2. 2023

Hermit Crabs Care

Certainly! Here's a manual on the captive care of hermit crabs as pets.
Captive Care Manual for Hermit Crabs as Pets
Introduction:
Hermit crabs are fascinating creatures that make for unique and interesting pets. Proper care and attention are crucial to ensure their well-being and longevity in captivity. This manual will guide you through the essential aspects of hermit crab care, including habitat setup, feeding, and general maintenance.
1. Habitat Setup:
a. Tank: Select a suitable tank that provides ample space for your hermit crabs. A 10-gallon tank can accommodate up to three small-sized hermit crabs. Ensure that the tank has a secure lid to prevent escapes.
b. Substrate: Use a substrate of about 4-6 inches deep, consisting of a mix of sand and coconut fiber. This mimics the natural environment and allows for burrowing.
c. Temperature and Humidity: Maintain a temperature range of 75-85°F (24-29°C) with a humidity level of 70-80%. A heat pad or lamp can be used to achieve the required temperature.
d. Lighting: Provide a natural day-night cycle using a full-spectrum UVB light. This helps with the synthesis of vitamin D3 and promotes healthy shell growth.
e. Hideouts: Place several shelters and hiding spots like rocks, driftwood, and hollowed-out shells. These will provide security and privacy to the hermit crabs.
2. Feeding and Nutrition:
a. Balanced Diet: Feed your hermit crabs a varied and balanced diet. Commercial hermit crab food can be supplemented with fresh fruits, vegetables, and protein sources like fish, shrimp, and dried insects. Avoid using seasoned or salted foods.
b. Calcium and Supplements: Provide a cuttlebone or crushed eggshells as a calcium source to support healthy shell growth. Mineral supplements can be added to their water as per the instructions.
c. Fresh Water and Saltwater: Keep a dish of fresh dechlorinated water and another dish of saltwater (made with marine salt mix) in the tank. Both should be shallow enough for the crabs to access without difficulty.
d. Food Placement: Scatter the food around the tank, including in shallow dishes and near hiding spots. This encourages foraging behavior and prevents food competition.
3. Maintenance:
a. Tank Cleaning: Regularly clean the tank to maintain hygiene. Remove any uneaten food, feces, or molted exoskeletons. Perform a partial substrate change every few months to prevent odor and bacterial growth.
b. Molting Process: Hermit crabs shed their exoskeletons periodically. During this time, provide extra humidity and avoid disturbing them. After molting, ensure the crab has access to a calcium source to harden its new exoskeleton.
c. Shell Selection: Hermit crabs change shells as they grow. Offer a variety of sizes and shapes of shells to accommodate their growth. Avoid painted shells as they can be toxic.
d. Social Interaction: Hermit crabs are social animals and thrive in groups. Consider providing companions for your hermit crab, ensuring compatibility in size and species.
e. Health Monitoring: Regularly observe your hermit crabs for signs of health issues such as abnormal behavior, shell damage, or weight loss. Consult a veterinarian experienced in exotic pets if you notice any concerns.
4. Additional Tips:
a. Avoid Chemicals: Keep hermit crabs away from household chemicals, pesticides, and aerosol sprays as they are sensitive to these substances.
b. Avoid Excessive Handling: While hermit crabs can tolerate gentle handling, excessive handling can cause stress and injury. Limit handling to prevent unnecessary distress.
c. Educational Resources: Continuously educate yourself

Mantis Shrimp As Marine Pets in Thick Acrylic Tanks

Mantis shrimp come in a variety of striking colors, including vibrant shades of green, red, blue, and orange. They have segmented bodies and prominent eyes on stalks, providing them with excellent vision. The size of mantis shrimp varies depending on the species, ranging from a few centimeters to up to 45 centimeters (18 inches) in length.

