Crablover Don On: Environment
Message 30
Frrom:
SKRIPEand DUKE <[email protected]>
Date:
Sat Oct 2, 1999 8:24am
Subject:
Re: Harvesting from the wild
Jeanne:
Maybe I can help you a little more with what information you are seeking...
Here goes:
"I am becoming distressed with the number of people taking
hermit crabs from their natural environment. I know it is fun to take home a
hermit crab from the beach, but please, don't do it. In most cases the fatality
(death) rate is very high. In Australia it is illegal to take hermit crabs from
the shore as they are protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act. If you
want a hermit crab that is going to last longer than two weeks (they die of the
stress of being taken out of their home/habitat) then please buy ones that have
been cared for by professionals and that can help you with your supplies. I am
sure they have to obtain permits to take hermit crabs from the wild like the
companies in Australia do. Just remember, every time you take away a hermit
crab from the beach, you mean one less hermit crab family, as hermit crabs
cannot reproduce in captivity." VPR
I do not know if the above statement from Vanessa''s site is what
started your thoughts stated in your message, but what Vanessa says is very
valid in theory, thought and practicality. If you have read much about hermit
crab husbandry, you would know that it is a well-known fact that a small hermit
crab can carry several thousands of eggs per mating period up to sometimes fifty
thousand eggs for a larger /older crab. Mervin Roberts in his book "All
About Land Hermit Crabs" gives a very educational and practical
explanation of 'natures checks and balances' in the husbandry of the LHC. Those
'people' who 'harvest these crabs from the wild are under strict regulations
regarding the areas and harvesting procedures. The same provisions are in place
for the United States, even though they are seldom enforced for the small one
time offenders. The largest natural area for Hermit Crabs in the United States
is in the 'lower part' of Florida around the Keys.
The people who actually do the harvesting of crabs for distributors
work under STRICT guidelines and procedures set forth by the governments from
which they are gathered. These guidelines allow/assure the various species a
continuous redistribution throughout their natural ranges. Demographics are in
place as to where, harvest quotas and species are set as to retain the natural
balance of these little guys so that they are not 'wiped out' by overzealous
harvestersor 'collectors'. Numerical quotas and size are taken into
consideration and distributors such as FMR, Brelands, etc. have limits as to
how many crabs they may get through these 'harvests'. It is a very structured
procedure with many guidelines to comply with from the time they are taken from
the 'wild' until they begin their new lives in 'domestication'.
There is a 'downside' to much of this as the surplus of our little
fellas is that they 'kill off' the over-population of crabs.... just as see
happening in the overpopulated dog and cat world. In some of the 'cultures'
native to our beloved pets actually groom them to be eaten as a delicacy. Most
of the crabs we 'see' in the United States come from the Florida Key area and
other Caribbean areas. Some are imported from the South American areas such as
the Ecuadorians that many of us have grown so fond of!
The beauty of the Wildlife Conservation Protection Acts is that
with all the guidelines in place that our favorite little pets and their many
species should be around for many years to come.... it nature has its way and
nothing catastrophic takes place.
I truly believe that a blueprint has been in place for our precious
little creatures of God and that there is a reason that the delicate procedure
that is the 'key' to reproducing the gentle guys in captivity has yet to be
successful. Why 'fix' it, if it ain't broken????
--- jmaki@r... wrote:
> Thanks Vanessa, for the background. I don't actually know what
the policies/protections are in the U.S., or even where in the U.S. the crabs
are native - but now I'm interested in finding out. Will keep y'all posted...
Message
764
From: CRABLOVER
DON <[email protected]>
Date:
Sat Jan 1, 2000 8:34pm
Subject: Re: have a question
Misty:
At
this time of the year with the cooler weather and all, the crabs are usually a
little more sedate.
They
are, after all, nocturnal and many times they are up and around while YOU are
sleeping. Usually if I do happen to see that a fella hasn't moved from a
certain/ particular spot for a couple of days, then I will 'check him out'...
It is not necessary to 'bother' them or constantly expect them to be up and at
'em when we want them to be. I have several recalcitrant guys who will be the
center of attention unless I want to show them off to a visitor... then they
retract and act like they are afraid of their own shadow... but as soon as no
one is 'really' looking they are back to their normal antics...and 'showing'
off!
