What's he tryna do?

Where we discuss the behavior of our hermit crabs, as in fights, pecking orders, shell swaps, etc. Please post all naked-crab posts in the Emergency forum.
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kornchaser
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What's he tryna do?

Post by kornchaser » Sun Dec 21, 2014 11:33 pm

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
20g EE 5-6in
10g EE and Sand 4-5in
2.5g EE 3in


2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read?
The 20 gallon and the 10 gallon's temperatures usually read 76 and the 2.5 at 74 degrees.
The 20 gallon's humidity is always 99 percent so much so that my battery opperated humidity gauge's screen is full of water and the 2.5 gallon is always at 99 but the gauge isn't broken and the 10g is usually in the mid 80's

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
All tanks have a UTH that covers half the bottom of each tank

4. What types of water are available (fresh or salt) and how is the water treated (what brands of dechlorinator or salt mix and what ratio is used to mix it)? All tanks have both salt and fresh water and i use declorinator/de-metal ionizer ?? and i mix the salt water with declorinator and the salt equal to the bottle's recomendations.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
1/4 teaspoon of almonds, rivershrimp, crabby food, cuttlebone (every crab is molting except 3 and they can't get enough of the cuttlebone after a healthy molt) and every once in a while i give them leafy greens and fruit I'm currently waiting to get my grandma to dehydrate some fruits and veggies for a more balanced diet. Dried gets replaced every few days and the river shrip gets replaced daily if not sooner.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? All mine are Purple Pinchers and I've had the issued ones for over a year.

7. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing? Glass aquarium 20 gallon and a metal mesh top covered to keep in humidity.

8. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
20g has 3 medium-Large, 1 jumbo, 1 teenie
10g has 1 jumbo
2.5g has 3 teenie, 1 small

9. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
i have too many teeny-small extra shells to sit and count in both the 20 gallon and 2.5g for one post. 2 shells in the 10g and 3 or 4 medium-bigger shells in the 20 gallon.

10. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
I keep hand sanitizer next to the crabitat for easy cleaning after handling but they have never come in contact with it. So no.

11. How often do you clean the tank and how? If the water dishes are empty or has dirt in it i rinse it out in the sink and dry it off completely then refill it. All decorations are plastic or natural hemp and i will deep clean it when i get a new tank. When they are all done molting i will stir around the EE to make sure there is no mold and make it like new and not compressed at the bottom. And when it gets too humid in the tanks i take a dry wash cloth and wipe down the dirt and water droplets from the glass walls.

12. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
Rarely. When i do use them i change them every day, letting the old one dry to be microwaved and putting a new clean one in.

13. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently? A moss pit which my Matty Pumpkin loves so much he molted in it.

14. Is there any other information you would like to share that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)? Nope :)

So I have a pretty big PP that's never fought or pinched me, Octavius, my big boy. He's a Jumbo and molting for the first time in a year ina half/2 years ?? and I didn't iso him. Now another one of my crabs (Junior/PP/Medium) is digging above him, he's right next to him at this point and idk if my big boy is safe. Will he just go somewhere else to molt or should i worry about canibilism? I moved Junior away from Octavius but he crawls back and digs some more and i can't fill in the hole for fear of suffocating Octavius. I can't iso either of them right now because my second biggest is isolated in a 10 gallon awaiting a nice molt and hopefully a decision on shells (changing back and forth ALL the time) before i put him in the main, and 4 teenies in a small 2.5 gallon and there's no way Junior could fit in there (don't judge I'm currently waiting on the funds and/or one to come up in auction to upgrade tanks)

UPDATE: Junior has currently stopped digging and he is leaving Octavius alone for now.


hermieluv1
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Re: What's he tryna do?

Post by hermieluv1 » Mon Dec 22, 2014 5:55 am

As long as the tank isn't overcrowded and there is plenty of substrate, cannibalism shouldn't be a problem.

However, your uth should be on the side above the sub line, not underneath. That is most likely why your temps are a little low. A uth can't heat through sub.

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kornchaser
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What's he tryna do?

Post by kornchaser » Mon Dec 22, 2014 6:42 am

Keeping the tank warm isn't as much of a worry as keeping the sub warm for molters since I have styrofoam keeping in the heat. Plus I'd rather keep the uth underneath because of the vast changes in temperature from winter to summer here and I don't want the tank to get too hot or the sticky on the uth to ruin the walls of the tank. They are fine and warm. And how crowded is "too" crowded for a 20g?
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hermieluv1
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Re: What's he tryna do?

Post by hermieluv1 » Mon Dec 22, 2014 7:40 am

It depends on how large your crabs are. I had 1 large, 1 medium and about 4 smalls in mine. I wouldn't have added any.

If you read the care sheet on heating, you will understand more about the uth. You can overheat your molters. They don't need heat down there. Really. Most everyone here uses a uth on the side. They need the heat when they are above ground, not when they are molting. I live in Western Pa., where it is in the 90's in the summer and below 0 in the winter.


hermieluv1
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Re: What's he tryna do?

Post by hermieluv1 » Mon Dec 22, 2014 7:43 am

"UTHs are sold for reptiles for use underneath the tank, but in hermit crab enclosures the UTH should only be used on the side or back of the tank, above the substrate. Because of the need to use thick substrate in crabitats, UTHs aren’t effective when used on the bottom and can possibly overheat. Do not pay attention to the recommended tank size on the packaging - buy the largest sized heat mat that you can fit on the back of your tank as many store-bought UTH aren’t powerful enough to warm an entire crabitat. Ultratherm brand UTH must be ordered online, but they are known to run the warmest and are capable of being insulated with styrofoam to boost the heat unlike other brands. If the UTH runs too warm a plug-in lamp dimmer can be used to adjust the temperature."

