changing tanks questions

hayhay528 · Post by **hayhay528** » Sun Aug 20, 2017 5:56 pm

hi guys. im pretty new here and have learned so much since i started out with my $2 starter kit from the thrift store. my crabs are currently in a 55gal tank and i think its perfect for their current size, except that when i set it up i hadnt yet read about bloom and about using salt water to moisten sand instead of fresh water. as a paranoid mother i want to switch the sand over to a sea salt water mixture instead so i dont have to constantly worry about my submerged crabs running into (potential)bloom spots. so i have started my hunt for another 55gal tank or comporable. we have a smaller one but im worried that it may upset the hierarchy in the tank switching them , and especially switching them into a smaller tank. has anyone expierienced that? like fights and stuff errupting when crabs are put into a new tank, even the same size and same tank mates?

my next question is what kind of woods do you guys use for climbing and how do you find it? i live in northern california and we have an incredible diversity of trees around. i have been collecting cool pieces of driftwood from the river of a few diff types of wood but everytime i add one to the tank i get fuzzy white mold on it within a few days. i want to switch to a more natural look so i want to add wood for climbing instead of my corner organizer i have but really dont want to spend the crazy money on the ones at the petstore.

AND finally, how much of the time do you guys have all your crabs above ground? i have 5/6 above ground right now and debating if i should move them before the last guys comes up so no one has the option to submerge in the tank i want to reset haha. on average, is there always crabs submerged for you guys? mine followed eachother down one by one for their first molt, two months ago, but Fish Crab is still down

any other advice for a new setup would be amazing! im trying to get it all together before i attempt a full tank reset this time!

Wlfwo · Post by **Wlfwo** » Sun Aug 20, 2017 6:06 pm

I soaked my wood in saltwater and so far so good.

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Wlfwo · Post by **Wlfwo** » Sun Aug 20, 2017 6:08 pm

2 of my 3 are down. But, it will also be first molt in captivity as far as I know, one has been down 2 weeks and the other 3 days. So I am just hoping.

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YouTube · Post by **GotButterflies** » Sun Aug 20, 2017 7:27 pm

I've only done my substrate with msw, but a lot of crabbers have used fw. I really don't think it is necessary to do all of the work you are considering. Bacteria blooms really aren't that common. You would mainly have one if the substrate is too wet, of if too much food is hidden.

As far as wood, I use oak, mopani, cork bark, cholla. Basically anything on the safe list is fine...maple, sweetgum are fine too. I personally wouldn't use fresh driftwood from a river or lake. That could have oil or other chemicals on it. Hermits are sensitive to chemicals.

Some people do soak their wood in dechlorinated msw. I never have. If it starts to get fuzzy, give it a few days. The fuzz will die off.

Edit: Isopods can help with food/poop issues

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Post by **wodesorel** » Sun Aug 20, 2017 9:12 pm

Saltwater does NOT stop blooms. The anaerobic bacteria occur in saltwater just as much as fresh!

hayhay528 · Post by **hayhay528** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 6:23 pm

wow thank you guys! i need to start asking all my questions before acting on them lol
still waiting on Fish Crab. I get so paranoid about them. i started thinking, what if she escaped and isnt even molting? what if one of the pets found her and carried her outside. lol. im sure she will be up soon.

YouTube · Post by **GotButterflies** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 6:38 pm

Funny! Check the bathroom- they usually go for humid places. I duct tape all lids down with 2" piece. Those crabs are stronger than you think!

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hayhay528 · Post by **hayhay528** » Tue Aug 22, 2017 8:06 pm

Fish Crab came back up late last night! makes me so happy when they are back up and all sandy :') mustve not been able to resist the ground beef for dinner..
he took a dip in the s.w. pool, shell shopped, and munched. i decided i would wait til morning to move them into the temp. tank and move things around, check moisture levels of sand, and see if i would be comfortable not changing it.
anyway, this morning i got up and Fish Crab found himself a gianormous new shell, Natalia Crab had stolen Fish Crab's old shell, and Pewee Took Natalias and headed for the dunes... (he submerged, lol)
we have plenty of shells in the tat but havent seen shell swaps in a while so i ordered some new options and am going to try to grab some from the thrift store tonight.. i think he must regret letting go of his shell for this one, his was one of the most popular in our tat

Happyhermiehome · Post by **Happyhermiehome** » Sat Aug 26, 2017 5:42 am

I'm in northern CA too! I have a sweetgum tree in my yard and they are virtually everywhere around here! I use the sticks and bake them first and I sundry the leaves for my crabbies leaf litter bin and they absolutely love it! They eat the bark and the leaves and stems. I also just picked up a really cool chunk of fake driftwood today. It's made of resin so it's safe and no worries about mold. I had a bacterial bloom in my 20L when I first started and it was because my bubbler dish was leaking and I had a tendency to keep the sub too moist cuz I didn't know and my sand was mixed with saltwater so I guess it didn't make much difference. Just be careful that nothing is leaky and the crabs can't tip dishes over and don't over mist and u should be okay.

HCA: Hermit Crab Association