Several
of my guys love to be misted but there are others who almost act like they
resent the intrusion of 'their privacy'. If your guy didn't react after a
couple of sprays, he probably just didn't want to be bothered! A pretty good
indicator of knowing if your crab may be in trouble is to take a toothpick or
piece of paper (personally, I use a corner of a piece of paper or paper
towel...it works the same but is much safer...as there is not a danger of
puncturing or injuring your little guy) Using this object GENTLY run it in
between the area between his big claw... a healthy crab will normally grasp at
it quickly and hold on... if he is 'down' he may make a feeble attempt at
grasping it and that would be a signal for you to monitor him well...as this is
often a signal of a soon to be molting crab, especially if some(or any) of the
other indicators of a molt are also present...
On
the other hand, you need to keep a close eye on him to make sure he is not
really sick and possibly in trouble...This is when you reach out and call Kathy
at
FMR
or mail someone directly to seek some help for him. Of course, if no response
after a couple of tries, you can check to see if there is a fishy smell ( the
ultimate indicator of death). The main thing, don't overreact and give up on
him until you smell that smell.
You
might want to curtail the sprays with him for a period of time... as long as he
is getting a good, thorough bath at least once a week... He might be
associating the spray with danger/ or a predator which would make him withdraw
more... With time, you will be able to see and learn the personalities and
demeanors of your individual guys and learn which guys react to which type of
stimuli... I guarantee you, after this is accomplished, you will be surprised
at how well you will be able to predict the 'situation' in your tank.
These
Little Creatures of God NEVER crease to amaze or entertain me! Good Luck !
Happy
Crabbing in 2000!
CLD
---
Czmcgirl@a... wrote:
> I have a
very important question...but first HAPPY NEW YEAR...I just got home...and I
went to check on my crabs, and my newest one I thought was dead...I sprayed he/she
w/ water many times..tring to awake it and for 30 mins it would not move and
the moment I am about to write this letter he/she begins to come out of it's
shell...I was so scared and upset I just go him a week ago....why do you think
this happened and how can I prevent myself from having another heartache...b/c
i have been doing everything correctly.. understand.
> Thanks so
much for all the help through the year
> Misty
Message 877
From:
CRABLOVER DON <[email protected]>
Date:
Thu Jan 27, 2000 6:38am
Subject:
A Tip from Kritterland...........
Hi Folks:
Hope those of you in the eastern U.S. though buried in this
blizzard of snow, are keeping "warm and toasty"... thought I wouls
share a tip that I posted on another forum to which I post regularly. It was in
response to a question of how to keep our little fellows warm if the heat went
off... Pat suggested placing them in a critter carrier then under the covers in
a warm, toasty bed... or hold them next to her body....
I know it is a repeat for those of you from LHC, but I thought I
would share the contingency plan here at Kritterland. It's just another little
Tip from Kritterland... May be it will work for some of you out there! Enjoy
and Happy Crabbing!!! Keep Warm!!!!
Don
--------------------------------------------------------------
W&T...A Tip from KRITTERLAND....
--------------------------------------------------------------
Hi All:
Might let everyone in on a little secret! This fits somewhat into
Pat's question of "what if".... Well, here is the plan we have in
place at Kritterland... Never had to use it yet... *knock wood*... really hope
we won't have to... We refer to the plan as "Project Warm and Toasty"...
Here goes:
You know those little "heat warmer' things that you can
'crush' and they can keep your hands warm? (Most sporting goods stores carry
them... we bought some at an Army Surplus store.)
Well... we keep some around just incase... We have used them in the
past to transport guys on very cold days... Place a 'critter carrier' inside of
a larger styrofoam or soft-sided insulated cooler... put one of these 'heaters'
inside the 'cooler' and your little guys will do pretty well... You can get the
heaters in different ranges... (the length of time they will stay active) Read
the instructions and note that oxygen is needed for them to work correctly. You
can punch a few holes in the styrofoam cooler or leave the zipper unzipped for
the air flow...
