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Jenn on Insulation:
Make sure your crab tank is in a naturally warm part of the
ho use but NOT near a heater or heating
vent ... I keep my small 3 gallon plastic molting tank on
the kitchen counter. Kitchens are naturally one of the warmer
more humid places in your house. Also check out your bathroom
or laundry room, but watch the temp ... you don't want them
to get TOO warm.
You can also make a Crab-gloo very cheaply using
foam board from your local craft or drug/groocery store. The
board usually runs no more than $2 per poster board sized
piece. Two pieces should do the trick depending on the size
of your crab tank. To do this measure the height, the front
(width) and the side (depth) ... Add 1" to each of these
measure ments. Lets say your tank is 12" high, 14"
wide and 8" deep ... so you will cut out 3 pieces that
measure 13" by 15" (your crab-gloo back/top/front)
and two pieces that measure 13" by 9"(the sides)
... With me so far? Good!
Now break out the duct tape ... you will need
to tape the sides on at 90 degree angles to the back. Now
tape the top on to just one sides ... this will work like
a hinge and your can open and shut it to get into your tank.
Place your 3 sided box over your hermie tank. The front piece
is kind of optional ... you can leave it loose and just set
it in place at night to help keep your hermies toasty ...
or a good idea would be to tape it on just one side ( like
the top to create a door ... open it during the day, close
it at night!
Your parents should not complain about
this at all because you have just followed a plan and done
geometry in the process! If you want to toss in some art ...
how about drawing and coloring background scenes on your foam
board for your hermie friends to enjoy?! My kids to this on
a regular basis with construction paper ... sometimes they
are at the beach, the mountains, school ... it's really up
to YOU!
Keeping them Warm, by CLD:
Temperature
The IDE AL temperature for your hermit
crabs is around seventy-four degrees F. They are most content
at this temperature, this is the night time temperature in
their native land. Remember that this is the temp that you
are trying to achieve at the substrate level....after all,
isn't this the level that they spend most of their time!!??
Keeping the tank between that 70 to 80 degree temp is what
you are aiming for... Be sure to keep your thermometer at
substrate level, since that is where they spend all their
time and heat rises so true temperature would be difficult
to obtain from a thermometer placed in the upper tank region.
If the temperature gets too low(50-60 degrees
F), dormancy and hibernation will occur. A long hibernation
may permanently affect the hermit crab. A long hibernation
may permanently affect the hermit crab. They don't actually
die unless the temp gets REALLY low (below 50 degrees F) However,
when a crab gets too hot(a brown liquid discharge is an 'overheat'
indicator), it causes irreversible damage and a usually quite
painful death. Getting over 80 degrees is playing with fire.
They may also hang out of it's shell, be inactive, spend extra
time in the water dish, or dig a lot to find cooler temperatures.
Be sure to keep the temperature from fluctuating as this may
cause stress.
Humidity
The tank should also be kept between 50-60%
exact humidity level (76-82% relative humidity, sometimes
a gauge will measure in relative but most of the time they
measure exact). If the air is too moist your crabs will have
a hard time breathing. Bacteria, molds, and other harmful
stuff will grow in the tank as well causing sickness and stress.
A good way of knowing this if you don't have a humidity gauge
is if there is condensation on the sides. If the air is too
dry their gills will dry out and they will slowly suffocate.
Their gills need to be moist for them to breathe properly,
this one reason why lightly misting them once a day is encouraged.
Be sure to keep the humidity from fluctuating as well because
this may cause stress.
Heating
There are two different types of heating
equipment you can use...
