Hermit Crab lost 2 legs

[22pony22]

Totally I thought that I had small water dishes from zoo med. I got one with the tank and the other one I had already had from another pet that I never did end up using. Was wondering why these dishes could barely hold any water. I realized today that they are actually both extra small dishes. Not that big deal right now because they aren't being used yet but need to figure something else out before the end of March. I have two reptile rock feeding dishes one that I got with the tank and the other I ordered off Amazon so I can have one dish for the crabs to eat off of and the other dish to replace that dish when I change food. Rotating dishes worked with the old tank (I was using sea-shells then) Thinking if I want to get small or medium repti rock water dishes off amazon for the water and then I'd use my extra small ones for food as well (any wet or overly messy foods) cause I already have my calcium supplement in my old tanks water dishes. Right now half of my tank is very "full" and the other half is literally just a food bowl and a water bowl. I posted a photo on facebook's hermit crab association group page.

[Links]

I have a blanket completely covering my tank right now. I had it just on top but condensation was so bad it was dripping into sub so I covered the front as well. And that has stopped the condensation. I’ve come to the conclusion that little changes you make outside of the tank will slowly influence the conditions over the course of many days it’s almost like trying to control the heat in a smoker with an offset firebox.When you make adjustments, changes start immediately but it may not balance out until sometime later. Even over days and it really may never actually balance because things change inside the tank. When I first started using the blanket I had a really high humidity sometimes 99% but now the changes that I’ve made with the blanket and propping open the hood a little bit to allow fresh air the humidity finally started to drop so now I have close the lid all the way again and humidity is pretty good at 85%.
I don’t have a sufficient heater. I bought one too small. 47x6 on a 55 gal. 47x11 would’ve been better. But I’ve been able to keep the coldest spot in the tank at 81° day (when lights are on ) and 78° night(lights off). The change in temp is gradual. Probably takes 5 hours to cool to 78. But I think it heats up to temp a little quicker, maybe 3 hours. My 2 bulbs are uvb t8 fluorescents with nothing between the bulbs and the enclosure.


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[22pony22]

Can’t wait for my amazon order—I ordered 3 vines in different types and 2 medium water dishes. Don’t know how I’m going design the tank yet though. I will need to fit in: 7 ground plants, 5 vines, 6 dishes, 4 branches, 2 hides, lounger, pebbles and shells.




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[22pony22]

Will also need to get to a Petsmart and get another heater or two.

I sent my mom to Petsmart and the associate confused the heck out of her so she wouldn’t buy the item I wanted.


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[22pony22]

Counting down the days till I get my new Hermit Crabs and keep getting more stuff for them. Stupid Amazon decided to split up my last order and send it in two parts--of course the part of the order that I actually need wasn't sent first. It's coming Feb 28 to March 11--Crossing my fingers I get it closer to the 28th then March 11. Especially since I am going away on March 14 and I was hoping to have tank perfect because I am getting them after March Break. Ordered two more heaters today because the two heaters I've got very rarely get the tank to 75*F. Also got more moss because the store I get moss at while it is close to my dentist--its not an store I frequently shop at.

[22pony22]

What materials are safe to be used in a crabitat?

What I'm looking for a material that I can burry into the sand (so cannot mold) under my two new water dishes to elevate them slightly and to block them from being able to dig under my water dishes. I've got some small pebbles that I bought at the dollar store to put around them to try and stop substrate from being dragged into the water dishes. My old crab use to dig under my water dishes all the time--usually at 4am. Just worried about the mess in the tank caused by two crabs having a crab party all night.

Finally, have my temperature at a good level. OF course it took 4 heaters to do that!

[Motörcrab]

How deep are your water pools? Most of us use two plastic food containers and put one inside of the other with a few stones in the first one. They are in the substrate and can't be tipped over. You only remove the top container so you don't disturb crabs that may be molting under or near the pools.

[22pony22]

They will be the zoo med repti rock water dishes in medium size.


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[Motörcrab]

Unless you have very small crabs I believe those dishes are not deep enough for hermits to fully submerge. Most of the time we never see our purple pinchers go swimming, but they should always have the option to do so.

[22pony22]

Don’t even have my crabs yet.

Anyone want to answer my actual question?


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[Xenocrab]

I agree with motorcrab. If you double up the dishes, they will not get knocked over. They should be deep enough for your crabs to fully submerge. Crabs will always dig, there's no stopping that. But if too much water gets spilled in the tank, there can be flooding and bacterial blooms. Both will kill crabs.

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[22pony22]

I do not have any hermit crabs yet. My water dishes are the Zoo Med Repti Rock Water Dishes medium sized ( Dimensions: 1.5″ x 5.5″ x 6.5″). I want a material that I could put under my water dishes-- wood, flag stone, tile, plastic.... Anything that will block them from digging underneath my water dishes. But, safe for them to be near and that won't get moldy buried under the sand......

[Motörcrab]

The problem with adding anything flat under the dish is that the crabs will eventually dig around at the edge of whatever you put in there. Crabs ALWAYS seem to start digging near anything in the tank. Mine always dig under my 2.5 gallon water pools, and next to food containers, it's unavoidable. If you are dead set of using those water dishes possibly a small piece off egg crate would work. With all the digging they do anything will eventually at least become partially buried in the substrate, shells, food bowls, leaf litter, to name a few. When crabs climb in and out of dishes that aren't secured the dish will slide and eventually come off of anything they are on.

[22pony22]

Just finished it. Yes, I know the readings on the gauges are horrible and there’s no food in the dishes but that’s just because I had my lid off setting up my tank. What do you think?


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[22pony22]

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