Aussie Tank Setup
Since my hermit crabs started mating, I've had a lot of people asking me to show them how I have set up my tank.
While tank environment plays a part, so do diet, crab age, natural animal behaviour and plain old luck.
In any case, here is my Aussie tank. It hasn't always looked like this, and it probably won't stay like this for long.
Substrate
My substrate fluctuates between 8" and 11". This is due to settling and compaction along with the crabs eating elements of the substrate.
When all of the crabs are up, I like to fluff the sub and add more leaf litter, sphagnum moss, worm castings and egg shells. These are important elements in the substrate plays a part in creating the perfect bioactive environment; they are also make up a large part of a hermit crabs' diet. These are also known as "substrate amendments".
If some or all of my crabs are down, I like to sprinkle new amendments on top of the sub. The isopods like hiding and eating the amendments too, so it works out well for everyone.
My substrate is sandcastle consistency which gives my hermit crabs a great digging and moulting opportunity without the danger of collapse.
Humidity
The humidity in this tank is usually pretty stable at around 86%. If I don't open the tank for a few days it can go up as high as 95%.
Keep in mind:
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The newer the tank setup, the higher your humidity will read.
If the humidity is reading 99%, don't stress. As your tank settles, the humidity will stabilise somewhere above 80%.
There's not much to say on humidity in my tank really.
I keep it above 80%.
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-If you cut corners by skimping on heat, a sealed lid, or the consistency or amount of substrate in your tank it will fall below 80%... So don't do that. And, don't spray your tank. Ever 😉
Food
All of my crabs are fed the same foods, but I try and mix it up as much as possible. Hermit crabs are microscopic eaters and *fun fact* they prefer to eat foods which are nutritionally diverse or foods in which they have not recently consumed.
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This table on the right demonstrates how I choose to feed my crabs based on personal observations and research of their needs.
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Staples include the following:
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Worm Castings
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Leaf Litter
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Eggs shells
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Cuttlebone
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Sphagnum moss
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Meat is not something they need every single day. But, when I feed my crabs meat it's usually some sort of fish, like mackerel, chicken or beef. I never feed them seasoned food and I never feed them processed meats. I avoid preservatives like the plague and urge you to too.
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Once every month or so I feed my crabs a pinkie mouse. This is hard to do on a personal level, however the crabs need what the crabs need.
Lighting
I have a UVB lighting the main part of my tank and a fish tank light (white LED) illuminating the topper.
UVB provides a source of Vitamin D which promotes calcium absorption and helps give the crabs a healthy exoskeleton.
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When I first became a hermit crab owner, I didn't have a UVB and my crabs would hide most of the time. While this is only anecdotal, I noticed an increase in my crabs behaviour and appetite after I added the UVB.
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They're not cheap, and do need to be replaced every 6 months, but they make the tank look amazing and are beneficial to your crabs.
There are bigger and better tanks out there. This is a 65 gallon tank with a 5 gallon topper.
I think I have covered the basic elements of my Aussie tank with the Breeding Bunch in it. All of my tanks are maintained in much the same way, however this particular tank has peaked some interest 🖤