-
A Moonglow Bulb- A 15 watt or less
bulb is the only thing FMR (The Worlds Most Knowledgeable
& Caring Supplier of Hermit Crabs)recommends(you may
verify this via FMR at 1-800-535-2722 M-F 5-9 Eastern
time....ask for Kathy), anything more will dry your crab
and your tank out and could easily "bake" your
crabs. Some strong bulbs have also been known to cause
sunburn on hermit crabs. An incandescent nocturnal black
light bulb coated with rare earth element to stimulate
the natural glow of the moon is preferred. They can see
a little better at night and you can see them a little
better. They tend to like the extra atmosphere might be
a little more active; they will even often bask in the
glow at night. Turning the moonglow bulb on and off CAN
create temperature changes that might cause stress to
your crabs so keep it on all the time. Moonglow bulbs
are not recommended as a primary source of heating and
are best used in conjuction with
-
An Under the Tank Heater- FMR makes
one for tanks under 5 gallons that meets all specifications
for Hermit Crabs and this 4 X 6 inch heater can be used
on both a plastic 'critter keeper' and glass aquariums.
You can order it online at petdiscounters.com if your
pet store doesn't have it. Other companies manufacture
them in larger sizes and temp ranges. Make sure it will
not heat your tank over 80 degrees F. You want to allow
for some warmer and cooler areas on the tank, so it is
not a good idea to buy a heater to cover the entire bottom
of the tank. Unless you go into a really high quality
product, you probably will not find a heater that can
be regulated via a thermostat and many will raise the
tank 10 degrees above whatever the original temperature
was. Adjusting substrate depth is the best way to regulate
the temps. Be sure to keep your water pool and natural
sponges directly above the heater because this will help
ensure proper humidity levels.
Keeping a large sponge in a dish with
water in it, over the heater is good for raising humidity.
The water (warmed by the heater) is drawn into the sponge
which helps 'disperse' the humidity into the air a little
better, by providing a larger surface from which the water
evaporates. You can order under the tank heaters that heat
tanks up to 60 gallons as well as FMR's brand online at petdiscounters.com
if your local pet store doesn't have one.
What Not to Use for Heating
Don't use a heating rock as these are generally
made for lizards and get too hot. The crabs may also climb
on top of them causing great harm and the heat is too centralized.
Also do not use a heating pad as they are not designed for
this particular use. They need air ventilation and circulation
that properly designed undertank heaters have and regular
heating pads don't. Heating pads will melt plastic and bake
crabs.
Cooling
Keep a thermometer in the cage and be sure
to turn off any heating equipment when the substrate gets
too hot. If it is the summer time and your house is very hot
you can keep the tank on the floor(hot air rises), invest
in an air conditioner, keep them in the shade and out of direct
light, keep windows open, provide drinking water that is a
bit cooler than usual, etc.
Crab-Gloo history, by CLD
"Folks: I am going to add a little to an
earlier post. I wanted to back up what Jenn posted about using
the foam board as an insulator. It has been a staple at Kritterland
from the beginning!
My first crabs were adopted in the middle of
the winter in February of '97. They were in a medium sized
plastic 'kritter carrier'... I was very concerned about taking
them out in the cool air, knowing that they shouldn't get
chilled.... We were at an indoors Arts and Crafts show....and
as we were looking I saw the ideal remedy....Someone was selling
those soft-sided insulated lunch/beverage coolers. SO...........
my new guys came home warm and happy that night.
The 'six-pack' size worked for that medium
carrier! We now have several sizes of carriers and coolers
just 'incase'... the first one stays in the car just incase
we go to a pet store.... Works great in the summer too to
keep the sun from baking them...another serves as a back-up
'iso area'
Now, the problem of warmth after getting them
here...was another concern! Being a former art teacher, I
had some foam board sitting around so I got out the old exacto
knife and we created an insulated 'box' to go around the carrier...
This was adapted to work with each upgrade to larger tanks...with
the foamboard around the back and sides of the tank... (one
sheet of foamboard takes care of a ten gallon tank.) It was
cheap and worked well. Since then I have suggested it to many
folks as an alternative. I used this while doing my studies
with the undertank heaters and nocturnal light bulbs. I found
that I could MAINTAIN a much better and consistant temperature
level with the three-sided insulation than without it. I have
passed along this suggestion to many others and it works quite
well in a school setting....allowing the kids to change the
backgrounds with their art work.... I do have 'front covers
of foam board to use in case of an emergency ....
have used other colors but prefer the white
foamboard... and using clear or white tape to make the hinged
'corners'... have used velcro to secure the pieces also...