Do NOT try putting one of these into their regular tank as the
concentrated heat they give off could harm your guys. Especially, if a little
crabbie decided investigate and sit on it... Direct contact might be dangerous
if one of the little guys would decide to investigate and break the bag open...
You really wouldn't want to present any danger to the little ones...
Basically, this is what FMR does in shipping out orders of crabs
during the cooler periods. I have actually been at the pet stores when an order
of crabs has come in from FMR... I noticed how active the little guys seemed to
be in that shipping box... The guys were safe in their 'gunny' sack with one of
those 'heaters' packed inside of the insulated shipping box.
Have discussed the situation with Kathy... I figured that if this
would work for shipping crabs that I could apply it to keeping my guys warm as
a short time solution incase we lost power... INCASE (hopefully, not!)*knock
wood* I don't really want to have to go through this, but if it does happen, we
are prepared...!!!!
So for all you past G.S. and B.S., Brownies and Cubs, out
there...do your thing! You might want to be prepared and think about this...
Just INCASE!
...just another 'tip' from the guys at Kritterland...
Let's hope no one has to do any EMERGENCY housing... but just
incase, there is an alternative! I love Pat's suggestion, but don't think my
bed is big enough for all my guys and me! We might be getting some of the 'white
stuff' later in the week! Hope all can keep warm and toasty without loss of
heat!
Happy Crabbing and Warm Fuzzies from the Guys at Kritterland... to
all of our "Frozen Friends" out there...
Don
Message
894
From:
CRABLOVER DON <[email protected]>
Date:
Tue Feb 1, 2000 7:25pm
Subject: Re:
Hi all - new to list / Heating/Humidity attn.: TOM
Tom:
Welcome
to Hermies! Hope I can help answer your questions... first of all, you
mentioned cracking the bottom of the aquarium because of your under the tank
heater. What are you using for substrate? You mentioned the humidity level, but
what was the tank temperature? What kind of heater were you using? What were
the temperature ranges for this heater for hermit crabs, you should not use a
heater that heats up to more than 85 degrees F. FMR makes a fantastic under the
tank heater made especially for the use with Hermit Crabs. The basic 'rule of
thumb' for substrate depth is twice as deep as the height of your largest crab.
(ie. if the shell is two inches high, you would need four inches of substrate)
Tom,
a seventy percent level of humidity is rather high. A preferred level is
between fifty and sixty percent humidity. As you noted bacterial growth is a
problem of too much moisture. Your main goal is to MAINTAIN a constant
temperature and humidity level.
You
mentioned using two fifteen watt bulbs and the fact that you turn them off and
on... Neither of these practices is recommended. A maximum of ONE fifteen watt
'heat' (moonglow) bulb is recommended for the use in a ten gallon tank...
otherwise you run the chances of drying out and baking your crabs... with the
humidity level as high as you now have it would most definitely lead to a
dangerous situation.... bacterial growths, steaming your crabs... The ceramic
heat lamp you mentioned is definitely something you do not wish to explore.
Heat bulbs and lamps should never be used as a primary source for heating a
tank for hermit crabs.
You
mentioned reading some past messages. Please go back and use the search engine
option in the message archives and enter "heating" to bring up the
numerous posts about heating suggestions and requirements... May I suggest that
you begin with Archives 21... 10/15/99...message 14 ("Keepin' 'em
Warm") I believe several of your questions are addressed and answered in
this post. If you will look back at these prior posts, I think it would be very
beneficial.
I
would seriously recommend that you look into getting a FMR heater. Visit the
FMR Website at www..fmrpets.com and look at their products. Their heaters are
super... PETdiscounters.com sells them online at a very reasonable price. If
you have not done so you really need to get your temperature at a level
somewhere between 70 and 85 degrees F... 74 degrees F is considered the perfect
temp for the guys... Please lower the humidity level closer to 50/60 percent.
Remember that heat rises... a sponge in a water dish can do wonders in creating
humidity using an under the tank heater. Hope this helped some... after
checking out the archives if you need further answers or clarification please
holler...
Again,
glad you have joined us. We have a great group of folks as members of this
site... We are a good cross section of seasoned and novice crabbers... and
enjoy sharing our experiences and observations!
Happy
Crabbing!
