101 Gallon Exo Terra Crabitat Build
-
Topic author - Posts: 360
- Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:59 pm
- Location: SW Ohio
101 Gallon Exo Terra Crabitat Build
After a couple months of collecting materials and building, I have finally finished my new crabitat. (Or at least version 1.0) It's a large/extra tall Exo Terra terrarium: 36" tall x 36" wide x 18" deep. That comes out to about 101 gallons, although it has less floor space than my old 90. The basic terrarium design doesn't allow for enough substrate for hermit crabs so I siliconed a taller piece of glass in the front and topped it with some vinyl tubing to prevent chips. The sub (coco fiber) current sits at about 10". I'll give it a month to settle and then top it off to be 12". The hood takes four compact fluorescent bulbs so I used two UV bulbs and two standard household light bulbs. I built the main centerpiece out of two gigantic cork logs I got from Germany. They arrived much bigger than anticipated and required a large redesign of my initial plans for the crabitat. The two logs are connected and the horizontal log contains a huge moss pit.
I've taken some initial pictures but will wait to take more when the crabs have gotten over their upset and fussiness at being relocated.
Building the centerpiece on my workbench
The empty tank
Completed tank with the doors closed
With the doors open
Upper left
Upper right
Lower left
Lower right
Lower right again
My medium Ecuadorian, Lexington, in the moss pit for scale
The eventual moss pit party with Lex, Kola, Mandarin, Cookie, Bitsy, and Fiddle
A view of Leroy exiting the right side of the moss pit where the horizontal log connects to the vertical log
The end of the log/moss pit on the left side
The water bowls with Merah getting a drink of fresh water
Cardinal hogging the salt water bowl
Cookie hiding out on the side of the vertical log
Fiddle on the back of the vertical log
Fiddle exiting one of the holes in the vertical log (with Wellington in the background)
Florence climbing where the logs join
Goose at the bottom of the vertical log
Kola being shy on the edge of the moss pit
Mandarin on top of the vertical log
Merah in the supplements dish
Sesame being adventurous for once
Wellington peeking at me
I've taken some initial pictures but will wait to take more when the crabs have gotten over their upset and fussiness at being relocated.
Building the centerpiece on my workbench
The empty tank
Completed tank with the doors closed
With the doors open
Upper left
Upper right
Lower left
Lower right
Lower right again
My medium Ecuadorian, Lexington, in the moss pit for scale
The eventual moss pit party with Lex, Kola, Mandarin, Cookie, Bitsy, and Fiddle
A view of Leroy exiting the right side of the moss pit where the horizontal log connects to the vertical log
The end of the log/moss pit on the left side
The water bowls with Merah getting a drink of fresh water
Cardinal hogging the salt water bowl
Cookie hiding out on the side of the vertical log
Fiddle on the back of the vertical log
Fiddle exiting one of the holes in the vertical log (with Wellington in the background)
Florence climbing where the logs join
Goose at the bottom of the vertical log
Kola being shy on the edge of the moss pit
Mandarin on top of the vertical log
Merah in the supplements dish
Sesame being adventurous for once
Wellington peeking at me
Last edited by sugarselections on Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:14 pm, edited 4 times in total.
Re: 101 Gallon Exo Terra Crabitat Build
beautiful!!! is there enough room for me?! I want to live there!
I loooove how you did the moss pit and shell shop! <3
Truely inspirational tank.
ONE DAY I will have a tank like this, one day!
I loooove how you did the moss pit and shell shop! <3
Truely inspirational tank.
ONE DAY I will have a tank like this, one day!
7 PPs: Vinny, Thomas, Tink, Theo, Thumbelina, Fudge, and Midge
1 E: Noel
1 E: Noel
-
- Administrator
- Posts: 5010
- Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2012 8:12 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
Re: 101 Gallon Exo Terra Crabitat Build
Wow sugarselections that looks awesome!
If possible, I would love to hear some more stats about the tank & how you built everything! This is totally getting saved in my bookmarks & those pics are going to be on my computer before you can even blink!
Please - with a cherry on top - can you make a vid?
Loving all the hermies too, I sure they will love it in there... They all so beautiful too.
May I ask, what happened to Darwin?
If possible, I would love to hear some more stats about the tank & how you built everything! This is totally getting saved in my bookmarks & those pics are going to be on my computer before you can even blink!
Please - with a cherry on top - can you make a vid?
Loving all the hermies too, I sure they will love it in there... They all so beautiful too.
May I ask, what happened to Darwin?
|| Avid Aquarist Addict (2007) || Crazy Crabbing Connoisseur (2012) || Amateur Aroid Admirer (2014) ||
I strive to make HCA a welcoming space for all
Infrequently on due to studies, on a little more on in FB group
I strive to make HCA a welcoming space for all
Infrequently on due to studies, on a little more on in FB group
-
Topic author - Posts: 360
- Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:59 pm
- Location: SW Ohio
Re: 101 Gallon Exo Terra Crabitat Build
That shell shop was a last minute decision and I'm not really comfortable with it. I've always kept my shells directly on the substrate and it makes me anxious that a crab would have to climb up there to get a shell in an emergency. Hopefully I'll get over it. I had to raise the shell shop because the logs took up much more floor space than planned. I was going to place both logs raised horizontally on a pvc structure but they came in at about 12" diameter so my original plan wouldn't work.Knibitz wrote:beautiful!!! is there enough room for me?! I want to live there!
I loooove how you did the moss pit and shell shop! <3
Truely inspirational tank.
ONE DAY I will have a tank like this, one day!
