I am located in Indiana. I have a 55 gallon aquarium that is the standard dimension, 48”x13”x21”. The substrate is a 5:1 mix of play sand and eco earth. It is completely mixed, but I did leave a design against the front of the glass for the look of it. It’s a very thin layer, so the crabs have well mixed subrstrate that is strong enough to form their tunnels.
The center of the tank has a cocohut, some plastic plants, a hanging AcuRite temp/humidity gauge and a log made out of cork bark.
The left side of the tank has a saltwater pool with air stone. A shell shop hangs above that, with shells for the smallest crabs. Above that is a moss pit. Ok the side of it you can see a chunk of cholla wood and some decorative plants.
On the back of the tank I have a Zoo Med UTH, and against the glass you can see more plastic plants.
On the right side of the tank I have a fresh water pool with air stone. A piece of cholla is next to the pool for easy pool access. Above that is a shell shop for my slightly bigger crabs. Above that is a calcium pit, with ehh shells, cattle bone and oyster shell.
Throughout the tank there are vines that allow the crabs to move around to various levels, but they often climb the plastic plants along the back of the tank as well.
The top of the tank is made up of 2 standard aquarium hoods, with UVB bulbs in each. I do have to tape the gaps to keep the humidity in. I want to add a topper someday, so I’m using this for now. Once I get the topper then I will come up with a lid that doesn’t need to be taped.
Everything has been a stable 85/85 for months, but now I’m seeing a slight drop on temp because of the change in weather. I added a 2nd smaller UTH to help make up the difference and it feels warmer in there, but my temp gauge has not seen a big difference in readings. I will be insulaging the back of the tank, working around the Zoo Med UTH, to try to help keep some of the heat in. Crabs seem active and healthy, so I may also try to calibrate my temp gauge.
All is well otherwise. I set this tank up in May. I’ve had my crabs since November 2017. Almost time to celebrate our 1 year anniversary! Thank you for being there with me on this crazy journey. 🙂