CLD
aka Crablover Don
Moderator
---
RBound55@a... wrote:
> From:
RBound55@a...
> Hi all-
>I'm new to
the list and will probably have questions here and there. I've been reading
some past messages and am so glad I found this list! I've got 6 hermies in a 10
gallon tank right now. I had to replace a tank already because the undertank
heating pad cracked it - (although I had only 1¸" of substrate as
directed). So now I'm using a standard aquarium hood with two 15 watt
incandescent bulbs - but I only use the light now and again to get the
temperature up - wouldn't want to dry the poor guys out. I also switch to the
night bulbs at night to simulatethe moonlight. They seem to like the darkness.
Some sources don't recommend using lights, but I guess it's ok because I'm
careful about keeping the humidity up in at tropical levels. Whats' the general
consensus about the best methods for heating?
> Does
anyone have any experience using those ceramic heating bulbs used for reptiles?
It seems like that will give off heat without the drying effect that light can
have. If I had a bigger tank, I think I would go that route.
> Also, I keep the humidity over 70 all the time - but I worry about bacteria because it seems the only way to keep the humidity up is to keep most of the tank covered - which does not allow for the freshest air in the tank. - of course, I clean the sides of the tank a lot too.
Does the
environment have to stay humid all day or only part of the day? In the wild,
there must be times when it's not humid....
> Tom!
Message 1005
From:
CRABLOVER DON <[email protected]>
Date:
Sun Feb 27, 2000 1:04pm
Subject:
Re: Napoleon!
Mark and others...
For a fairly new member of this group, I realize that this post
might seem like one of a strong admonishment or a study of 'tough love', but if
rehashing this same situation/topic CAN SAVE another crab, then it is worth it!
No one knows more than I do that you cannot know EVERYTHING about crab care in
the beginning or at the start... after three years, I learn something 'new'
several times a week... We learn by our own and mistakes of others... but only
we, the individual can remedy a situation! We can only "offer"
suggestions and advice... It is up to you to 'carry the ball' and get things
going... In an earlier 'post' you said you housed SPIKE and NAPOLEON in a big
guinea pig cage... and that you had lost your previous crabs to parasites and
COLD. You mentioned 'checking out' the archives... so I assumed that you did so
and read all the great information available that the members of this group
posted to share in the hopes of helping others!
Please read the information about heating in the archives. The
'set-up' you have using a sixty watt bulb is a SURE way to harm/kill
NAPOLEON... over and over it has been pointed out that fifteen watts is the
MAXIMUM wattage to use. With your present set-up you are literally 'baking' the
poor little guy... not helping him. Once a fella has been overheated there is
very little that can be done to help him... these deaths are usually slow and
not pleasant at all. While the 75-80 degrees F temp is not out of range, the
high wattage of the bulb you are using creates a very dry, concentrated heat...
exactly what you do NOT want!
These guys need humidity and an open guinea pig cage would be very
difficult to try to build this humidity in... a proper enclosure is almost a
must to be able to 'properly' care for a Hermit Crab.
If you had read earlier posts, you should have seen that you need
to try to MAINTAIN a constant temperature in the crabitat... You said that it:
"... significantly cools down at night..." Not good! This fluctuation
in temperatures only creates more stress on your guy! Which is not good for a possible
molter.
An 'injury' pad MIGHT be okay in an emergency, but for safety
reasons you really should be very careful in using a device like this. You are
setting yourself up for a possible fire hazard... you should never use a device
like you are using for the purpose you are using it for... All heat devices
need air flow to work properly. You can find an under the tank heater MADE for
the use with Hermit Crabs, in a plastic or preferably glass enclosure, at a
reasonable price... much more sensible than the prospect of causing a fire
mishap. On line, PETdiscounters.com has an undertank heater for a great price
of $12.99. A mister is also a very cheap, but good thing to have if you plan to
raise crabs... I'd invest in one ASAP!
What are the temperatures in your present 'cage'?
Is there any substrate there for the guys? If the harm has not
already been done, it might be in the best interest of NAPOLEON to be placed
back in there UNTIL you can read and set things set up properly for a separate
isolation unit. If the 'isolation container' you put him in is small enough to
fit into the main tank... place it in there with him in it... If not, get some
cardboard or another sturdy material to 'block off' a safety area for him
within the main tank.