Re: 101 Gallon Exo Terra Crabitat Build
OMG! I have the same worries about up high shell shops! "what if they can't find the shells?!?!" - I know that's nutty because so many people have had elevated shell shops for years, but it still is something I wonder about lolsugarselections wrote: That shell shop was a last minute decision and I'm not really comfortable with it. I've always kept my shells directly on the substrate and it makes me anxious that a crab would have to climb up there to get a shell in an emergency. Hopefully I'll get over it. I had to raise the shell shop because the logs took up much more floor space than planned. I was going to place both logs raised horizontally on a pvc structure but they came in at about 12" diameter so my original plan wouldn't work.
7 PPs: Vinny, Thomas, Tink, Theo, Thumbelina, Fudge, and Midge
1 E: Noel
1 E: Noel
-
Topic author - Posts: 360
- Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:59 pm
- Location: SW Ohio
Re: 101 Gallon Exo Terra Crabitat Build
I'll work on making a video once the crabs settle in. I'm not sure how to explain a lot of the things I did. It involved me working in my basement for long stretches of time with a jigsaw, drill, and a bunch of zip ties. I marked the dimensions of the terrarium floorspace on my workbench and then basically cut and pieced everything until it would fit together in the space provided. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.aussieJJDude wrote:Wow sugarselections that looks awesome!
If possible, I would love to hear some more stats about the tank & how you built everything! This is totally getting saved in my bookmarks & those pics are going to be on my computer before you can even blink!
Please - with a cherry on top - can you make a vid?
Loving all the hermies too, I sure they will love it in there... They all so beautiful too.
May I ask, what happened to Darwin?
Darwin, the blues, and a couple other crabs dug down as soon as I put them in the new tat. I think they're all due to molt and weren't happy to be dug up from the 90 and transplanted.
-
- Administrator
- Posts: 5010
- Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2012 8:12 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
Re: 101 Gallon Exo Terra Crabitat Build
Ok, I eagerly look forward to that video thats one thing for sure! Hurry up crabs, settle in already!sugarselections wrote:I'll work on making a video once the crabs settle in. I'm not sure how to explain a lot of the things I did. It involved me working in my basement for long stretches of time with a jigsaw, drill, and a bunch of zip ties. I marked the dimensions of the terrarium floorspace on my workbench and then basically cut and pieced everything until it would fit together in the space provided. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.
Darwin, the blues, and a couple other crabs dug down as soon as I put them in the new tat. I think they're all due to molt and weren't happy to be dug up from the 90 and transplanted.
haha, i love it; you just did things and have no idea - kind of sounds like me. However, I would like to know how that shell shop is floating like that & did you cut the cork in any way?
Awww thats I shame though. I hope that their moults go well though!
|| Avid Aquarist Addict (2007) || Crazy Crabbing Connoisseur (2012) || Amateur Aroid Admirer (2014) ||
I strive to make HCA a welcoming space for all
Infrequently on due to studies, on a little more on in FB group
I strive to make HCA a welcoming space for all
Infrequently on due to studies, on a little more on in FB group
-
Topic author - Posts: 360
- Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:59 pm
- Location: SW Ohio
Re: 101 Gallon Exo Terra Crabitat Build
For the shell shop I bought the repti rock water bowl which is a lighter-weight foam material. I trimmed the back and sides with a chop saw and jigsaw. Then I just drilled two holes through the side of the bowl and corresponding holes in the cork. I strung a zip tie through them all to connect. It turned out very sturdy.
I used the jigsaw to take chunks out of both of the cork logs until I could fit them together. Then I drilled holes and attached the two with zip ties. The logs are fit together so that they are completely open to each other inside.
I used the jigsaw to take chunks out of both of the cork logs until I could fit them together. Then I drilled holes and attached the two with zip ties. The logs are fit together so that they are completely open to each other inside.
-
- Posts: 4352
- Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2014 5:18 pm
- Location: Dallas, TX
Re: 101 Gallon Exo Terra Crabitat Build
This is amazing! [SMILING FACE WITH HEART-SHAPED EYES] What do you use for your sub? The whole thing just looks so pretty!
-
- Posts: 425
- Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2014 1:48 pm
Re: 101 Gallon Exo Terra Crabitat Build
Beautiful!
-
Topic author - Posts: 360
- Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:59 pm
- Location: SW Ohio
Re: 101 Gallon Exo Terra Crabitat Build
Thanks. I used coco fiber (ee) for the substrate.That's all I ever usesoilentgringa wrote:This is amazing! [SMILING FACE WITH HEART-SHAPED EYES] What do you use for your sub? The whole thing just looks so pretty!
Re: 101 Gallon Exo Terra Crabitat Build
Looks great!!
-
- Posts: 154
- Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2014 8:14 am
- Location: southern new jersey(Newfield)
Re: 101 Gallon Exo Terra Crabitat Build
I love it!!wish I was that crafty to put something like that together
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Mom to 3 children,&2 adorable medium PPS..Not a new member..My old sn was deleted after a hiatus from the death of my pp 2 yrs ago..
-
Topic author - Posts: 360
- Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:59 pm
- Location: SW Ohio
Re: 101 Gallon Exo Terra Crabitat Build
Perhaps wrongly, I tend not to think of myself as crafty. I do like designing, repurposing, modifying, and building things, but I'm no good with fiddle-y little stuff... as evidenced by my horrible silicone sealant work on this new tank. I tend to get a big idea and then power through to get it all done without worrying about the details any more than absoutely necessary.moonshermies wrote:I love it!!wish I was that crafty to put something like that together
-
Topic author - Posts: 360
- Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:59 pm
- Location: SW Ohio
Re: 101 Gallon Exo Terra Crabitat Build
I put together a quick video today detailing some of the things I did in the tank.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRyFUU0VGMw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRyFUU0VGMw