Mantis shrimps are fascinating creatures known for their remarkable intelligence and unique attributes. They possess highly developed visual systems and complex behaviors, making them captivating pets for enthusiasts. Here are some key aspects of their intelligence and attributes when kept as pets:

1. Visual prowess: Mantis shrimps have one of the most advanced visual systems in the animal kingdom. They possess compound eyes capable of perceiving an extensive range of colors and polarized light. This remarkable vision helps them navigate their surroundings and hunt with precision.

2. Hunting skills: Mantis shrimps are formidable predators. They have powerful claws that can strike with incredible speed and force, capable of breaking through shells and even glass aquarium walls. Their hunting techniques and ability to catch prey make them captivating to observe.

3. Intricate behaviors: Mantis shrimps exhibit various complex behaviors, including burrowing, cleaning their surroundings, and constructing intricate burrows or nests. They can also display social behaviors, such as sharing a burrow with a mate or engaging in courtship rituals.

4. Aquarium setup: Keeping mantis shrimps as pets requires a carefully designed aquarium. They need a suitable environment with appropriate water parameters, hiding places, and substrate to mimic their natural habitat. Proper research and understanding are crucial to ensure their well-being.

5. Individual personalities: Mantis shrimps can display unique personalities and behaviors, which adds to their allure as pets. Some individuals may be more curious and interactive, while others may be more reclusive. Observing and understanding their individual traits can be an enjoyable aspect of keeping them as pets.

It's important to note that mantis shrimps can be challenging to care for due to their specialized needs and potential aggression. They require an experienced and responsible owner who can provide the appropriate care and environment to ensure their welfare.

Because Mantis Shrimp can break the tank they’re kept in, I’d recommend finding a fish tank with extremely thick acrylic. These kinds of tanks are usually custom made. For information about Custom Made Acrylic Tanks at a very reasonable price, you should look at the super thick acrylic tanks they make at Big Fish Custom Acrylic Aquariums.

I got my 55 gallon ‘scrap glass’ acrylic tank for under $300 but I was “johnny on the spot”

https://bigfishcaa.com 

4. Lifespan:

The lifespan of mantis shrimp can vary, but most species live for an average of 3 to 5 years. However, with proper care and a suitable environment, some species can live up to 10 years or more.

5. Proper Care and Feeding:

You can read the whole article which is also illustrated at: 

Also check out: 

Zoo Quality Acrylic Tanks and Enclosures That Will Surprise You

Do you think you’d like a great big acrylic tank? Would you want it to be custom made for a particular room or a particular kind of fish? 

Big Fish Custom Acrylic Aquariums makes, installs and sells some of the dream tanks we only wish we could have. I went to their shop in Atlanta and it’s amazing. Full-on professional and they’re building thousand-gallon tanks. 

For the full article with more images, examples, links and their pricing:    

https://drjohnson.com/custom-acrylic-aquariums-in-atlanta-for-less-than-youd-think/


I thought Clarity Plus, Tenecor and the other big names were the way to go, if considering a zoo-quality acrylic enclosure for fish. I found a company here in Georgia that specializes in ‘overbuilt’ indestructible-quality acrylic tanks. 
Big Fish Custom Acrylic Aquariums
The tank I got from them is made with scraps from their major commercial and residential installations. (There are people getting tanks put in their houses and businesses that are thousands of gallons). 
(And thousands of dollars) 
But when “all is said and done” they end up with some “decent sized” acrylic scrap that’s too good to throw away so they sometimes make these smaller tanks. With 1” acrylic in some cases!
This would be AMAZING for a tank to keep a Mantis Shrimp in. Amazing to put an actual Maine Lobster in because of the R-value insulation qualities of really thick acrylic. 
With the quality of the build, the quality of the acrylic and especially the thickness of the acrylic this tank should have cost $1000 but it was under $300 
I’m “next in line” for their next two “Scrap tanks” because I do intend to get a Maine Lobster and in the other tank: A Mantis Shrimp. 
You can visit their web site at: https://bigfishcaa.com
Jhunn@bigfishcaa.com would be your contact at Big Fish Custom Acrylic Aquariums 
1 (800) 123-1234
I got a 50 gallon acrylic tank for a very small amount of money and I’m setting it up as a proper habitat for land hermit crabs, coenobita. I’ll share some pictures of that soon, and also, when I start to set it up, the Lobster habitat and the Mantis Shrimp home. 

