My E's like to tunnel

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stinkyfeet
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My E's like to tunnel

Post by stinkyfeet » Thu Jul 13, 2017 5:59 pm

I'm a new crabber. I am pretty sure that I have E's. Now that they are in their new tank with Sand and EE substrate, it seems like they are digging and tunnelling to de-stress.

I've read on this site that E's sometimes dig up molting crabs to eat them. Has this happened to you? I'm just asking because it seems my crabs like to make tunnels throughout the substrate, and it seems inevitable that they would eventually run into a molting crab while doing that.

I have a 20g long tank.

Thx!

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C_fiesta
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Re: My E's like to tunnel

Post by C_fiesta » Thu Jul 13, 2017 6:18 pm

How many crabs do you have in your tank?

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stinkyfeet
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Re: My E's like to tunnel

Post by stinkyfeet » Thu Jul 13, 2017 6:20 pm

3 small E crabs


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daws409
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Re: My E's like to tunnel

Post by daws409 » Thu Jul 13, 2017 7:16 pm

I personally think e's do better in a 40 Breeder or bigger tank. E's are very active day and night compared to many other species. They need lots of substrate (at least 10" IMO), lots of climbing room, and of course lots of protein - all crabs need lots of protein if you ask me... I have 2 e's mixed with my other exotics and have never had a problem with cannibalism.

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GotButterflies
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Re: My E's like to tunnel

Post by GotButterflies » Thu Jul 13, 2017 8:07 pm

Hi! Welcome to the HCA!

Es are wonderful diggers! I personally recommend substrate depth of 10-12 inches for them.

As far as them digging up molters...it hasn't happened to me, but I do recommend providing your Es with a couple of protein sources daily, along with calcium daily. Es also do not handle overcrowding well bc of their tunneling capabilities (imo). If you have Es, you should give them more space than PPs to avoid issues.

I do also highly recommend the modified hamster wheel. Hermit crabs walk miles daily in the wild. Keeping a crab busy will keep them out of trouble. Hope that helps


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