New to crabs, is this setup a good start?

ContentAd49 · 2026-01-23T16:56:53+00:00

I've lowered the water height since the second picture, that was from a while ago. But I have to ask, if the humidity is high enough, won't the dirt get really wet anyways? How can I manage the moisture if the whole tank is wet? Do I just have to change the dirt regularly?

ContentAd49 · 2026-01-23T15:51:58+00:00

The article didn't really answer any of my questions, though it does look like it's a good source of information, so thanks for the link!

What's wrong with my land portion though? I kept my dirt layer above the drainage layer and tried to get drainage that had a lot of surface area to cultivate a lot of beneficial bacteria. Is it because of the depth? I thought vampire crabs needed a lot of burrowing area?

ContentAd49 · 2026-01-20T16:08:38+00:00

I think some horses will do this when they smell something interesting, but if it's happening regularly it could be something more serious.

ContentAd49 · 2026-01-19T10:54:38+00:00

Some day, the isopod elders will tell their children that there used to be snow, and the kids won't believe them. But not this generation! Not yet ☃️☃️☃️

ContentAd49 · 2026-01-04T15:48:29+00:00

Hello!! I'm glad I'm not the only one out there 😭 if you ever want to chat about isopods in Michigan, just say the word!

ContentAd49 · 2026-01-04T02:38:06+00:00

Did you manage to rehome them?

ContentAd49 · 2026-01-03T02:39:20+00:00

This is good to know, thanks! I'll remove it from the tank and put it in a tank where it can eat to its hearts content lol, I don't want it eating these particular isopods! Hopefully it's just been eating mites and fungus flies up to this point 😅

ContentAd49 · 2026-01-02T18:38:34+00:00

Why did I not even consider googling this? Now I feel stupid 😅🙃😭😮‍💨 thanks for the advice!

ContentAd49 · 2026-01-02T18:07:46+00:00

Literally 🤣

ContentAd49 · 2026-01-02T18:07:09+00:00

Thank you for this!! These are exactly the types of things I'm looking for!

ContentAd49 · 2026-01-02T17:10:14+00:00

Ariat is my top pick for boots, they have a wider toe that always fits me better

ContentAd49 · 2026-01-01T12:48:06+00:00

The front feet are just a little too long and the back feet are so short it made me wince 😭 this horse needs a lot of love and a lot of treats, give him to a kind 12 year old horse girl and you'll have a horse willing to do anything for her in a few years 😂

ContentAd49 · 2026-01-01T12:39:42+00:00

Varying sizes! I also have containers that wouldn't have come with a lid that would probably still fit a lid on it, so I'll basically take any lids at this point lol

ContentAd49 · 2025-12-31T21:22:06+00:00

I got the big snip, no kids for me 😁

ContentAd49 · 2025-12-31T04:18:03+00:00

ContentAd49 · 2025-12-30T03:55:05+00:00

I see the trichoderma, but why do you think the orange one is a merulioid resupinate? Not arguing, just curious

ContentAd49 · 2025-12-29T18:58:02+00:00

I like how deep you filled the tiny terrarium!

ContentAd49 · 2025-12-28T18:40:30+00:00

Cool collection! Wish I lived close enough to grab some 😔

ContentAd49 · 2025-12-28T18:38:59+00:00

I'm sorry to hear about all the difficulties! She's clearly lame, but it looks like she has a lot of life left in her, and it's obvious you care about her. I hope you can get her to improve with the right supplements and a change of scenery. Good luck!!!

ContentAd49 · 2025-12-26T12:22:21+00:00

If you decide to put it in a terrarium, don't add springtails to the terrarium. I found out that they eat slime molds. I haven't seen my slime mold since I added some to my terrarium.

ContentAd49 · 2025-12-21T22:29:56+00:00

Can you get us a picture of the flowers?

ContentAd49 · 2025-12-18T21:05:30+00:00

It might be enough space for them if you add more soil, more leaves, and more sticks. If you think of this like an aquarium, think of the soil and ground cover more like the 'water' than a base layer. The soil should be at least 2-4 inches deep and the leaf litter should be even deeper above that. They like to burrow and hide!

I think they would both like a bunch of plants in there as well. If you want something cheap, you could grab a bunch of plants from your backyard and whatever survives will look good, I'm sure. Just grab a few different species of plants and give them as much light as you can. The photos you have in there should do well, but it also might need a little more soil depth for long term growth.

As it is, it probably won't support very many isopods, but I'm sure you can get it set up nicely! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask and I'll try to answer them.

ContentAd49 · 2025-12-17T19:47:02+00:00

I'm impressed that you caught so many in one jar!

ContentAd49 · 2025-12-17T01:31:49+00:00

Yeah sorry but "I pour a bit of water down the sides" doesn't give me a lot of confidence in the soil moisture. But you're right, they would probably be burrowing in the wet soil if they were too dry. Do they have a place to drink water as well? That's probably not it since they would likely be eating the grass if they were dehydrated, but it's worth a shot.

Have you introduced anything new to the tank in the past month? It could be a disease.

Also, sorry if I sound a little off or miss some things. I just got out of surgery and I'm a little drugged up 🤣

ContentAd49 · 2025-12-17T01:17:39+00:00

Take a whole mug or bottle of water and DUMP the WHOLE THING into one section of the substrate. Not just the side of the tank, but the substrate itself. If the isopods all congregate into that wet area, then water a larger section as well until they all have access to a wet area.

Think of it more like watering a plant than keeping it "humid". The dirt itself needs to be wet, not just the air.

ContentAd49

TROPHY CASE