So since then we still use the insulation idea... plus, the
crabs can see their reflections better and their activies
at that are very entertaining!
I like the fact Jenn gave this 'thing' a name....
"Crab-gloo" is much more catchy than 'the box'...
Have fun with this and let your imagination go wild. One school
here had a contest to see which class had the best 'backdrops'
for their crabs... some changed the background weekly....it
was great fun and a good project for both art and science
lessons.... with the little hermies benefitting from all the
fun 'environments'created just for them. As Jenn pointed out
this is a fairly cheap way to go until you can get alternative
heating! Have fun and Happy Crabbing! CLD"
Message 353 at Hermies Yahoo!Groups
MoonGlow Bulbs and more
by Jenn:
It is best to do as Crablover Don did
and leave a moonglow bulb and heater on twenty-four hours
and regulate your tank tank temp and humidity by using a piece
of cardboard, spool of thread, or something to prop open your
glass top (you can place plastic wrap or towels over 2/3 of
a screen top), and by increasing the depth of the substrate
OVER the undertank heater and keeping your water pool and
natural sponges above the heater. He was also able to stabilize
the temperature by placing foam on the outside of the tank
on 3 sides.
Message 1633 of 25351 | Previous | Next
[ Up Thread ] Message Index Msg # From: "Jenn Borgesen" amborg@ameritech.net
Date: Wed May 17, 2000 2:42 am Subject: Playin' Catch Up ...
ADVERTISEMENT Hi All! I'm back, but am still in the process
of transferring data from my old computer to the new! I am
tickled to see all the great topics being discussed on the
list and 'naturally' I just have to toss in my two bits here
and there! Cold Crabs: Seems to me we had this discussion
last spring and again last fall! To recap ... Yes, E crabs
are particularly susceptable to temperature fluctuations.
I know it is hard to keep things stable when one day you're
running the furnace and the next day it's the a/c! Here's
some of the stuff that's been offered up in past discussions
to help maintain even temperatures in your crab tank ... 1.
Build a Crab-gloo! I think I have the basic instrux somewhere
on my old system, but if a list member still has it handy
... please feel free to post it! Basically, using your tank
measurements, foam board and duct tape, you can build a quickie
shelter to help hold in the heat when the temp starts to dip.
Use your tank measurements plus 1" to construct a 5 sided
shelter. Don had a couple of those zip up 12 pack 'coolers'
... he'd place one of his smaller plastic molting tanks in
it to keep babies warm on the way home from the store ...
again any kind of insulation will help keep warmth inside
the tank. 2. Hot water bottle .... just like it sounds, if
the power is out and the temp is dropping fill a plastic bottle
with hot water and place it in the tank to help create radiant
heat to keep your babies warm. This can be done in conjunction
with the above Crab-gloo 3. Make sure the tank is well away
from direct sunlight and drafty areas ... a well sheltered
spot along an inside wall is best. Hope this helps! New Tank
... Rick, it sounds like you are coming up with some great
ideas and I am glad to hear that any heat from a blowdryer
will not come into contact with the crabs. On the subject
of under the tank heaters not covering the full bottom of
the tank ... you really don't need them to. Having only half
of the tank covered can become quite a benefit, especially
if the temp should fluctuate as in the above - cold crabs
- The crabs will have opportunity to self regulate if only
half of the tank bottom is heated. If things get too hot they
can move to the cooler side and conversely if the temp falls!
Some crabbers who live in colder climates do use two heaters
in winter to get complete bottom coverage. But I find with
a closed lid system one UT heater designed for your tank size
(ie 5 gal, 10 gal, etc.) is sufficient. Gotta run fer now
guys ... time to zip a few more files! :)Jenn
Messages from Hermies Yahoo!Groups:
Message 23109 From: "marley1992csw"
<mmills@taconic.net>
Date: Fri Feb 1, 2002 1:27 am Subject: Re: Help!
