Humidity

[C: ClareCrabOwner :)]

Ick!
How deep should the moss pit be?

[HermitGuy3]

I don't think there is really guidelines on how deep it should be, mine is pretty small. I guess just deep enough for the crab to bury? I think you can do it however you want though.

[JoeHermits]

Yeah, whatever depth you want is fine. Most people just fill the basket or container of their choice


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[C: ClareCrabOwner :)]

Cool! Where can I get the moss?

[HermitGuy3]

https://hermitcrabassociation.com/phpBB ... hp?t=92533

Just make sure it is not dyed( if it is green it is dyed) and that it has been sprayed with no pesticides.

[HermitGuy3]

I also wanted to add that you should put some green sand and worm castings in there too. The crabs like them and they are very healthy too.
You can keep them in 24/7 too.

[curlysister]

Since you already have crabs, you should not do that I think. The humidity on the tank gets the sub to the right consistency after a few weeks. That is before you have your crabs. The moss pit, big water pools, and other things that help humidity. I would just let your substrate be for now. Probably if you upgrade!

Somewhere in the myths of crab care, someone said to put the substrate in dry and that it would become moist with the humidity in the tank. This is not correct. It was a misunderstanding from someone who said that they didn't add any water - but in reality their sand was already wet when the bag was opened.
The substrate should be moistened to sand castle consistency from the start.

[curlysister]

I also wanted to add that you should put some green sand and worm castings in there too. The crabs like them and they are very healthy too.
You can keep them in 24/7 too.

Green sand and worm castings are not 'must haves' for crabs. You can feed them if you want, but there are no specific foods that need to be given to crabs all the time.

[HermitGuy3]

Somewhere in the myths of crab care, someone said to put the substrate in dry and that it would become moist with the humidity in the tank. This is not correct. It was a misunderstanding from someone who said that they didn't add any water - but in reality their sand was already wet when the bag was opened.
The substrate should be moistened to sand castle consistency from the start.

This is not true? Their have been multiple accounts of people using this method and it works. CrabCentralStation uses this method and their substrate is just fine. They have over 700 gallons of tank space.You just have to let the tank run for a few weeks before putting the crabs in, and it will be the right consistency.

[C: ClareCrabOwner :)]

What is green sand?

[C: ClareCrabOwner :)]

Where is a good place to get worm castings?

[C: ClareCrabOwner :)]

Also, I don't think I'd put my substrate in dry, because then I would have to rehydrate the coco coir, then dry it, then put it in the cage. A lot of work, only for it to be moistened again...
But thank you for the suggestion, HermitGuy3!

[HermitGuy3]

Also, I don't think I'd put my substrate in dry, because then I would have to rehydrate the coco coir, then dry it, then put it in the cage. A lot of work, only for it to be moistened again...
But thank you for the suggestion, HermitGuy3!

Yeah, I think you can do it either way and it is good.

[curlysister]

This is not true? Their have been multiple accounts of people using this method and it works. CrabCentralStation uses this method and their substrate is just fine. They have over 700 gallons of tank space.You just have to let the tank run for a few weeks before putting the crabs in, and it will be the right consistency.

If you want to follow another group's care guidelines, that's fine. But don't post the info here like it is another option for care. Different groups have different guidelines. HCA does not recommend putting substrate in dry. Moisture needs to come from somewhere, it needs to be added to the substrate one way or another.

[CrabLivesMatter]

Substrate must be kept damp enough for crabs to be able to dig tunnels without it caving in on them (sandcastle consistency) so they can breathe underground and surface safely when ready, but not so wet that water pools at bottom of tank. Crabs often molt at very bottom of tank and if too much water accumulates in substrate, it sinks to the bottom causing underground crabs to drown. Also the smaller the tank, the easier it is to oversaturate. (ie too many tipped water bowls or too frequent misting) Sub should also be deep enough that your largest crab can dig at least 3 times his size (including shell). For example, I have a 29 gal. Tank which is 18" tall and filled with about 10" of sand & ee mix. My largest crab is about the size of a baseball. Substrate, temp and humidity are 3 of the most important aspects of crab keeping. As mentioned by another crabber, 72F is the bare minimum temp, tho I prefer keeping mine around 80-84F daytime and 76-80 nighttime. And I find my crabs are most active with humidity levels at 80% or above. I wouldn't recommend anything lower than 70% for more than a few hours. Until you are confident you have reached your ideal tank conditions in your first tank, I would highly recommend holding off on trying to set up a second tank. In my opinion 1 overcrowded tank with otherwise ideal conditions is far better for the crabs than 2 roomier tanks that do not meet all their basic needs. There are many other important needs to be met other than the 3 I have mentioned here, (such as the correct size, fit, type of shells, quality food, dechlorinated salt and fresh water, etc) but all of that info can be found in diff topics on this site. This is the only site I refer to/ trust to be true. I have been coming here for years and the admins have never let me down. My crabs are 8+ yrs strong and just added a few more last week!