Hermit Crabs ~R~ us - View Single Post

Nan05 · 04-04-2008, 08:48 AM

Hi crabbers,

I've just joined this forum. I got my first crab about two months ago and my second about one month ago. I lost the first one during a molt and I think I've lost or am losing the second one too. I got crab number three a few days ago and have him in the iso while I see whether number 2 is dead or just hardening. I'm really trying to give them perfect conditions, but I'm making mistakes along the way and unfortunately it's costing my poor hermies their lives. Did all of you lose some crabs in the beginning?

Anyway, I have a couple of general questions for you experienced crabbers:

1. LIGHTS. I am about to purchase lights, mostly because I need a little more warmth than my UTH is providing. Also, I think my UTH heats the substrate above it too much while not heating the air enough. So my question is should I get a fixture for a single 15 watt moon glow bulb, or a double one to accommodate a daylight bulb too? Which daylight bulb is recommended?

2. RHEOSTAT. I'm considering getting a rheostat to regulate conditions. Right now I check conditions once an hour or so, but that's not sustainable forever. Eventually I'll go back to work. Can rheostats regulate both a lamp and a UTH? Can a water dish over the UTH be trusted to keep the humidity good all day while one is at work?

3. TWO QUESTIONS ABOUT SUBSTRATE. When a crab does pass, is it necessary to steralize the substrate before reintroducing healthy crabs back into the tank? Also, when using EE, is it possible to remove the crab poops? This was easy when I was using sand because the poops were clearly visible, but I can't imagine how I would find them in the Eco Earth.

Thanks very much for any responses. - Nancy

Thank you.

04-04-2008, 08:48 AM	#1 (permalink)
Nan05 Hi, I'm New Here! Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 12	A few questions from a newbie Hi crabbers, I've just joined this forum. I got my first crab about two months ago and my second about one month ago. I lost the first one during a molt and I think I've lost or am losing the second one too. I got crab number three a few days ago and have him in the iso while I see whether number 2 is dead or just hardening. I'm really trying to give them perfect conditions, but I'm making mistakes along the way and unfortunately it's costing my poor hermies their lives. Did all of you lose some crabs in the beginning? Anyway, I have a couple of general questions for you experienced crabbers: 1. LIGHTS. I am about to purchase lights, mostly because I need a little more warmth than my UTH is providing. Also, I think my UTH heats the substrate above it too much while not heating the air enough. So my question is should I get a fixture for a single 15 watt moon glow bulb, or a double one to accommodate a daylight bulb too? Which daylight bulb is recommended? 2. RHEOSTAT. I'm considering getting a rheostat to regulate conditions. Right now I check conditions once an hour or so, but that's not sustainable forever. Eventually I'll go back to work. Can rheostats regulate both a lamp and a UTH? Can a water dish over the UTH be trusted to keep the humidity good all day while one is at work? 3. TWO QUESTIONS ABOUT SUBSTRATE. When a crab does pass, is it necessary to steralize the substrate before reintroducing healthy crabs back into the tank? Also, when using EE, is it possible to remove the crab poops? This was easy when I was using sand because the poops were clearly visible, but I can't imagine how I would find them in the Eco Earth. Thanks very much for any responses. - Nancy Thank you.