my crabitat build photo journal!!

curious_kitty · Post by **curious_kitty** » Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:47 pm

Mr.Krabs wrote:WOW. looks great so far. can't wait to see the finished pictures!! I have a suggestion,
you know the tube weird white things that are in your most updated pics of the tat? im not sure if there for anything, but if there just there for the crabs to be in cool areas, you could put moss inside of each tube. thats just a thought.

WOW, you are pretty keen on details~ I, too, just found out carefully looking at the photo, found out there was a gap in there. I was thinking about filling it 50% with foam, and maybe put some small plants, there(small enough where hermies cannot get into).. wow, that was good catch. I missed it entirely until I took the picture. Moss is good idea.. I will have to measure to see if they can get in and out ok...

xEarthyx · Post by **xEarthyx** » Sat Apr 24, 2010 10:41 pm

Looks awesome so far! Can't wait til it's done!

tlivs · Post by **tlivs** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 12:54 am

AHHHHH IT LOOKS SO AWESOME WITH THE FLOWERS ALL IN
can i live in there

ps have you thought about what you're going to do if/when you move?

curious_kitty · Post by **curious_kitty** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 9:26 am

tlivs wrote:AHHHHH IT LOOKS SO AWESOME WITH THE FLOWERS ALL IN
can i live in there

ps have you thought about what you're going to do if/when you move?

Thanks~ we've been living here for about 5 years... and we probably won't- we really like it here, and hopefully our kids will get to live here afterward! lol JK. I think thats little too far down thinking. the set up isn't too permanent- it was lined with pondliiner, and structure is supported by the eggcrate which is fixed onto the wall. If we ever change mind on the enclosure, all I have to do is unscrew egg crate fixtures. so it should be ok. But so far my DH is really into the enclosure, and wants to put lots of plants inside!

he is already saying maybe we should make another one- I think I am going to hold off on that one though. My whole body is aching!

curious_kitty · Post by **curious_kitty** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 9:30 am

Ok, so I am going to post an update photo of the enclosure in about 2-3 weeks, after my plants gets nicely filled in-!
I don't want to bore anyone by posting pictures without much progress- since I am sorta done. I will be putting in glass in front to hold the substrate in the next week or so, and sliding door. But those aren't as interesting~

NaRnAR · Post by **NaRnAR** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 10:11 am

I agree with Lime I would stay away from the pings....and I would also stay away from the fly traps as well as they require heat and prefer to bake in the sun--not like sit in a window sill bake, but be out side bake. They also require a long period of dormancy each fall/winter or they will eventually die.....but must naturally go into this dormancy outside.

I wouldnt even put the drosera in the tank, unless you can ensure that they crabs will not get to it, I would also worry about the enzymes as they are built to dissolve bugs and break down their exo to do so....infact all carnivorous plants have this ability, as their name implies.

I also agree with DogLips, with the plastic plants. Even silk plants look really nice...Ive got those in my tank and you really cant tell that they are incredibly fake. I would worry that my fortune spent on bromeliads, mosses and such would look fabulous now and then down the line die after their settling time.

curious_kitty · Post by **curious_kitty** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 12:07 pm

I already ordered bunch of carnivorous plants late night night.. so sorta late for cancellation.. I do have extra 30g tank, so I will turn one of them into a plant-only terrarium- I ordered three different carnivorous plants, and bunch different ferns.. and I might find a place in the dining room around the enclosure(not inside) for it. I hope that bugs will find that to be more enticing than hermit tat lol.
Also I decided to keep one of 40g or 55g after this large enclosure is finished. After this large enclosure is complete, I will work on the 40g or 55g and it will be permanently set up to house hermit crabs. I will switch between the two when I deep-clean every once in awhile- I think this is particularly important since I have 40+ hermit crabs. This way, they won't have to be crammed into temp ISO tanks while in deep clean(which will inevitably take more than few days)-might help to cause less panic.

Ones that will move into the new large enclosure will be the ones that have molted with me already- so all of my indos, and few violas won't move in there till they do. All of my Es molted, and all of my PPs(minus one)- total head count is prob somewhere between 20-25. I know hermies tend to panic when they are first introduced to a newly decorated tat. 4-5 hermies at a time will be introduced at a time, for every 4-5 days into the new enclosure- I think i actually lost tiny indo this way: he got trampled- found him the next day

(following deep cleaning on mite incident)

I installed misting nozzle heads this morning, and three doesn't seem enough to cover my planted area- I will be ordering couple more from MistKing- along with MistKing's Seconds timer.

