Stressing about heating methods

[Onlowan]

Hello HCA! I am going to be a proud owner of three hermits soon, and have been researching everything hermit for a few days. I feel like I'm ready except for one thing. Everywhere I go they say something different about heating methods. I was considering using a reptitherm brand UTH 10-20 gal. (I'm using a 10 gallon with a mesh lid btw, pictures below) and putting it on the back wall, but would it heat the tank up enough? Also, I bought one of those coconut fiber mats to put on the back wall for them to climb on and wasn't sure if that would act as a buffer for the heat from the UTH. I just want what's best for my hermies and I know you guys are pretty knowledgeable, thanks! tank with the water dishes in it, I have yet to buy most of what I need.
hand for size reference
the cocofiber mat which would cover the back wall

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[purpleperson]

Hey there and welcome to crabbing.

For heating, you want to go with the UTH that cover as much as the back of the tank as possible. You may have to get the 30-40 gallon one instead, as the 10 gallon one most likely won't be sufficient.

I don't have much experience with the mats, but if it were me I would put it along the side, not the back.

I'd also like to point out that you should consider getting some deeper water dishes. ideally, you would want your crabs to be able to completely submerge in the water.

Good luck with them and make sure to post pictures of them when they arrive. there's some great caresheets on here that you should check out too if you haven't already.


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[Crabinski]

Hi, Onlowan and welcome to the Wonderful World of Crabbing!

@purpleperson is right on the money on all points. Re the size of heat mat you'll need: the largest one that will fit on the back on the tank without dipping too far below the top of the substrate. Assuming a minimum of 6" of substrate, ideally you'd want a 6x17 Ultratherm (available only online from Bean Farm on Amazon). The thing is, it's hard to stick with just a 10g unless you have no more than two relatively small PPs as they outgrow the space after just a molt or two. The good thing about a 6x17 Ultratherm is that it will also work well for a 20g as well so you won't face a new expense when upgrading.

When I've used cocomat, it was hung on the side of the tank to ensure no blockage of heat from the pad. After noticing that my crabs were not all that fond of the cocomat, I substituted fish net instead and it turned out to be their favorite climbing device. A great thing about fish net is that it can be draped all along the sides and back of the tank without interfering with the heat pad!

A suggestion re the water bowls: the ones you have will make great food bowls and you can make water bowls deep enough for soaking from small plastic containers, easily found at your local dollar store in packs of two, four or six, depending on size.

Lastly, at the dollar store or a thrift store, keep an eye out for plastic or cloth plants and vines. The crabs will love to use them for climbing, napping and hiding. Oh, and you can also make a hide for them from a margarine or yogurt container: cut out a roomy doorway, flip it over and there you have it!

Be sure to check out the Pictures and Crabitat Conditions sections to see how others have made pools, hides, climbing structures, etc., and please feel free to ask questions as you go along!

[Onlowan]

So, after getting a hide and climby things, I realized that I would need to get a bigger tank. So today I bought a 29 gallon (same length as a 20 gallon but with added height to make up for all the substrate) and the UTH came in so now we play the waiting game, all I'm waiting for are the shells, food, and the crabs. Also, I have this small exoterra I bought cheap from someone who didn't need it, but haven't really had a use for it, but I was thinking about using it as an isolation tank.
roughly how it will be set up
this a good size for the tank?
new and improved water dishes

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[Laurie LeAnn]

You will be much happier with a larger tank..the other one can be used as an iso tank but you need a proper lid. Mesh lids won't hold in your heat or humidity. You can put syran wrap over it but I'm one that likes the glass lids with the fish tanks hood lights. If you find that your heat isn't staying where it needs to be you can add a smaller uth.

[Onlowan]

Thank you all so much! I bought the crabs from live hermit crabs, but I guess anyone that ordered crabs from there never received them so I have that to deal with and I need to find a new place to get my crabs. I'm setting up the tank today and I was wondering if there is any tricks to keeping a "sandcastle consistency" would misting alone work fine?

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[Crabinski]

Thank you all so much! I bought the crabs from live hermit crabs, but I guess anyone that ordered crabs from there never received them so I have that to deal with and I need to find a new place to get my crabs. I'm setting up the tank today and I was wondering if there is any tricks to keeping a "sandcastle consistency" would misting alone work fine?

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If you don't want to deal with pet stores and the heartbreak of seeing their often dismal set-ups, check out craigslist -- many of the people posting have no idea how to care for hermit crabs (as evidenced by the pictures in their ad) so you'd be rescuing the little guys. Some people have actually cared for their crabs very well but are moving or their kids have lost interest so you'd be getting healthy crabs. Another plus in adopting from craigslist is that the crabs are not freshly captured or recently traumatized by the importation process and so may be less prone to PPS. You can also check out HCA's Adoption section to see if anyone needs to rehome their crabs in your area; however, most folks posting on HCA's site want to see their crabs go to an experienced crabber with an established tank and colony.

Re maintaining sandcastle consistency: if the substrate is prepared correctly, it should remain the desired consistency indefinitely. When I switched to a 29g tank in January, I prepared all new EE and play sand substrate and it is still at sandcastle consistency all the way down. Keeping the humidity in the tank up goes a long way to maintaining that sandcastle-ness.