Heat lamp through mesh lid yes or no...

Krabby_Mommie78 · Post by **Krabby_Mommie78** » Sat Aug 20, 2016 10:03 pm

I have a heat lamp on top of the lid which is metal "mesh" and I was told to cover the other side of the lid with Saran Wrap to keep the moisture in. Is this good practice or is there an alternative? I am not a fan of leaving the light on 24/7. But I am so new, I am not really sure what the best thing to do is. Thank you!!

soilentgringa · Post by **soilentgringa** » Sat Aug 20, 2016 10:16 pm

The light cannot be left on 24/7.

Hermit crabs are nocturnal.

If you do not have the lid wrapped, please do so ASAP.

They need high humidity in order to breathe. We recommend a minimum of 80%.

Check out our care guides when you get a chance.

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soilentgringa · Post by **soilentgringa** » Sat Aug 20, 2016 10:17 pm

http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... hp?t=92457

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Krabby_Mommie78 · Post by **Krabby_Mommie78** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 9:59 am

thank you so much!!

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Krabby_Mommie78 · Post by **Krabby_Mommie78** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 10:06 am

When should I have the light on and for how long? It is a red light, so it's not bright. Thank you for responding..

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YouTube · Post by **GotButterflies** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 12:42 pm

They need daylight for 12 hours, but they don't need a light if the tank is warm enough and they have light from the room they are in. I.e.: mine are by a large window. The red light is a heat bulb. If you are using it as a heat source you can keep that on. Humidity is key, and so is heat. Make sure they are both on point.

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Krabby_Mommie78 · Post by **Krabby_Mommie78** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 1:35 pm

Thank you!! Also, is it better to have a mesh top or a plexiglass type top. If that is the case, how would I make sure that they are getting enough heat? I do like the heat lamp. But I see the "heater packs"? I may be saying it wrong. The problem is, we are going away for a week in September and I do have someone coming in to take care of my babies but, I'm not super comfortable with leaving the red light on the entire time we are away. And for that matter, I am uneasy about leaving the red light on when we leave for work. So I am unsure as to what alternatives there are to keeping their crabitat warm and humid

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soilentgringa · Post by **soilentgringa** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 3:36 pm

You don't want to leave any light fixture on 24/7. The bulbs could explode or the fixture could be a fire hazard.

I recommend getting an Ultratherm.

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Krabby_Mommie78 · Post by **Krabby_Mommie78** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 5:04 pm

soilentgringa wrote:You don't want to leave any light fixture on 24/7. The bulbs could explode or the fixture could be a fire hazard.

I recommend getting an Ultratherm.

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. I will look into the ultratherm, which one would you recommend? We have a 15 gallon tank how do I use it? Does it go under the substrate? Or under the tank or on the side of the tank? I now have 2 of my 3 under the substrate so I cannot change it yet.

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Crabinski · Post by **Crabinski** » Mon Aug 22, 2016 11:33 am

Krabby_Mommie78 wrote:I will look into the ultratherm, which one would you recommend? We have a 15 gallon tank how do I use it? Does it go under the substrate? Or under the tank or on the side of the tank? I now have 2 of my 3 under the substrate so I cannot change it yet.

UTHs (under the tank heaters) are used underneath the tank only for reptiles to provide a warm or basking spot. For a hermit crab tank, the UTH is attached to the outside of the back wall. As you do not want to dry out the sandcastle consistency of the substrate, you'll want a UTH that covers as much of the length of the tank as possible while not dipping below the substrate too far. The Ultratherm is used by large number of crabbers simply because it's highly efficient, easy to mount/remove, can be insulated if needed and is affordable. If you have a standard 15g tank (be sure to accurately measure the tank before ordering the Ultratherm), it is 24x12x12 so a good size Ultratherm would be the 6x23. If you order one from ReptileBasics.com, the price is $21.99 plus about $6 shipping. Ultratherms can also be ordered from Bean Farm and on Amazon (for Bean Farm).

HCA: Hermit Crab Association