new Aussie crab owner

[ladybug15057]

Please do consider Purple pinchers suggestions in his reply to you.
As for being tested a month, this is not long enough unless it was store bought as opposed as you just finding it and using it.
(1/3 down this page)
http://www.thinkfish.co.uk/article/Coll ... Own_Decor/

http://www.sydneycichlid.com/aquarium-driftwood.htm

[aussieJJDude]

i have this tree in my garden called sweet gum or red gum is it safe to use a) bark b) leaves or c) a mixture of both.
and i found the correct term it is for my "bog wood" it is "driftwood", grrr... didn't know there was so many types of wood (learn something new every day )
(thanks for the websites, ladybug15057 and ladybug have you joined CSJ (i found the site last night and i was reading pimp my tat, there is such good ideas)).
and purple pinchers i was like 99.9% sure that he/she was molting here is some signs that i read and he/she did:
sluggishness
drinking alot
digging like 24/7
eating (looks like he/she was going to bust)
his eyes were very cloudy
but thanks for all your guys help

[Purple pinchers]

Infact CSJ is a sisster site of HCP.
Is that wood you got still molding??

[ladybug15057]

The CSJ is the 'flag ship' for all Sister sites. (this is in the top banner too) The CSJ had/is YEARS in the making, being updated as new info is found (researched, writings to crustacean scientists, and experience....and yes I am a member (One of the Site Administrators) of the site. The last 2 moves of the CSJ to a new host, I assisted in the transfer of it. There are also many, many, many archives from CSJ on CrabbyWiki, a Sister site of CSJ that I am also one of the Admins of.
Driftwood can be tricky, again one would need to know the species of the wood...

[aussieJJDude]

hi
i got rid of the wood. i was reading on HCA about live plants and i was pondering about adding a few. so far the only plant i have got in there is Java Moss (from my fish tank, crabs love it)!
also i was reading about adding roly-poly bugs or pill bug to the tat so i added 20, the crab has eaten like half of them!!!


some plants i thinking of adding is dandelion, grass, bamboo (not lucky bamboo as it is poisonous) or clover. if you guys are crab green thumbs or just CGT just give me hints, suggestion and tips.

i dont think you guys got me about the wood (sorry, i misposted it )
i meant to say is red gum or sweet gum is safe in the tat.

today i woke up early and i peek in to the tat and saw my crab climbing over every thing. the crab was hanging up side down and i checked and it is a................. GIRL!!!
some names that i thought about was shrimp or peanut
i will get a pic of her soon



(if you has some suggestion just type out, better than calling).

[Purple pinchers]

For live plants its best to grow them somewhat big before useing them in the crab tank. Because crabs just love to tear up plants, so the bigger they are before you put them in the better chance tey will have against that crabs . (also a good plant i have heard people grow in crabtats are alphalfa sprouts)

[aussieJJDude]

well i think it will be OK since i have only one crab up, all the other are molting, so plenty of time to grow. instead i got spider plant-lets, dandelions and dead bamboo twigs.
well on sunday one of my crabs were climbing all over the place so i managed to see her gonopores. she is still ok
for now i am thinking Peanut.

(see that brown shell in the left side, it was her old ones)

i know pretty right
(if they don't turn out properly, blame me i suck at taking photos )
then today one of my other crabs came up

[ladybug15057]

When placing live plants in the tank, one needs to know for a fact no chemicals at all have come any where near the items. For this reason it is usually best to plant ones own as Purple pincher suggested using no forms of chemicals or additives either. And P pincher is correct, the hermies will destroy the plants that are in the tank.

P.S. I notice you are bumping your thread? No reason to do so... it is not that it is not being read, just sometimes it takes awhile for some to get online (due to beautiful weather) or there may not be anything to say....

[aussieJJDude]

sorry i found the button and when i press it i was like "OHHH".
i know that the plants have not been sprayed as it came for my wog grandmothers garden, she uses organic things like worms, cow and sheep and chicken and horse p**, and she does not spray.
my plants has still survived. they are going well and on hermit has touched it so it goes nicely along.

i question, how much does your hermits eat, i put food in there and it looks like they don't touch it, is it that i add to much food or they don't eat much full stop???

i am so excited my hermies are so active at night. do they do that once they finished molting or is it because they have got used to nice warm humid air???

[Purple pinchers]

Hermit crabs realy dont eat very much at all. alot of times you wont even know they ate any because they pich so tiny of pieces off. (But that doesn't mean you should't feed them very much, they still need alot of food just incase they decide there extra hungry)
Most of the time once hermit crabs get used to there home and feel safe there be more active. And if the temp/humid/food/water is correct then they will be more active.