I live here in VA. USA and it is cold here right now. My home temp is usually about 70 degrees and the inside temp for my crabitat is around 70. My thermometer is mounted about 6 inches above the substrate. I have an under tank heater so I decided to check the temp of the substrate directly above the heater. The temp is around 94 degrees. I also checked the special corner where the crabs hang out and the temp was right at 80 degrees. Only half of the tank has the under tank heater so the crabs can get away from the heat if they desire. The temp in the rest of the substrate is around 80 as well. The substrate is sand. Here is my question. Should the temp of the air be 75-80 degrees or are we just worried about the substrate? I think if I try to raise the heat so it registers at 75-80 I will be cooking my crabs. For a few days I wrapped a people heating pad around one corner of the tank and the ambient temp never changed. Is what I am doing ok or if not help The humidity seems to hover around 65-70.
Thanks for any imput........
Kathy
Until you figure out what to do with supplemental lighting, use a space heater. You can set it on low and move it around until you get an optimal air temperature reading in the crabitat. But keep an eye on the humidity! If it starts to drop, you can pour some dechlor water in the corners of the tank.
Or, if you are in a 10 gallon, try using a 15 or 25 watt moonglow bulb in an aquarium hood. You can put it to the cold end so they have a side they can go to if it gets too hot for them. Again, keep an eye on the humidity.
Thanks for the input. I had to think about it but I remembered that we had a reptile hood out in our shed. I went and got it and even the reptile lights still worked. 60 watt sunglow and 75 watt moonglow. So I plugged it in and then just started watching the temp like a hawk. I run the sunglow and the flurescent during the day and the moonglow at night. To my amazement the temp now hangs around 78 degrees. The humidity issue is addressed by spraying some crab climbing material with declor water frequently. I have ordered a Tropic Aire Humidifier that should be here within the week. I have noticed that the crabs are a whole lot more active than before as well. I like the fact that I can sit and watch them at night with the moonglow shining on them.
My new task is getting them a much bigger place to live.
I am so glad that worked out for you! Keeping hermit crabs is not an old hobby by any means, so there is constant innovation going on. A lot of the old school people who have had crabs for years now are very paranoid about heat lamps because they lost crabs to drying out back when they were told to use desk lamps and wood shavings for substrate!
I'm new to it, and am willing to try new stuff. Since I had my fourth successful molt come up yesterday, with both missing limbs and missing eye regenerated, and much darker in color than he was when he went down, I am very pleased with my tank set up. Though it's beginning to look a lot like a spacecraft. I did a huge deepclean and rearranged my 120 gallon yesterday and I am still baking sand and rocks. I have posted pix of the new configuration at my album.
The humidity seems to hover around 65-70. 
