Crabitat Temp too low
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Topic author - Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Dec 25, 2019 8:49 am
- Location: NY
Crabitat Temp too low
I got my crabitat set up yesterday and am dealing with Temp issues. I keep my house 61°-65° in the winter and it's making it hard to keep my 10 gallon tank temp up. I have a fish tank top and tape over the feeding holes except a small hole in the back for air. I have an 8 watt uth(rated for 10-20 gallon) on the side and a 16 watt(30-40 gallon) on the back. All above substrate level. Right now the tank is 69° and 93° humidity. I lost a crab last night. I'm not sure if it was because it got too cold, though because one of them didn't come out of the shell until a few hours after getting them.
Should I return the 16watt and get a bigger one? Switch to heat bulbs?
Should I return the 16watt and get a bigger one? Switch to heat bulbs?
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Topic author - Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Dec 25, 2019 8:49 am
- Location: NY
Re: Crabitat Temp too low
Oh and Merry Christmas for those that celebrate it
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Re: Crabitat Temp too low
Have you looked on Reptiles Basics or Beanfarm? They're online stores with Ultratherm UTH's. They're better working and are save to insulate!Ostranderkayla93 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 25, 2019 8:55 amI got my crabitat set up yesterday and am dealing with Temp issues. I keep my house 61°-65° in the winter and it's making it hard to keep my 10 gallon tank temp up. I have a fish tank top and tape over the feeding holes except a small hole in the back for air. I have an 8 watt uth(rated for 10-20 gallon) on the side and a 16 watt(30-40 gallon) on the back. All above substrate level. Right now the tank is 69° and 93° humidity. I lost a crab last night. I'm not sure if it was because it got too cold, though because one of them didn't come out of the shell until a few hours after getting them.
Should I return the 16watt and get a bigger one? Switch to heat bulbs?
New owner to 8 hermits, two of them belong to my aunt (and some of the others we both own). Hermits from smallest to largest: Dwebble, McShelldon, Crustle, Piggy, Sharkie, Lint. Snappy.
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Re: Crabitat Temp too low
You can insulate the tank around the heaters. Wrap tinfoil, shiny side out, around cardboard and tape to sides of tank. Don't cover the heaters. You can also cover the tank with a blanket. It's ok if you cover the airholes. They don't need those. They get enough air exchange when you feed them.
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Raising daughter's hermit crabs, Shelder, Paras and Derek. Added 2 more of my own (of course) Pete and Stryper. Former mommy to 2 guinea pigs and beloved cat, Nissi
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Re: Crabitat Temp too low
I keep my room between 50 and 60 all winter long. I was able to keep the 10 gallon at 80 to 85 with one 11x11 Flukers UTH. On the back over the UTH and on the top, I used two pieces of cardboard covered with two layers of aluminium foil, thin fabric over top to disguise it all, and plastic over that on just the lid to hold in moisture.
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Re: Crabitat Temp too low
As others have commented, I have found with all tanks small (10 and 20 ) and big (40 and 75) covering them as completely as possible will significantly raise the heat and humidity level and help to hold it stable.
With my 40 I had it covered with pieces of glass I had cut. I broke one and had to replace it with 2 more. I had trimmed the original pieces a little short to leave small spaces to let air in. After I broke the glass I cut the replacements almost exactly to size and I saw my heat and humidity rise about 10 % and 10 degrees when it was more fully covered.
I just set up a 75 last night, I'm not done. I have a long UTH on the back and 1 on 1 side. It has 4 or 5 inches of sub in it, I put a thermometer in and covered it completely with 2 pieces of plexiglass and it was reading 80 % humidity and 75 degrees early am this morning and is at 90% 77.5 at the front of the tank now.
With my 40 I had it covered with pieces of glass I had cut. I broke one and had to replace it with 2 more. I had trimmed the original pieces a little short to leave small spaces to let air in. After I broke the glass I cut the replacements almost exactly to size and I saw my heat and humidity rise about 10 % and 10 degrees when it was more fully covered.
I just set up a 75 last night, I'm not done. I have a long UTH on the back and 1 on 1 side. It has 4 or 5 inches of sub in it, I put a thermometer in and covered it completely with 2 pieces of plexiglass and it was reading 80 % humidity and 75 degrees early am this morning and is at 90% 77.5 at the front of the tank now.
18 PP: 2 teenie 3 small Gumbo; 1 small/med shell diva; 6 med: Evil Kenival 6 med/large
3 dogs: Maltipoo Tosh Pomeranian/Spitz Kaylee: Rotwieler/hound Bear
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3 dogs: Maltipoo Tosh Pomeranian/Spitz Kaylee: Rotwieler/hound Bear
4 cats: Dottie calico Luna: DSH grey and white Moxie:kitten with spunk Ellis:Big lovey orange tabby
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Topic author - Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Dec 25, 2019 8:49 am
- Location: NY
Re: Crabitat Temp too low
I swapped out the heater for a bigger one and did the foil on the top. The temp is now 76° and rising. Thank you for your tips!