few that love to walk around and play. Let us know what you decide and pics please!

[emberfusion]

1) if I just use glass (or plexiglass) and silicon, can I build a free-standing *removable* pool that will be strong enough to hold water and not leak? (im thinking right now, probably no, unless I Lined it somehow or something)

2) if I use silicon to actually attach pieces to the tank for an inset pool, can it ever be removed, without damaging the tank? ..

3) what about crabs getting stuck? it seems the only solution is either to have any gaps either way too small or way too large to be a problem. //

4) has anyone ever made a pool with molting room underneath? what do people think of this idea?

1.) My first initial plan on my pools was to permanently attach one piece of glass to the tank itself. Then I was going to build inserts that would be the pools themselves. The piece of glass attached directly to the tank would to be help reinforce in case one of the pools did leak.

I ended up just building my pools right into the tank itself. As long as you let the silicone set a full 24 hours you shouldn't have any problems. It's always a good idea to do a few leak tests before putting anything else in the tank.

2.) Yes, it can be removed. No, it's not easy. When I first built my pools the silicone we used ended up not being waterproof. I had to take all the glass out and scrape the silicone off the tank. There was no damage to the tank, but it wasn't a walk in the park.

3.) I can't imagine a crab getting stuck. As long as your substrate is moist enough that they can dig through it, they shouldn't have any problems. If you're going to make it so they can molt under the pools, you'll want to be sure the pools are right up on the glass of the tank or there's enough room between the tank and the pool so that your largest crab can move through there with no problems (I'd probably go with the former).

4.) Can't say I ever had, but honestly - I like my pools like they are. My crabs do like to dig up beside of the pools, but I've never had any problems with them. They seem to enjoy it like it is.

This is a pic of my pools before I finished redecorating the tank again.


I hope that helps. Love to see what you come up with.

[Guest]

thank you so much for your comments guys! I think I have found a solution, I am getting pictures, and I'm hoping to have the whole thing up and running by next week............ *fingers crossed*

I saw your thread meldamiriel, and I like the way you have two pools side by side....... I love the flowers too.. ^^ thanks so much for your answers about the silicon. I had a design very like that in mind at first.. I also had a similar idea as you originally about making a reinforcement or extra wall, to be really safe about leaks....... I still think thats a really good idea.. but ultimately this time I decided to go with a removable pool......

so many things change with keeping herms, I didn't want to get committed when I'm not totally sure how things will go, or how they will like the set up.

so what I did was go to my favorite place on earth, the thrift store, just to see what they had.

after looking at various tupperware, punch bowls, etc etc etc, i found a small 5 gallon fishtank for $4.99...... it fits perfectly inside the 55 gallon as a pool.. so, Im quite happy with this. its good and solid and deep and leak proof, but also, removable. I hear you wodesorel about leaks... I might even reinforce this tank again with more silicon, just to be safe! but it seems alright for now.

also, it makes an interesting shape in the bigger tank, that the crabs can climb around it and get away from each other. its not all one rectangular area of substrate. so Im hoping this has potential.

ive got some really fun ideas about ways they can climb up on it and around it with some nets I want to make.

so......

I just need to order the tempered glass for the lid.. get the final things for the pool (I want to line it with crushed coral and shells..) and I have to make a ramp for them to get in and out. and a few nets.

Im hoping I can get the herms started moving over early next week.

so.. I guess I thought of a few more questions about the moving process..

One thing I am doing is changing from all sand to a mix of sand and eco earth, because I think this might hold humidity better. so.. Im planning that I will need to mix in some of their current sand, to get the chemical balances right and everything? im guessing this will help the move be less of a shock. so this is my plan right now.

and I also thought, I would move them slowly perhaps, let them just walk around in there a bit at first, but then go back to their current tank again.. so they could get used to it slowly.. I don't know, this is just my plan for now.

oh! and I also had one other question! I will need to wrap most of the lid with plastic wrap as well....... but, I am planning the the crabs will be able to climb and reach the lid.. // I haven't seen this mentioned before, but will they pick at the plastic? should I wrap it so the plastic is only outside? or is this not something people worry about?

thanks so much for your help. this should be happening and I am praying to have pictures of happy crabs in a few days *fingers crosssed again*

[wodesorel]

I might even reinforce this tank again with more silicon, just to be safe! but it seems alright for now.

Just remember that fresh silicone will not stick to old silicone!

[Guest]

Just remember that fresh silicone will not stick to old silicone!

pff, yet another thing I did not know about silicon! thanks! //