From a 10 gallon to a 20L!

[aslansgirl89]

As it says in the title, I upgraded my hermits from a 10 to a 20L tank tonight and they have so much more antenna space now! I just have a couple of quick questions though. I bought the 20L on Facebook Marketplace and gave it a thorough cleaning and switched them over to it but it did not come with a top. Eventually I plan on getting one for them but in the meantime I am using the old one plus a few boards to keep in heat and humidity but my question is what kind of top is the best for a 20L? Should I get a screen top and cover it with saran wrap to keep in heat and humidity or do they sell hood lamps for 20L tanks? I also have a heating pad on one side of the tank in case you can't see it in the pictures but this is what I have going on currently so we don't have escapees! Lol!
Note: I am in a place that has all 4 seasons so heat and humidity are important aspects of my setup.

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[Xenocrab]

Where is your UTH placed? Are you planning on adding play sand to your substrate? I recommend a glass lid or plexiglass lid. Are you using a regulator and some kind of thermostat?

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[aslansgirl89]

The uth is resting on the left side and back side of the tank. Yes I have a combination thermometer and hygrometer stuck on the back of the tank. If I got a glass lid, how would I provide heat? As far as play sand goes, no. I never have before and they both just came up from a molt and didn't seem terribly bothered by not having it.

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[Xenocrab]

Have you read the care guides that are provided on here?

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[aslansgirl89]

A few, yes. I have had these two little guys for about two years now.

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[CrabbyLover77]

As it says in the title, I upgraded my hermits from a 10 to a 20L tank tonight and they have so much more antenna space now! I just have a couple of quick questions though. I bought the 20L on Facebook Marketplace and gave it a thorough cleaning and switched them over to it but it did not come with a top. Eventually I plan on getting one for them but in the meantime I am using the old one plus a few boards to keep in heat and humidity but my question is what kind of top is the best for a 20L? Should I get a screen top and cover it with saran wrap to keep in heat and humidity or do they sell hood lamps for 20L tanks? I also have a heating pad on one side of the tank in case you can't see it in the pictures but this is what I have going on currently so we don't have escapees! Lol!
Note: I am in a place that has all 4 seasons so heat and humidity are important aspects of my setup.

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Congrats on the upgrade!
I started out with a screen/mesh lid I already had and had plastic bags and saran wrap around it. But it got to be a pain to move the whole lid to change food/water. So I bought a glass top with a hinge/lid to make food/water change easier. It also keeps the humidity in much better. Just be aware, if you buy the 20 gal L glass lid from Petco (30" in length), it may not fit perfectly. It comes with a plastic strip on the back if you need to cut out areas for filters if using it for a fish tank. That plastic strip was not wide enough and left about a 1/8" gap in the back. Luckily, I've had so many tanks over the years I had a wider plastic strip on hand that covered the gap. Maybe you'll have a different brand in your area that will fit better.

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[Hermiesguardian]

I love upgrades! A digital therm/hygrometer is much more acurate than the dial one. Many people use the Ultratherm uth. A size that will cover the entire back of the tank from the top of the substrate to top of tank. Are the pools deep enough for them to completely submerge, with a safe way in and out? How does the hamster wheel spin if it's partly buried?

[CrabbyLover77]

I love upgrades! A digital therm/hygrometer is much more acurate than the dial one. Many people use the Ultratherm uth. A size that will cover the entire back of the tank from the top of the substrate to top of tank. Are the pools deep enough for them to completely submerge, with a safe way in and out? How does the hamster wheel spin if it's partly buried?

It could be she's using the wheel for them just to climb on/over instead of walk in.

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[aslansgirl89]

I love upgrades! A digital therm/hygrometer is much more acurate than the dial one. Many people use the Ultratherm uth. A size that will cover the entire back of the tank from the top of the substrate to top of tank. Are the pools deep enough for them to completely submerge, with a safe way in and out? How does the hamster wheel spin if it's partly buried?

Ok thanks for the info. As for the hamster wheel, my crabs weren't big enough to make it spin anyway and were just climbing upside down and also people kept warning me that they could get their legs stuck so I decided to just keep it as a climbing apparatus for them instead of a spinning wheel. Keep in mind that I do plan on continuing to make modifications to the tank. I just set everything up tonight. I had a digital thermometer/hygrometer but the humidity of the tank kind of killed it so I am not sure how I would use one without it dying on me.

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[curlysister]

I would add some sand to make the sub deeper. Most of us use a mix of 5 parts play sand to 1 part EE, but other mixes are used sucessfully too. Straight EE is more prone to flooding and other problems. The mixture holds it's shape really well and helps with humidity.
I didn't have a lid on my 10 or 20 gallon tanks, I used plastic wrap alone. Now my 55 gallon has a plexi glass lid, which works well (and I don't have to keep the cats out of the room with the crabs. An UTH is great for heat, and doesn't zap humidity like lamps do (or multiple UTH's - I have two on the back and one on each side, as the room the tank is in varies greatly in temp between seasons).
Great job so far, you are on the right track, jsut need some hides and greenery and a few more things to climb!

[Crabby in NJ]

Congrats on the upgrade!
I started out with a screen/mesh lid I already had and had plastic bags and saran wrap around it. But it got to be a pain to move the whole lid to change food/water. So I bought a glass top with a hinge/lid to make food/water change easier. It also keeps the humidity in much better. Just be aware, if you buy the 20 gal L glass lid from Petco (30" in length), it may not fit perfectly. It comes with a plastic strip on the back if you need to cut out areas for filters if using it for a fish tank. That plastic strip was not wide enough and left about a 1/8" gap in the back. Luckily, I've had so many tanks over the years I had a wider plastic strip on hand that covered the gap. Maybe you'll have a different brand in your area that will fit better.

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That’s the exact top I use and I also have the same issue with that plastic piece but it keeps humidity in my tank and the heat as well wonderfully. I also have a 20L currently just in case u were curious. My humidity stays around 95% u til I open the top to do my business while they are sleeping and it seems to drop humidity fast but gives the air they need and humidity rises right back up. I have both that exact temp/hygrometer as well as a digital one I got in the mail today. The temps are different on both as of now but 8m giving it a couple hours to adjust accordingly before I make any decisions. I would just keep an eye out on the temp and humidity for sure.
Great set up and can’t wait to see what else you do with it!

[curlysister]

Just to confirm....you mean going from a 10 gallon to a 20 GALLON (not liter), right?

[Crabby in NJ]

20L means 20 long

[curlysister]

Ah, I am Canadian....20L is 20 liters here! LOL! Sorry for the misunderstanding!

[Crabby in NJ]

Oh girl! No reason to be sorry! Lol