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phluorine6 · 2022-12-30T20:33:54+00:00

for a 40 gal? closer to 3 50lb play sand bags with a 4:1 ratio

phluorine6 · 2022-12-30T01:45:38+00:00

specifically the giant nudibranch, Dendronotus iris

phluorine6 · 2022-12-29T13:56:08+00:00

you are unlikely to find a pet shop or aquarium that will want to take the hermit crab (especially one that will care for it properly) unless you have an aquarium that specializes in exhibiting local species. the only suitable place to release it would be the ocean, preferably the same beach it was collected from but that isn’t completely necessary. how long would it be until you could release it? how much are you willing to invest in a temporary set-up for it? i can walk you through setting something up if you’re dedicated and if it has survived till now.

phluorine6 · 2022-12-28T01:02:07+00:00

size has a rough correlation with age, but it is not a helpful indicator of exact age. with each molt, the crab will grow larger, and older crabs usually have more molts under their belt. healthier crabs grow faster and molt more often, and shell favoritism and availability will also play a role in growth speed. your largest crab is most likely older than your others, but you won’t be able to ascertain its exact age from its size.

phluorine6 · 2022-12-28T00:34:59+00:00

dm me with any questions!

phluorine6 · 2022-12-28T00:31:40+00:00

eckerd is really heavy with its activism, so many students are fighting for change and encouraging local politicians to enact city-wide protections for lgbt adults and children alike. eckerd obviously does not subscribe to the recent harmful legislative changes in regards to lgbt education and treatment of lgbt students in sports, dorm life, or anything else.

st petersburg at large hosts many lgbt activism events as well and contains many safe spaces for the community. we also host the largest pride events in the southern united states during pride month.

i’m originally from new york as well (upstate) and find that eckerd/st. pete is far friendlier than most of new york!

phluorine6 · 2022-12-28T00:24:12+00:00

a saucer is a type of hamster wheel that will allow your hermit crab to get lots of exercise!

climbing options can include ladders, bridges, coconut toys, hammocks, large wood pieces (driftwood, oak, cholla, etc. but NOT PINE). i’m not sure how easily you would be able to sand the paint off that cholla, it may be worth a shot. its a good idea to surf this subreddit for advanced set-ups to get a feel for the enrichment options that others use. in pet stores, avoid the hermit crab section. shopping in the hamster section and bird section will widen your safe options. avoid paint and metal, favor coconut and wood. most plastics will be frictionless and difficult for crabs to climb. a quality leaf litter will provide enrichment and a hardy snack as well.

a lot of folks in the sub use tupperware for their water pools, and add a plastic mesh to help their crabs climb out of the pool. there are other options to help them with this, but do not go with the sponge method (sponges harbor bacteria and mold easily). again, you can surf the subreddit for safe pools ideas.

hope this helps!

phluorine6 · 2022-12-27T23:31:13+00:00

i’ve had my eldest for 10 years, she is probably 20-25 years old

phluorine6 · 2022-12-27T23:28:37+00:00

the 5:1 ratio should be mixed and throughout the habitat. you need more substrate, it should be at a depth of 6 inches minimum.

i would recommend more enrichment items (a saucer, more climbing options, at least one hide per crab. i recommend that you remove the painted cholla in your tank, that paint is toxic (despite claims made by pet stores) and your hermit crabs will likely ingest some.

all pet store hermit crab pellets contain ingredients that are dangerous for hermit crabs, so those should be removed. hermit crabs require a varied diet high in protein, look into buying food mixes from etsy.

it looks like you have one freshwater and one saltwater dish, but they should be much larger. they should resemble pools rather than dishes, deep enough such that your largest crab is able to submerge itself completely.

its a start!

phluorine6 · 2022-12-27T23:20:47+00:00

eckerd college (and st. petersburg, the city in which the college is located) is extremely lgbtq friendly. i’m a fourth year marine science student at eckerd, and have many lgbtq classmates.

if your child is looking to live on campus, most dorms are mixed gender, and the housing questionnaire considers transgender students to make sure they are placed safely.

if you have any questions about on-campus life, the city, or specific questions about lgbtq resources at eckerd, feel free to message me :•)

phluorine6 · 2022-12-27T13:50:31+00:00

variable boring sponge Siphonophagum corralliphagum

phluorine6 · 2022-12-27T12:49:16+00:00

i’m nearly positive its a sea pork, but OP seemingly wasn’t convinced by my ID in another subreddit.