Mark, you really need to correct these hazards ASAP for the sake of
you, your family and your crabs.
As with any pet, you are going to have to 'lay out' a few dollars
to set things up PROPERLY but I cannot stress to you the fact that you need to
remedy the situation you now have! PLEASE check out previous posts... I hope
that NAPOLEON will make it, but you must get onto this IMMEDIATELY... Good
Luck, but do take into consideration what has been suggested to you.
Happy Crabbing!
CLD
Message
From:
CRABLOVER DON <[email protected]>
Date:
Mon Feb 28, 2000 9:53am
Subject: Re:
Napoleon!
MARK:
The
BOTTOM LINE is that a sixty watt bulb is too high of a wattage NO MATTER
WHAT!!!!! TOO HOT!
Whether
it is bright or not makes zero difference if you are BAKING the poor guys!
Please accept the advice of people who know what they are speaking about! You
are harming your crabs without listening to what is recommended.
If
I had a dime for every e-mail I have had about similar situations resulting in
a crab death due to 'overheat' I could take a trip around the world... As Trena
pointed out AFTER a crab is stressed out by overheating, it is TOO LATE. These
deaths are UNNECESSARY and can be AVOIDED if a person will listen to people who
KNOW they are talking about. These deaths are not pleasant deaths as they are
often long and drawn out. Mark, please take some responsibility and follow
recommendations.
People
who know me, know that I take crab care MOST seriously... They, also, know I
have a very LOW TOLERANCE for people who ask for advice and then when they are
given good advice, whether from me or others, they do whatever they WANT to do.
This forum and community is for SHARING and LEARNING about the best care we can
give our special little friends...
We
are here to EDUCATE new crabbers or HELP and ASSIST other crabbers... We have
tried to make sure the best of information gets to our members... We learn from
others mistakes or problems... but we SHARE. We do not argue or run a point
into the ground when it comes to safety in the care of a Hermit Crab.
Granted
we CAN LEAD you in the right direction, but, YOU and ONLY YOU, must take the
responsibility to make the change. It is as simple as that.
CLD
--- King Mark
of Qoro Navi ShadedRaven@h... wrote:
The bulb wasnt
shining on him, rather through a
mostly opaque
plastic cover
Mark
Message 1156
From:
CRABLOVER DON <[email protected]>
Date:
Sun Mar 19, 2000 3:59pm
Subject:
Re: have a question/ Humidity and Molts
Misty:
Placing a large natural/sea sponge in a 'more shallow' dish should
allow for more dissipation of the water and create more humidity... this is
especially true if your 'dish' is placed over an area above a undertank
heater...
As for the molting... That is one of the calls of nature... I have
crabs who molt quite often and others of the same size that have never
molted... while there are general guidelines that 'suggest' a general time
frame for a crab to molt, it is just that.. a guideline.
Both Jenn and I have a little "E" that seems to have a
time clock running when it comes to a molt... doing 'the deed' on a much
quicker cycle as their counterparts... While most guys of this size would be
expected to molt a couple to 'several' times a year, these fellas are popping
those exo's every month to six weeks... we have both lost count of the actual
number of times the action has taken place... These two guys have the practice
down so well, that often they are down and back up before you know it! If all
of our molts could go with such ease and success!
Patience will pay off! Probably in the form of ALL of your guys
deciding to do the molt thing all at the same time! Seriously, as long as they
seem active and lively....enjoy... save the 'nail biting' worries of the molt
when nature takes its course... In the meantime, the weekly baths in the
stresscoat treated water... a little boost of extra calcium... (via some
cuttlebone, crushed eggshell, or oyster shell) and a good balanced diet should
'prep' them pretty well for the 'big event' as it approaches...
