Tank has pools of water that leaked and now substrate is flooded what doni do

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Mandbru
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Tank has pools of water that leaked and now substrate is flooded what doni do

Post by Mandbru » Tue Mar 05, 2019 8:27 am

My PP is stressed like postpurchase stress. I have had to move him 3 times to make incremental improvements to the tank. Each time I change something in the tank he hides and mives less and less. First I added a cocohut, then shells, then I added a log, and more EE substrate bec I saw the recommendations, then I added sand, then I fixed his water bowls to have prime water and instant ocean. Then I moved the tank and just saw now that the water must have spilled and there are pools above the level of the sand. He’s stayed inside the log and not moved for a week this time and I’m worried he’s died. I’m worried bec adding atuff slowly is all I can do given finances and work constraints, but it stresses him out majorly and I know he needs a friend but I cant get a friend until I have the tank stable. I got him in a beach store not knowing he couldn't live in the stupid wire cage they sold him to me in. What can I do to get the pooled up water out without handling him again? He’s so stressed by my picking up the log he is hiding in I am afraid he will die.


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Mandbru
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Re: Tank has pools of water that leaked and now substrate is flooded what doni do

Post by Mandbru » Tue Mar 05, 2019 8:30 am

and I changed from using the pellet food to cutting up my own to buying food from the hermit crab patch. I have a 29 gallon tank that I just bought to set up for him but its just a matter of time and trying to find all the info on setting it up properly.

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wodesorel
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Re: Tank has pools of water that leaked and now substrate is flooded what doni do

Post by wodesorel » Tue Mar 05, 2019 8:35 am

If it's just him and he's not digging, you could just leave it until he's okay with more activity in the tank. It won't affect anything on the surface. You'd likely have to toss it out and replace it all though before he dug in to molt, if he gets to that point.

Another option is to dig down in an opposite corner and use paper towels to suck up as much as possible. It may stay too saturated and cause problems later on though. Some people use a block of unexpanded EE to suck up the extra water.
Want to see all my crazy pets? @waywardwaifs on Instagram


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Mandbru
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Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:00 am

Re: Tank has pools of water that leaked and now substrate is flooded what doni do

Post by Mandbru » Tue Mar 05, 2019 9:15 am

ok so there is water above the level of sand and i put a block of EE to soak it up. the thing is I just haven’t been able to get the tank in good shape. I just got a new 29gql, then figured out I needed 2 more bags of play sand than I bought and I wasnt able to buy in large enough bulk the leaf litter or other amendments and so I put off making up his new tank. I got some but not all of what I needed to make a false bottom and didn’t have time to go back to home depot to get more items. I’m overwhelmed with where to start to make things better. Will he die from the flood? It probably flooded two days ago bec thats when i moved his tank to the living room. I thought he wasnt doing well bec there is no narural light in the bathroom and I had forgotten a few days to turn the light on and off at the right times.

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wodesorel
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Re: Tank has pools of water that leaked and now substrate is flooded what doni do

Post by wodesorel » Tue Mar 05, 2019 10:13 am

You don't need to go so high tech!! I have a 29 gallon as well, and for the last two years have used just play sand. My girl is still small so I was able to get away with two bags. Cost all of $7 to fill. False bottoms and soil amendments are always a bonus, but they are not a must! If you have a bad flood with a false bottom, you still have to tear the tank apart. All it will do is alert you that there is a problem.

This is mine:
Image

So long as the surface stays dry enough he will be fine to wait it out. If the substrate rots or grows bacteria, it starts at the bottom and is often capped by healthy drier sand that doesn't cause problems. Most of the time the tank will seem completely fine, and it's not until the owner goes digging or the crabs don't come up from molting that the oversaturation issue gets discovered. ]





Want to see all my crazy pets? @waywardwaifs on Instagram


Topic author
Mandbru
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Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:00 am

Re: Tank has pools of water that leaked and now substrate is flooded what doni do

Post by Mandbru » Fri Mar 08, 2019 4:08 pm

Yay! He is fine and the eco earth block sucked the water right up. Thanks so much!

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