What can crabs climb?

[Drayven]

So while I'm waiting for my first tank to cycle I've been thinking of tank #2, yes the aquarium bug has got me When I started looking around for a tank I picked up a used 60 gallon breeder and later realized there was a nick in the corner that I don't trust. I do however trust it enough that I'm willing to fill the tank a little over halfway, just below the chip. The GF and I both want fiddler crabs so I'm thinking of a brackish tank. The idea is that it'd be half full of water and then there'd be a pier like structure built above the water so the crabs could have somewhere to go for dry land, an elevated sandbox basically. This would still leave ~30 gallons of water for a few fish below. I'm thinking I'll make some sort of angled ramp down along the back of the tank from the platform to the water but I'm trying to figure out what to make it out of so that the crabs will be able to easily climb out. See the diagram below, and don't be jealous of my Photoshop skills

 

[mgamer20o0]

they can and will climb anything to escape. even a airline hose they will climb. i think your set up looks fine.

 

[bmg07]

that would be aswome great idea.i think it would work fine.. if u do end up doing this i mant to see pics.

 

[meegosh]

You could use some aquarium safe silicone to adhere your ramp and platform to the tank walls. I would personally still be a little leery of the chip however. If it was me I would ditch it but others are not as picky as me!

I like the design, I would love to see pictures of the finished product also! Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Drayven]

Thanks for the info all. I think I may end up selling off the 60 gallon as a terrarium and then buying a new tank for this project as soon as I figure out where to put it. And of course after I make sure I don't complete kill everything in the cycling 50 gallon After some further digging around I think what I might do is get one or 2 of something like this and attach the "sandbox" to that to give it kind of a natural look. Keep the ideas coming though, I need to pass the time while I wait to put fish in the other tank!

Actually there's one other aspect I need to figure out. I think every aquarium heater I've seen hangs from the back of the tank. Because I"m only going half full of water I need something that sits towards the bottom, any ideas? Maybe I could use like a hot pad or something under the tank?

 

[An t-iasg]

That's an excellent picture! I've never had a fiddler crab but I'd be wary of putting fish in with the crab. Crabs are opportunistic and will catch the fish if they can.

As far as a heater, any submersible heater can be placed horizontally also, under your water line.

 

[bmg07]

bump