I have redone my crab home!

[CrabbyCakes]

I have been working on my crab home. I used a reptile hammock to raise my shells into a second level. On the sides of the tat I have woven bird toys that they love to climb. I also have a bird latter that I glued extra rungs into so it would be easier to climb. I have some reptile leaves over it so they can climb around. You can't see it but the saltwater pool is under the shell hammock and the fresh water is under the ladder. You can't tell but they can submerge in them. Also, I have 8" of substrate that is a mixture of coconut shells and play sand. I am really excited. Suggestions?

[aussieJJDude]

Welcome; I can see that you joined recently and would just to say hello!

Probably a mistake but I do have to bring this up just in case!

Also, I have 8" of substrate that is a mixture of coconut shells and play sand.

Do you mean the hunks or the chunks from the coconut - like coconut pieces. If so; you might want to take them out just for the extra caution; hermit crabs can get a large/sharp piece in their shells and it punchers the abdomen; and I would hate it if it happened to you! But otherwise; it looks really cool in there; bet they liking it!

[CrabbyCakes]

Hello! Thanks for the welcome. The issue with coconuts is very good to know! I eat alot of coconuts and was thinking about shredding some so I will not do that. The substrate is ground into a kind of a fluffy powder. I am not sure how to explain it. You can buy it in the reptile section of a pet store. That being said I know pet store products are not always the best to use so any suggestions would be great.

[jennifer711983]

Welcome! The decor and set up looks great! I only have a few questions. You are using a plastic tub, how are you heating it and do you have a lid? Also I notice your sub is very coconut heavy...what ratio did you use when you mixed it? You should aim for 5 parts sand to 1 part coconut fiber. It should be moist but not dripping and the crabs should be able to tunnel safely in it....(sub should hold shape when you stick a finger in but the hole shouldn't fill with water).

[soilentgringa]

It looks great! You can affix a uth to the side of a tote, just watch it to make sure it isn't warping or melting the plastic. Some need to be plugged into a rheostat/dimmer. Looks like your tote is one with a locking lid so if you have holes poked in it for air exchange you're good to go! Sub looks fine to me! 5:1 is a suggested/recommended ratio but you don't have to be exact.

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[CrabbyCakes]

Welcome! The decor and set up looks great! I only have a few questions. You are using a plastic tub, how are you heating it and do you have a lid? Also I notice your sub is very coconut heavy...what ratio did you use when you mixed it? You should aim for 5 parts sand to 1 part coconut fiber. It should be moist but not dripping and the crabs should be able to tunnel safely in it....(sub should hold shape when you stick a finger in but the hole shouldn't fill with water).

The ratio is good to know. Mine is about 50/50, on the top layer and all sand on the bottom. I have nothing to back up this idea, but I was thinking coconut would be easier to burrow in. It is good to know it needs to keep it's shape. One is molting at the moment, when he comes up I can fix that. It is a tub (not ideal) and has a lid that I drilled holes in. The space my crabs are in is always 70. During the day I have a space heater to keep the room warmer (80.) I make sure not to have it too close so they do not cook. I also have a heating element (it looks like aback heating pad that sticks to the side of the tub.) It says on the box it is okay to use with plastic... but that could be incorrect.


Also, I have been reading up on different pools people have in their cages. Mine is shallow but they can completely submerge. I was thinking of getting two new pools that are deeper and a bit wider. Will this be an issue with them drowning?

Thanks for the help. Please keep it coming!

[CrabbyCakes]

It looks great! You can affix a uth to the side of a tote, just watch it to make sure it isn't warping or melting the plastic. Some need to be plugged into a rheostat/dimmer. Looks like your tote is one with a locking lid so if you have holes poked in it for air exchange you're good to go! Sub looks fine to me! 5:1 is a suggested/recommended ratio but you don't have to be exact.

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What is a uth? My mixture is off. I will need to fix that when one of my crabs comes up. So, I want to ask your the same question. I was thinking of getting two new pools that are deeper and a bit wider. Will this be an issue with them drowning?

Thank you for your help! This process has been so much fun!!!

[CallaLily]

If that substrate mix works for you and your crabs, no worries! It's fine to continue to use it.

UTH = under tank heater. But for hermit crabs, these should never be placed under the tank but instead on the outside back of it. They're not designed to heat through all the deep substrate that hermit crabs require.

Deeper pools will be perfectly fine as long as you provide easy ways in and out for the crabs. This could be ramps made of plastic needlepoint canvas, fake plants, smooth pebbles, shells .... anything crabby safe that will hold up in water.

[jennifer711983]

As long as they have a way to get out of the pools themselves there will be no risk of drowning. They can submerge for quite a bit of time. I use plastic canvas (the kind you can cross stitch through and make like bookmarks and stuff.) it's super cheap at craft stores and you can bend it with a hairdryer. I cut pieces to act as ramps....make sure to cut rough edges off...and I warm them with the hairdryer and gently bend them. Then hold them in that shape until they cool.....just a couple minutes. The u shape hooks over pool edges really nicely and you can stick the half not in the pool down in the sand.

[soilentgringa]

There's nothing wrong with your mix as it is. We have crabbers who have used exclusively EE for over a decade with no issues. A UTH is an under tank heater. You attach it to the side of the tat. Your crabs need pools deep enough to fully submerge in. As long as they have a way to climb out they will not drown. Plastic plants, craft mesh, or shells can give them something to climb out on.

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[CallaLily]

Oops! We were all typing at the same time. Sorry about that guys.

[CrabbyCakes]

Oops! We were all typing at the same time. Sorry about that guys.

No that is great! It means that the information is good is several people have had success with it.

So I was thinking of using a ball canning jar. It is short and squat. I am thinking about burying it and leaving the lip up above the sand.

I put the jar I am thinking about next to a half gallon of milk so you can get an idea of the size. Also, sorry I have NO idea how to size the images.



Another view (oh man this picture makes my counters look BAD) so you can see how wide I am am thinking. So I was thinking two of these mostly buried and then maybe a ladder made of out that craft plastic sheets. I do not think they will need a ramp to get into the pool, but will they need a ramp or will a ladder work?

[CrabbyCakes]

There's nothing wrong with your mix as it is. We have crabbers who have used exclusively EE for over a decade with no issues. A UTH is an under tank heater. You attach it to the side of the tat. Your crabs need pools deep enough to fully submerge in. As long as they have a way to climb out they will not drown. Plastic plants, craft mesh, or shells can give them something to climb out on.

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Okay. Learning the lingo! I have one of those on the side of the tank. I can tell if they are too cold because they will climb on top of each other to get next to the UTH. Then you can hear them doing the hermit crab crash Thankfully that is uncommon.

[CrabbyCakes]

As long as they have a way to get out of the pools themselves there will be no risk of drowning. They can submerge for quite a bit of time. I use plastic canvas (the kind you can cross stitch through and make like bookmarks and stuff.) it's super cheap at craft stores and you can bend it with a hairdryer. I cut pieces to act as ramps....make sure to cut rough edges off...and I warm them with the hairdryer and gently bend them. Then hold them in that shape until they cool.....just a couple minutes. The u shape hooks over pool edges really nicely and you can stick the half not in the pool down in the sand.

Thank you. That is a great tip!

[jennifer711983]

I wish I could post pics from my phone bc I could show u