Good Luck and Happy Crabbing! CLD
---
CZMCGIRL@A... wrote:
So
if anyone has any suggestions please let me know what I can do to
make the humidity go up b/c I have had my crabs for a year and they
haven't molted yet and I am really scared that maybe one reason why
they haven't is b/c of the humidity, and if they do they might
die. I am really really scared about one of them molting
after hearing how so many die during a molt. I want
to prevent that as much as possible. Thanks for all the
help. Misty
Message
1165
From: CRABLOVER DON <[email protected]>
Date:
Mon Mar 20, 2000 3:12am
Subject: Re: have
a question/ Humidity and Molts
Misty:
Most
definitely! Heat rises therefore it would help boost the humidity... Lights
alone, do little to nothing in assisting in getting your humidity level up to a
good level... One should never depend on a 'heat' bulb to heat their tank.
These bulbs alone, especially if the wattage is higher than the recommended 15
watts, can cause dehydration...
Best
results are achieved by using the undertank heater IN CONJUNCTION with a 15
watt incandescent 'heat' bulb. Misty, I have been able to maintain constant
humidity levels of about 55 % and the temperature range is usually between 72
and 76 degrees F at any given time... I use both the FMR undertank heater and a
15 watt 'moonglo' bulb which is a 'heat' bulb that radiates a little heat, but
casts a wonderful glow simulating the moon within the tank.
These
are on 24/7... This 'light' does not seem to bother the guys and you can watch
them go about their nightly romps without disturbing them!
There
are several brands of these bulbs out there... if you can locate one, I highly
recommend the one distributed by ESU (Energy Savers Unlimited) this brand might
run slightly higher in cost, but it lasts much longer and the performance is
superior to the other brands I have used. They are sold in the reptile section
of most pet stores. Look for a Reptile "NIGHTLIGHT", a 15 watt
incandescent Nocturnal Black Heat Lamp...... it is in a gray box and states:
"Coated
with Rare Earth Black Phosphors... to stimulate the natural glow of the moon...
" After three years of use, I fully endorse this product along with the
FMR brand of heater. Both are excellent products. I do know, the FMR heater can
be purchased online at PETDISCOUNTERS.COM. at a pretty good price of $12.99...
The do carry a "NIGHT CYCLE" brand moonglo bulb for around $5.99 and
some change... This is another highly recommended brand... These bulbs usually
run around seven dollars in the retail stores...
Good
luck and Happy Crabbing!
Don
Message 1183
From:
CRABLOVER DON <[email protected]>
Date:
Mon Mar 20, 2000 11:23am
Subject:
Re: Sponges and some tips...
Misty:
As long as the sponge is a NATURAL sponge (also known as a SEA sponge)
you would be okay... I have purchased many of my larger sponges from Michael's
Crafts Stores...as I have found the prices were cheaper. You do not want to use
a man-made sponge as these are not good for the well-being of your guys because
of their reputation of harboring bacteria.
The 'natural/sea' sponge is great because the guys can munch on it
and often there are traces of coral and other 'good' calcium traces left behind
from the harvesting... To be safe; however, I do have several that I 'switch
out' every other day... to prevent any possible build up of bacteria.
I know my 'procedure' might sound time consuming, but it really
doesn't take that long to do if you consider that "prevention" <of
bacterial growth> outweighs the possibility of suffering the problems
associated with bacterial growths. My 'personal' manner of rinsing them out is:
I 'soak' them <until the water cools enough to 'handle' them> in some
very hot water with a tbls. or so of baking soda... rinse them thoroughly with
tap water <until the water runs clear ... squeezing them along the way>.
I 'squeeze all the water out and and then place them in a container of
dechlorinized water for a 'final' soak...<min of at least ten minutes>
Squeeze out as much of the water as possible and allow to air dry until ready
to use again... Been using this 'procedure' for several years now and <KNOCK
WOOD> haver *never* had any bacterial problems! <KNOCK WOOD, again!!>
---
CZMCGIRL@A... wrote:
Well,
I have a glass lid and two sponges and a water dish and wrap around
the tank and still can't get the humidity up past 30. I
have a light that is meant for hermit crabs over the tank for heat,
so I really don't know much more I can do. I do have one
last question, I was at home depot a month ago b/c I was repainting
my office and notice the big sponges they have for painting which
were really cheap compared to the little ones you buy in the pet
stores and was wondering if that would help w/ the humidity and if so would
it be safe for my hermies. Thanks for all the suggestions. Misty