Random Flooding

[cannm]

Hi Everyone.....

I noticed a few weeks ago that my sand was getting extremely moist of out the blue. I woke up one morning to find PUDDLES on the surface. I checked my water bowls - neither are leaking. I even set them out for a bit to see if there was a slow leak somewhere. My humidity has remained at a constant 85 since setting up the tank. I ended up layering some dry sand over the puddled areas. That was fine for about a week. I woke up this morning, and the sand is so wet again that there's pooling in some areas and my decorations have begun to topple. I'm afraid that I'm going to end up with some bacterial bloom with all the water.

Any ideas???

[GotButterflies]

something is definitely going on...can you fill out the emergency template? Also - if you have any molters down you need to carefully dig. It's quite possible they might have already drowned.

[cannm]

I have one down and plan to slowly sift through the sand.

Here's the template:

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
Play sand, about 8 inches

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 gauges are located in the middle of the tank. Temperature and humidity are usually between 80-85

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
I have a UTH on the back on the 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)?
Both water sources are available. Instant Ocean is used to create salt water. Prime is used as the dechlorinator.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
They get dehydrated fish, fresh veggies, fresh or dehydrated fruits, crushed eggshells, eggs, dehydrated insects, chicken, ect.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
I have six - 3 Es and 3 PPs. I've had all but 1 for over a year now.

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
They all molt regularly - I have one down now who has been molting for months.

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
They are in a 29G. The lid is plexiglass.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
6 in total - they are all small, some smaller than others.

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
More than I can count.

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
Negative.

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
Only to remove surface debris.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
Negative.

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
Negative.

15. 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.)?

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.

[cannm]

Well....I tried to put all my responses in blue

[GotButterflies]

You would have to highlight each of your responses and then click the blue to do that

Do you have bubblers in you pools?

Sand doesn't hold water well - so it is probably just building up over time. I don't like to be the bearer of bad news, but if water is pooled up on the surface, it is very likely your molter isn't alive. I'm really sorry. Still be careful. How often are you opening the lid for air exchange? I would recommend changing your substrate all together. This time I would also mix a little eco earth in it. Perhaps don't make the sand as moist too. Just make it moist enough that it holds it's consistency. Then, keep an eye on your tank by doing the chopstick test once a week. you would stick a chopstick down the front of your tank up against the glass where you know no hermits are - you can see that the substrate holds form - and also see if any water is pooling at the bottom.

You also have the ability to do a false bottom.

[wodesorel]

You are going to end up with a bacterial bloom if it's that wet. I use straight sand and have never had that issue.

How wet was it when you started out?

How much water are you adding in - misting? Spryaing? Missing water from the bowls?

Sand is hygroscopic, so it absorbs water like a sponge. Even just a little bit running from inside to outside the water bowls can act like a wick and drain the water, no leak required. Water pools that are warmer than the air will also evaporate and then condence and settle onto surfaces. Same with using a bubbler.

Since tanks are sealed up, you only have as much water as you are putting into it. Somehow you ended up with too much along the way. If you keep track of how much is going in, you should be able to prevent it from happening again.

[cannm]

Nope, no bubblers in the pools, and the lid is only opened for food changes.

I don't mist or add any additional moisture to the tank.

When I set the tank up over a year ago, the sand was sand castle consistency.

I'm going to go ahead and completely redo the tank.

Thanks for the input.

[wodesorel]

That is so weird!!! Maybe after a year there was enough accidental spillage to just build up to swamp levels.

[cannm]

I know I'm completely puzzled. The only thing I can think of is when I washed the decor about a month back, and maybe that just added to the moisture? But its not like I put everything back in soaking wet.

I just bought a house and will be moving in in a couple weeks. The tank I have now is way to heavy/large too lift and move from my 2nd floor apartment, so maybe I'll take this opportunity and downsize to the 20G until I'm in the house and can re-set up the larger one (or maybe buy an even larger one ).