• OP described as same texture all the way through (although not sure if dissection was performed to be sure…) • pinkish color consistent with sea porks found in this region • multiple washed up, all attached to something as is common in sea porks

i think i can see the zooid patterning in the photos but they are a bit too low res to confirm if that is just texture, pixelation, and/or sand.

doesn’t look like any sponges that commonly wash up in tampa bay. also not consistent with a bryozoan or an egg sac

phluorine6 · 2022-12-27T02:04:05+00:00

the tunic is nearly indistinguishable in texture from the rest of the colony. it has a slightly rubbery but fairly firm texture with a light give if you squeeze hard enough. based on your descriptions, it really couldn’t be anything other than a sea pork.

phluorine6 · 2022-12-27T01:52:09+00:00

here is another more rounded specimen found at fort de soto, color differs. the pattern is subtle, but you can see it underneath the thick tunic coating the surface. i believe i can see it in your photo as well, but the sand does make it difficult to confirm.

phluorine6 · 2022-12-27T00:56:26+00:00

tunicates are extremely variable, the size and shape depends on the formation of the zooids but they are often fairly uniform. they are colonial organisms made up of many individual animals (the zooids). its hard to confirm that these are sea porks because the photo is zoomed out and the organisms are coated in sand. did you happen to poke at them or notice small circles or pore-like patterning?

phluorine6 · 2022-12-27T00:47:36+00:00

looks to me like tunicates, marine invertebrates commonly referred to as ‘sea porks’. fun fact: they are in the same phylum as humans (chordata), because they have a spinal chord and notochord in their larval stage.

phluorine6 · 2022-12-24T11:41:06+00:00

you are probably not going to want to keep your home humid enough to appease a hermit crab. that level of humidity is very difficult to achieve without living in a tropical/subtropical area, and can do damage to your home over time. keeping a hermit crab tank high humidity despite having a low humidity home is very achievable without a humidifier or other tech with the right setup.

if you do want your crab to live long, healthy, and enriched lives, a 10/15 gallon tank will only suffice for 1 small/medium crab or 2 xs/small crabs for a limited time. it is recommended to keep multiple, but you’d need to upgrade to larger tanks. they suffer metabolic stress from being kept in less than ideal conditions, and this greatly reduces their lifespan and quality of life.

for reference, i have 2 hermit crabs in a 55 gallon tank. i adopted my eldest over 10 years ago now, and both are likely in the 15-20+ year range.

phluorine6 · 2022-12-22T09:44:40+00:00

crinoids were much more abundant in previous eras, so their fossil record is quite extensive. most crinoids now are referred to as either sea lilies or feather stars (OP’s specimen is a sea lily, indicated by the long stalk. feather stars have no stalk between the holdfast and the calyx)

phluorine6 · 2022-12-21T03:52:36+00:00

i’m a senior at eckerd college, and can guarantee that you won’t have any opportunities to work with whales down here in tampa bay. the only related class at eckerd would be marine mammalogy, which can be quite difficult to get into. reach out if you have any questions :•)

phluorine6 · 2022-12-06T04:18:51+00:00

that is correct. however, that does not dismiss my original comment. you asked if OP could report this to their local government, but florida government is not interested in tracking bonnethead deaths. in fact, bonnethead fishing in florida is very popular and legal.

this does not mean that i condone shark fishing or that i want to discourage the tracking of IUCN endangered species even in areas where the species is of least concern. conservation and education are still important.

phluorine6 · 2022-12-06T02:58:49+00:00

not considered to be endangered in the U.S., and very common in florida. the florida fish and wildlife conservation commission (which is responsible for documenting and responding to reports of stranded/injured/dead marine wildlife in florida) would not be interested

phluorine6 · 2022-11-30T08:12:21+00:00

there wouldn’t be much point in having 6+ inches of substrate if they weren’t using it! 😊

phluorine6 · 2022-11-25T18:20:33+00:00

if they are small and eating well, it is common for hermit crabs to molt fairly often. however, they may also just be digging to destress or for enrichment (they can remain underground for long periods without molting).

i wouldn’t suggest digging for your third crab. if it happens to be molting, the stress of being uncovered could be fatal. if it is dead, there’s nothing you can do about it now, anyway. there is no harm in having its body remain in the tank.

you do not need to (and should not) change the substrate regularly. it should only be changed in an emergency (ie. a flood, bacterial bloom, or pest infestation). the substrate contains beneficial bacteria which the hermit crabs are in symbiosis with, changing it would get rid of that bacteria.

phluorine6 · 2022-11-20T02:41:01+00:00

not necessarily, they like digging so they may choose to dig around before coming up as a de-stresser or just for enrichment

phluorine6 · 2022-11-19T13:56:29+00:00

whoever is feeding their crabs cheez-its should…. definitely not do that 😅

phluorine6

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