new crabbie crab owner.... HELP!

[jakace]

Greetings all,
I am now a suprised eccie owner. My son had his birthday last week and came home with a hermit crab. We had no knowledge of these little guys and their requirements. So, after much research I've found you great folks and done my best quickly to get him in a better home. Though today I am revamping it. I need help with heating, and light source. Any recommendations? I am going to attempt to attach a picture of what I threw together last night for him. Thanks in advance.

[jakace]

We have picked up three more PP'S. Two little ones and a medium one. Today I am re-vamping their crabitat to make it a home. Any advice is much appreciated.

Greetings all,
I am now a suprised eccie owner. My son had his birthday last week and came home with a hermit crab. We had no knowledge of these little guys and their requirements. So, after much research I've found you great folks and done my best quickly to get him in a better home. Though today I am revamping it. I need help with heating, and light source. Any recommendations? I am going to attempt to attach a picture of what I threw together last night for him. Thanks in advance.

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[jakace]

Oh yeah n the tank is a 10 gallon tank and I have a 20 gallon tank I am setting up. Humidity is holding good at 75rh (I am a cigar smoker and have a spare hydrometer that is installed now) who knew there was so much to the little guys

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[jakace]

Temp fluctuates between 72-78. I need to know the best way to get it consistent.

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[jakace]

Temp fluctuates between 72-78. I need to know the best way to get it consistent.

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And little rick grimes coming out for a walk

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[soilentgringa]

Hi and welcome to HCA!
Check out our care guides for valuable info on your new pet.

viewtopic.php?t=92457

You're upgrading tanks, so that is good. You will want to ditch the colored sand, however, as the dyes can be toxic, and if it is calcium sand it can cement the crabs into their molting caves or stick to their bodies and draw all the moisture out. Playsand from Lowe's or Home Depot is less than $5 a bag for a 50lb bag; Quikrete or whatever brand of play (sandbox) sand (silica based) mixed with Eco Earth or whatever brand of coconut fibers moistened to sandcastle consistency is generally used. It needs to be able to hold it's shape when molded so the crabs can tunnel and they won't collapse.
If you do have an E, just know that the minimum recommended tank size for them is 40 gallons and they require a deep (12") substrate as they are avid diggers. It will also need a species buddy if possible.
Temp should be 80°F at minimum. PP's can survive at 75°F but they really do best in the low to mid 80's. Other species require higher temps like mid to high 80's. Since they are from the tropics, the best thing to do is mimic their natural habitat as much as you can.
They need fresh and saltwater pools deep enough to submerge in. You can use reusable plastic containers; that's what I have. Water needs to be dechlorinated/treated with something like Seachem Prime or API conditioner that will remove chlorines/ammonia/heavy metals from the tap water. Instant Ocean is a marine grade salt mix that most of us use for their salt water. They have to have marine grade salt to provide all the elements they would be getting from the ocean water. Never give straight tap water as the chemicals will blister/damage their gills.
They need a humidity of around 80% and up as well.
You can use an everyday light bulb for a day light. While crabs are nocturnal they do need a day/night light cycle.
Most crabbers use a heat mat affixed to the back or side of the tank to provide the necessary heat. Ultratherm is a good brand.
They can be fed very cheaply from scraps when prepping your own food. Protein and calcium sources are needed daily as well as some fruit/veg. Unseasoned meat, crickets, shrimp, fish, several types of fruit and veg, oats, raw honey, egg, nuts are all good. You just want to be sur9e everything is free of pesticides, any table salt, or other seasonings.
I think that covers the basics. Please read through the careguide and check out our Safe Food List, linked in the careguide.
Welcome to the crab addiction!

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[soilentgringa]

Oh also, it is best not to handle them unless absolutely necessary and allow them time to dig down, destress and molt.

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[jakace]

Thank you! We are actually in the process of boiling our play sand now and I will re-crab (rehab) the 20 gal. tank with that. I will post pics of the setup once I have completed it

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[wodesorel]

You don't need to boil it! If it's regular childrens playsand that has been kept dry, it's already washed, screened and sterlized. Save yourself the headache, and the wait time since it can take weeks to dry off enough to be safe to use.

[jakace]

Nice. Thank you for that. I just started heating the water.

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[jakace]

This is the upgraded 20 gallon 'tat I built them yesterday. I must say, hermie had a hay day in the shells trying on at least 3, Godzilla switched almost immediately (we rescued him yesterday) spooky ted found his coconut shell and immediately buried himself, and panda hung out in the salt water for awhile. I am braiding a hammock for them today and we are adding some more cover. The sponges will come out today as I just read they attract bacteria. Any thing you guys can see I am lacking?

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[pearl29mi]

How deep are your pools? They have to be deep enough for the biggest crab to easily get water in his shell

[jakace]

The big brackish one is approx. 2.5" and two fresh water pools one about 3" and the other about .75"

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[KellyCrabbieLove]

Instead of brackish it needs to be full marine grade salt water. Look into picking up some instant ocean salt. It is the most popular brand around here. Also some dechlorinator as both waters need to be dechlorinated because chlorine is toxic.

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