New purple pincher tank

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Purple pinchers
Zoea II
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New purple pincher tank

Post by Purple pinchers »

Ok well hi everyone i am new :D
I have a few question about the tank i setted up so tell me what you think of it.
Ok so I have 2 medium sized purple pinchers in about a 5 gal tank. In it i have a plastic rock hide out, corner net, salt water, freshwater, and a food dish. So first is a 5 gallons good untill i get them a 10 gallon when I am out of the school for the summer in a couple more weeks? For the substrate i am useing half eco dirt and half calcium sand. Then for food i was feeding them store bought hermit crab food :( so i stoped feeding them that and now feed them fruits and veggies. Then for humidity I keep the humidity at always 70%-80%. The heat is kinda being hard because i have a light on the sand half of the tank because its kinda cold for them, but one will sit in front of the light but the other one like to be on the cold wet side? So why are they so diffrent because i would of thought that he would rather be warm then cold?
I hope i am giveing them good care. #D #D
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ladybug15057
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Re: New purple pincher tank

Post by ladybug15057 »

Welcome to HCP! I am sorry, but the description you give is a bit on the vague side. Have you read the Crab Care Section?

http://www.hermitcrabparadise.com/crabcare/

There is some good information that should be able to help. Any questions afterward please feel free to post them here.
Marie (aka ladybug15057)

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Purple pinchers
Zoea II
Zoea II
Posts: 178
Joined: 15 May 2011, 08:05
Gender: Male
Hermit crabs: 3
Total gallons: 20
Total tanks: 1

Re: New purple pincher tank

Post by Purple pinchers »

ladybug15057 wrote:Welcome to HCP! I am sorry, but the description you give is a bit on the vague side. Have you read the Crab Care Section?

http://www.hermitcrabparadise.com/crabcare/

There is some good information that should be able to help. Any questions afterward please feel free to post them here.
Ok ya i could not find that but i will go look at that now thanks :D.
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Purple pinchers
Zoea II
Zoea II
Posts: 178
Joined: 15 May 2011, 08:05
Gender: Male
Hermit crabs: 3
Total gallons: 20
Total tanks: 1

Hermit crabs that dont like to come out

Post by Purple pinchers »

Hi

So far i got 2 medium sized PP and i have had them for about 1 month. They seem very used to me because if i hold them they will stick there head out and crawl all over. the one changed shells the first night i got him and were very active. Then for the next few weeks the one would sumtimes come out and sit in front of the light. They do stay in there hide out a lot but if i take them out of there hide out they will stay for around a hour and climb around and play. So why would they not come out on there own but stay out when i take them out? :S
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Purple pinchers
Zoea II
Zoea II
Posts: 178
Joined: 15 May 2011, 08:05
Gender: Male
Hermit crabs: 3
Total gallons: 20
Total tanks: 1

Re: New purple pincher tank

Post by Purple pinchers »

:o I got a question is it safe for my hermit crab to nibble at some of the calcium sand? And with the corner net they keep climbing up and then try to go upside down and will fall sometime, will that hurt them?

Edit:
I have took the sponge out of the salt water. I also saw some rust starting to form so i am going to get a new kind of lid. Do you know any good lids that are cheap or that i can make and that wont get rust?
Last edited by Purple pinchers on 17 May 2011, 09:43, edited 2 times in total.
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ladybug15057
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Location: Southwestern Pa., U.S.

Re: New purple pincher tank

Post by ladybug15057 »

Please go to viewtopic.php?f=45&t=4 and copy the questions in the white box, paste them in this thread and answer them the best you can with a bit of detail so we might be able to help you. We do need more information.
Marie (aka ladybug15057)

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Purple pinchers
Zoea II
Zoea II
Posts: 178
Joined: 15 May 2011, 08:05
Gender: Male
Hermit crabs: 3
Total gallons: 20
Total tanks: 1

Re: New purple pincher tank

Post by Purple pinchers »

Ok well i did what you told me :) And i filled it out tell me if you still need more. Thank for your time and help.

What is the volume of your main tank?
5 or 6 gallon

How many hermit crabs do you currently have? How big are they?
2 medium PP

How long have you had the hermit crab(s) that you are concerned about?
I have had them for about 1month and one week.

What substrate or combination of substrates are you using? How deep is it?
Right now I am useing half calcium sand and half eco dirt. There both about 1 inch deap.

What do you feed your hermit crabs?
I feed them a diffrent type of veggie or fruit a day.

Do you use distilled, bottled, tap or other types of water?
Right now i am useing tap water.

If you are using a dechlorinator, what brand is it? Does it state to remove all heavy metals, chlorine and chloramines?
TYPE HERE

What brand of sea salt are you using to supply your hermit crabs with salt water?
I am useing Instant Ocean.

What heat source are you using and where is it positioned?
I am useing 20 watt light bulb only on the sand half of the tank. It is also turned off at night and sometimes in the day.