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CallaLily
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Re: What's he tryna do?

Post by CallaLily » Mon Dec 22, 2014 8:18 am

Having the UTH under a crabitat is not only ineffective on heating the tank (which is important and more natural) but can also be a fire hazard. UTH are not designed to heat through all the substrate necessary for hermit crabs. It can also dry out the bottom layers of substrate which could be a huge problem for molters, as it can lead to their molting caves collapsing. Plus, it's more natural for the air to be warmer than the substrate. ;)

Edit: A jumbo really shouldn't be in anything smaller than a 50g (minimum 18 inches width). They also need minimum 10 inches of substrate to molt safely. Larges would also be too crowded in a 20g, imo.

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kornchaser
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Re: What's he tryna do?

Post by kornchaser » Mon Dec 22, 2014 9:09 am

Wow I didn't know 10" of sub was necessary. Would 2 jumbos and one almost jumbo be okay in a 50 gallon? I have ten crabs could they all fit in a 75g? Now I'm worried.


Hermie mommy of 10 PP babies: Octavius Flemming, Poseidon, Bruiser, Junior, Matty Pumpkin, Turbo, Kaylee Frye, Pepper, Flower and Adrian.
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CallaLily
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Re: What's he tryna do?

Post by CallaLily » Mon Dec 22, 2014 9:33 am

Here's a good guide: viewtopic.php?t=93830.

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kornchaser
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Re: What's he tryna do?

Post by kornchaser » Tue Dec 23, 2014 3:53 am

I checked out the link and I don't have jumbos, here's what I have:
3 larges
1 medium
1 small-medium
5 teenie-micros

I adjusted the heating matts and still looking into an affordable and bigger tank. But how big is big enough. According to the chart I need about 30g for all my crabs together because of their individual space needed so I figured a 40g will do. On the other hand if a large needs a 20 gallon minimum and I have 3 large crabs then would i need 20g x 3 or just its needed space for the individual crab? I live in a town house, there's not room for a 60g+ tank.


Hermie mommy of 10 PP babies: Octavius Flemming, Poseidon, Bruiser, Junior, Matty Pumpkin, Turbo, Kaylee Frye, Pepper, Flower and Adrian.
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YYWW
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Re: What's he tryna do?

Post by YYWW » Tue Dec 23, 2014 8:22 am

Your tank sounds overcrowded. Even ift here's a justifyable amount of space for them, it sounds like you're always going to be in a situation where you're nervous one might become cannibalized.
Figure out how long and deep your tank can actually be at the biggest, and go up from there I recommend you not go below a height of 20. With 10in of sub, you will want at least 10in of viewable space, so that you dont have just a tank full of sub


Crabbers unite!!!

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CallaLily
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Re: What's he tryna do?

Post by CallaLily » Tue Dec 23, 2014 8:33 am

kornchaser wrote:On the other hand if a large needs a 20 gallon minimum and I have 3 large crabs then would i need 20g x 3 or just its needed space for the individual crab? I live in a town house, there's not room for a 60g+ tank.
Keep in mind that's the absolute minimum tank size recommended for that size. Also, they will eventually outgrow it. With at least the minimum tank size provided, each large will need at least around 5.5 gallons of space (per the chart I linked). Bigger is better, in this case. Also keep in mind that, while height is important, the footprint (length x width) is also very important to be sure you're allowing enough molting space. I'd go with the largest tank you can fit. I'm thinking minimum 40g - but that's packing them in pretty tight and not really accounting for growth. Those teenies tend to grow pretty quickly.

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kornchaser
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Re: What's he tryna do?

Post by kornchaser » Tue Dec 23, 2014 12:30 pm

Well I'm keeping my 20g for the smaller crabs as a main tank once I get my 40g and using my 10g as an ISO. I forgot to factor that in last night, I was so tired omg. So here's what I figure:
3 large, 2 med-smalls, 1 teenie in my 40g. Then 4 micro-teenies in my 20g.
Sorry for the confusion.


Hermie mommy of 10 PP babies: Octavius Flemming, Poseidon, Bruiser, Junior, Matty Pumpkin, Turbo, Kaylee Frye, Pepper, Flower and Adrian Shephard.
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Crabinski
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Re: What's he tryna do?

Post by Crabinski » Tue Dec 23, 2014 12:50 pm

The good news, kornchaser, is that Petco's $1-per-gallon tank sale starts, nationwide, this Sunday, 12/28. So, if you have a Petco near you and still have $$ left after the holidays, you can pick up a 40g tank for $40 which is a steal! I'm grabbing a 29g for my PPs.
PPs are Big Enzo, Charles Paris and Mr Pinch
On the Big Beach in the Sky: Murray, Gino, Oscar, Gordon, Ignatz, Harry and King Felix the Pale
Also Mom to Imogene the Syrian Hamster

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kornchaser
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What's he tryna do?

Post by kornchaser » Tue Dec 23, 2014 9:41 pm

Ugh the nearest Petco here is either 2 hours west or 2 hours east.
Edit: So I can wait for one to come up in auction or spend $90 on a 40g tank or $115 on a 40g mesh top terrarium. Even if petsmart does price matching, I don't have the $$. My grandpa is going to find me one at auction.


Hermie mommy of 10 PP babies: Octavius Flemming, Poseidon, Bruiser, Junior, Matty Pumpkin, Turbo, Kaylee Frye, Pepper, Flower and Adrian Shephard.
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YYWW
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Re: What's he tryna do?

Post by YYWW » Wed Dec 24, 2014 1:17 am

Your grandpa is going to hook you up! Good luck!


Crabbers unite!!!

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