I will update the tat once I make enough changes to it

I still have to do more TiteBond III coat over the background, and let it dry completely over the next few days with heater on! I think most fun part will come after this- misting, and growing plants! I already started on my dandelion seeds in seedling tray- they will be plantd on th window side with grass!~

as for plastic plants, I will keep tat option in mind. I don't mind investing on live plants, as the tat will be part of overall home decor- this is more important to my DH than me; so..... we will see. I figure if plants overwhelm the hermits by 20:1 ratio, the chances are they will leave some alone. The plants are placed strategically for that. but this will be trial- and error process. I am not in a hurry to move hermies into this enclosure- as matter of fact, I am willing to wait it out as long as it takes till I get more plants per hermit ratio. lol

littleraindrop87 · Post by **littleraindrop87** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 8:33 pm

AWESOME TANK!!!

i'm loving it alot!!

my tank is bare right now because i have no idea what i want in it for now. i only got a big piece of wood that branches out like a tree so the crabs hang out there. its like a crab tree now. LOL!!

anyways, i was checking back on your previous post regarding the terrace tank kits. Just wondering where you got them online? i saw that Pet discounters have them but they dont seem to have the second one u posted. :/ so just wanted to ask you first before i order them. shipping is going to cost me (singapore) though.

curious_kitty · Post by **curious_kitty** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 8:51 pm

littleraindrop87 wrote:AWESOME TANK!!! i'm loving it alot!! my tank is bare right now because i have no idea what i want in it for now. i only got a big piece of wood that branches out like a tree so the crabs hang out there. its like a crab tree now. LOL!!

anyways, i was checking back on your previous post regarding the terrace tank kits. Just wondering where you got them online? i saw that Pet discounters have them but they dont seem to have the second one u posted. :/ so just wanted to ask you first before i order them. shipping is going to cost me (singapore) though.

hi hi~ they have it really cheap at save-on-crafts :
This was the larger pieces that you see on my tree
http://www.save-on-crafts.com/ghostwood.html
this one is the smaller, thinner, branch part of my tree
http://www.save-on-crafts.com/ghostwood2.html

I don't think shipping would be bad. You can drop them an email to ask for shipping cost to singapore, they respond pretty quickly to my questions. They are based out in california, so they are a bit closer to you than me~

They are the cheapest source for ghostwoods that I found online anywhere....I did my homework

curious_kitty · Post by **curious_kitty** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 8:53 pm

OOpps, you mean the tank terrace???? OOOOOOO the second one you meant, is the same box(just the back part of it). lol
How much would shipping generally cost to singapore?? I have bunch of pieces of terrace that you can have. You can just pay the postage, if you want. I have one new box, and 4 other box sets, that I kindda used. lol but I wont be needing them anymore, so I can send you bunch of those.

littleraindrop87 · Post by **littleraindrop87** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 9:19 pm

OOpps, you mean the tank terrace???? OOOOOOO the second one you meant, is the same box(just the back part of it). lol
How much would shipping generally cost to singapore?? I have bunch of pieces of terrace that you can have. You can just pay the postage, if you want. I have one new box, and 4 other box sets, that I kindda used. lol but I wont be needing them anymore, so I can send you bunch of those.

ooo really??? Usually i tell the companies to send them in the flat rate boxes that is the most economical for me. Which mail are available for you where you are? i could go and look up the prices online if i know which mailing company you would be using???

curious_kitty · Post by **curious_kitty** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 10:03 pm

ooh I USPS store is right down the street. and I also have UPS store up the street, too. So whichever you can find the cheapest, that would be good... let me know. I got a lot of random supplies)vines, some corner bowls, dishes) that I can include in the box too. do you want to look at the shelf closer in picture? Its made of brown plastic... sometimes people might not like it as much!

littleraindrop87 · Post by **littleraindrop87** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 10:13 pm

ooh I USPS store is right down the street. and I also have UPS store up the street, too. So whichever you can find the cheapest, that would be good... let me know. I got a lot of random supplies)vines, some corner bowls, dishes) that I can include in the box too. do you want to look at the shelf closer in picture? Its made of brown plastic... sometimes people might not like it as much!

Oh thank you so much!!!

I would love to see pictures of it

i will go check out the prices of the boxes now

Thank you soo much!!!!

curious_kitty · Post by **curious_kitty** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 10:32 pm

Ok, better yet, I will set up a box of things, and go to post office and ask for rates.. but you can ask there too! I will start to collect things, and dimensions, and pictures of the shelf tomorrow when lighting is better! so check back tomorrow!

littleraindrop87 · Post by **littleraindrop87** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 10:52 pm

thank you so much for all your help and generosity!!! Do let me know if you want me to pay for some of the items

I've checked out USPS for their rates and it seems they have this:

1. Priority Mail® International Large Flat Rate Box- USPS Supplied Large Box: 12" x 12" x 5 1/2" Maximum weight 20 pounds: Post Office Price($55.95 ), paid online($53.15)

2. Priority Mail® International Medium Flat Rate Box- USPS Supplied Medium Box: 13 5/8" x 11 7/8" x 3 3/8" or 11" x 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" Maximum weight 20 pounds: Post Office Price($43.45), paid online($41.28)

I'm not sure if those items can be fitted into even the large boxes but that's all i see from the website.

Thanks again so much for all your help!!