Have you calibrated your thermometer(s) and hygrometer so that you can interpret accurate readings?
I have a hygrometer but my thermometer so i am buying a new one.

What is the air temperature range and humidity inside the tank?
The humidity is always 70%-85%. The temp at night gets gets in the low 70s i think then in the day its about 75-80

If you are using an under tank heater, what is the highest temperature that the substrate reaches?
TYPE HERE

Do you have any photos of your tank or hermit crab(s) of concern? If yes, please attach them to your post.
yes i do and here they are.


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CrabbyJo
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Re: New purple pincher tank

Post by CrabbyJo »

That sure is a cozy looking little home. :)
You are right though, they need a lot more room, and will be much happier in a 10 gallon tank when you get it.
It is safe for them to eat the calcium sand, but it is not a very safe substrate. The calcium sand will clump up when it gets wet, and can pack into a crab's shell, dry hard, and trap them in it. It also will grow mold and smell very bad when it stays wet.

A better sand would be Carib Sea brand Aragonite sand, with Oolitic grains. You can usually find it at pet stores that have supplies for salt water fish tanks. The grain size should be "Select" or "Sugar Grain" as those are the only grain sizes that are Oolitic. Oolitic means they are rounded grains, not sharp, and there is next to no risk of a sharp grain of sand getting into a crab's shell and puncturing it's abdomen or causing irritation.

If it is too pricey for you, or too hard to find, it might be best to switch to all Eco Earth. Expand the Eco Earth with your marine salt water to limit mold growth.

You MUST get a water conditioner that removes chloramines and neutralizes heavy metals. Tap water usually contains chlorine, which will blister your crab's gills, causing pain and damage.
It is often better to just purchase distilled water, which is ok because if you are using a marine salt mix, it replaces any electrolytes that were removed in distillation.

It is good that you changed their food, but it is important that they get some good protein sources as well as those fruits and veggies. They are not vegetarians, and need some meat and also things like wood and crunchy leaves! Seaweed is also very important. You can find seaweed at the pet store sold as algae. Don't buy fish food though, it often has Ethoxyquin preservative in it.
They need good calcium sources too. When your mom or dad are cooking dinner, ask for a bit of raw unseasoned meat, like half a teaspoon in size (they don't need much) and microwave it for about 15 seconds to cook it. Put that in their food dish, any kind of meat, including shrimp and fish! I like to buy a shrimp (one!) from the meat counter at my grocery store, steam it, then chop it up (shell, legs and all) and give my crabs a little and freeze the rest to put in their dish maybe about twice a week. Cork bark is cheap at the pet store, and they love to eat and climb on that, as well as cholla wood. Don't use any wooden half logs that are meant for reptiles, those are cedar and are not safe for your crabs.

As for one crab liking it cold and the other warm, this is exactly why it is important to offer them a good temperature range like you say you have. They do not regulate their own body temperature, and have to move about in their environment to do it. Offering a temperature range lets your crabs cool down when they need it, and warm up when they need it. We cannot know what they need, but they instinctively do. You will find a crab enjoys the cold for a while, then suddenly you find him basking in the heat of the lamp for days on end. If we offer them what they need, we know they are happier and healthier. :)
6 hermit crabs - 3 PPs and 3 Equadorians
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Purple pinchers
Zoea II
Zoea II
Posts: 178
Joined: 15 May 2011, 08:05
Gender: Male
Hermit crabs: 3
Total gallons: 20
Total tanks: 1

Re: New purple pincher tank

Post by Purple pinchers »

Thanks for your help :D
The water does not have chlorine in it because it comes from a well then is filltered but it does sometime have iron in it so i probably should look in to a water conditioner.
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ladybug15057
Coenobita
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Posts: 3098
Joined: 03 Mar 2008, 04:12
Gender: Female
Hermit crabs: 82
Total gallons: 305
Total tanks: 7
Location: Southwestern Pa., U.S.

Re: New purple pincher tank

Post by ladybug15057 »

Great reply CrabbyJo, and yes answering the questions has given us more info to help you by. Each question has a reason, even though there is more to hermie keeping this is usually the top most important.
CJ has already replied to the heating question and it is important to have this variable temp 24/7. They need it at night as well. The one question does not approach substrate temp, but it is very important to monitor it as well considering this is what they are usually always in contact with one way or the other.
Where in the tank are the gauges (thermometer and humidity gauge) located? I cannot seem to find them in the pictures? I see where you write you have the humidity gauge, did you calibrate/test it for accuracy?
Well water also needs a dechlorinator. The copper from the pipes also leeches into the water which is harmful to hermies. (in the home the pipes 'maybe' plastic, but they are either some form of metal or copper on the outside of the home.)
Being the hermies are new, they should not of been disturbed until the PPS period was over. (discussed in the crab care section)
A food from each food group should be offered daily.
Marie (aka ladybug15057)

If you are contacted privately (via pm or e-mail) and enticed to join another forum, please contact a Crab Crew member. This is an unethical practice.
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