--- In hermies@y..., ELockett@a... wrote: >
What do I do to keep them warm?!
Liz --
You can surround the tank with
insulation -- styrofoam or blankets work best. Fill the water
and food dishes first, so you don't have to open the tank
and let heat out later. If you have a cooler chest and still
have power, make up some hot packs now -- hot water bottles,
or soaked hot washcloths in a ziplock bag -- and hopefully
the chest will keep them warm for use later if needed.
We lost power and were snowed
in for two days last year, and I actually resorted to putting
all the guys in a critter keeper (easier to do then, I had
7, not 28!) and took them into the car with the heat turned
on full blast -- just made sure to keep lots of water in the
tank so they didn't get too dry. I think I also used the car
heater to warm up some water for a hot pack for the tank,
too...
HTH, and hope your weather has
settled down a bit,
Marley
Message 23888 From: "jenn_borgesen"
<jenn_borgesen@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed Feb 27, 2002 3:36 am Subject: Bracing for Bad Weather
Hi all ..
Woke up to about 6" of that white fluffy
stuff this morning. The good news is that it was so warm yesterday
(61 deg!) that a lot of it is melting on the pavement. But
what was left was oh so heavy to shovel, no exercise needed
for me today!
The bad news ... the snow is really sticky and
is all over the trees and powerlines. Very pretty, but bad
news if we get much more of it or if the wind picks up! My
poor Canadian Hemlock tree looks like a closed umbrella, tons
of snow holding down the branches! So we're prepping for a
potential power failure here just in case!
I do have a gas hot water heater so I can make
up hot water bottles to help keep the crab tanks warm ...
and I've already taped together a crabgloo and pulled out
old blankets to wrap the tank should the worst occur!
Hope everyone else in the storm's path is doing
well!
Jenn
We've got about 6" of snow with frozen
rain on top, but thankfully the power is still on. I see there
have been some great help posted for folks without power ...
in times of real desperation, we've used hot water bottles,
towels & blankets and once I even put crabs into a paper
lunch bag, stapled the lid and slipped them into the inside
pocket of my down jacket to transport them to warmer quarters
with the rest of the family.
Message 24973 From: "hermies_owner"
<vanessap@bigpond.net.au>
Date: Thu Mar 28, 2002 1:05 pm Subject: Re: Another Humidity
Dilema
Hi Sharon,
I had a feeling this may happen. As I said on
the phone, once you get the humidity up to a good level, it
often stays in the tank and sometimes rises a little high.
I would stop dampening the driftwood and perhaps place it
in a plakkie bag (as Craig calls it) and sanitise it in the
microwave or dry it out in the sun.
The humidity level will change as the weather
warms up (as it has done over the last week here in Tassie)
and this is one of the reasons the humidity gauge is so essential,
so that we can maintain the humidity when need be. What is
the humidity level now? 85 isn't too bad, but if it goes above
90 you may find condensation on the sides of the wall and
perhaps the beginning of bacteria problems if left unattended.
I know that isn't the case with you, but just that it can
happen.
There have been times when my humidity level
snuck from 75 to 90 overnight, so I did the standard things
of placing the water dish over the unheated side, turned the
UTH down only slightly, and left the lids off for five minutes
or so while I washed out the bowls and refilled the food dishes.
Sometimes this is all that I need to get the humidity level
to where it need be.
Basically it is trial and error until you find
what works best for your enclosure. As always, you know I'm
only a phone call away :)
Look out, though... antarctic blasts are headed
our way! Under Tank Heater alerts, and perhaps create a CrabGloo
from Don's example of four walls of styrofoam cut to measure,
then taped up to help insulate the tanks. Being the Art Teacher
that he was, Don also recommended decorating the CrabGlo while
you are trying to keep warm, creating not just an insulation
but a background while you are at it!
Past background painting competition entrants
can be found at http://comps.aboutlandhermitcrabs.com
Take care!
Vanessa
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