Great article on how to use salt in aquariums and ponds

One effective method to combat fish parasites is by using salt for freshwater treatments. In this article, we will discuss the dosage, types of salt, duration of treatment, and the parasites that can be effectively treated using this method.

Dosage and Types of Salt:

When using salt for aquarium treatment, the recommended dosage is 1 tablespoon per gallon* of water for freshwater tanks. You can use iodized salt, as aquarium salt. You can use rock-salt or kosher salt, as long as the label says 99% pure salt. A cow or deer ‘salt lick’ will work but NOT if it contains ‘Trace Minerals’. 

*ChatGPT gets this dead-wrong every time.

READ THE ARTICLE: 



A quick little note about Ned King, internet B0nus and 0pportunity Guy

I got on Ned King's mailing list about two months ago. And I found out that there's no way out of it. He's such a scum bag that he uses four different send-mailers, and a new email address for each one. Actually brilliantly: He uses spoofed email addresses and spoofed domain names he doesn't even own. So when I say brilliantly, I mean as brilliantly as a maggot that eats a dead toad from the inside out.
That guy, Ned King, if you ever wanted customer support, or a refund, or help, YOU AIN'T GETTING IT.
So, he's a flim-flammer and a charlatan.
Don't trust him. I should say it's unlikely you'll ever be called upon to do business with him, but if you do, remember the name: NED KING and never get on his mailing list. The first, BEST way to do that is NOT to do business with him.
He does have three “working” email addresses but just know this: If you send him an email – he will have your email address and you will enter the Spam Zone. He'll send his racist diatribes, porno links, and political conspiracy theories. Ugh. And I still get emails.
Here is what a Ned King blocking filter looks like and it works for most of his email:
== cut & paste ==
== cut & paste ==
Ned King's whoring out Sendmail.net and discrediting Systeme.io – people should be marking his site for Ned King Spam, Ned King Phishing and Ned King email bombs and since Ned King sends his monumental amount of spam, from these vendors including Campayn.com
The most bizarre thing of all: Ned King thinks Jesus Christ himself is endorsing and protecting what Ned King's doing. 'Thinks that Jesus Christ will SMITE anyone who crosses him. As if Jesus Christ was a smiter like Allah. Is.

I Bet You Didn’t Know About “Leptin” And Not Knowing It’s Killing Your Dog

I Bet You Didn't Know About “Leptin” And It's Killing Your Dog
“Leptin” is a hormone your dog secretes into its bloodstream when the weight of the dog is “ideal”
The Leptin hormone is the “Why” your dog stops “loving to eat” and seems a little bored with the food.
So people ultimately harm the dog when they change foods or add something to it.
And then, no matter how much Leptin the dog produces, the dog WILL eat because you're making everything TASTE so good. Like, they'd never find in nature.

So, what does Leptin do?
Leptin Hormone was designed by Nature to prevent dogs from getting too fat to run. And too fat to hide. Too fat to hunt.
When a dog's weight gets just “right” (Body Condition 4 to 4+) the appetite for regular food drops off.
VERY unfortunately, to “get them to eat” we add water, gravies, a little canned food, something tasty, a little chicken, drippings.
And the dogs WILL eat. And everyone is happy but the fate of those dogs is to get: 
Too fat to run. And too fat to hide. Too fat to hunt.
Arthritis accelerates, and cardio-pulmonary disease occurs.
Neither condition HAS to occur in your dogs. It's actually avoidable.
I like dogs to live til they're at LEAST sixteen, but NO DOG will live to that age if they're fat with a rotten mouth. 
It's bones and “keep 'em hungry”
And then you win a long life for your bud.
To Your Pet's Health!
Doc
AS a side note: Ned King is a poor choice for business opportunities and Internet SAAS recommendations. Just a spammer and charlatan.

This is the BEST Filtration for Aquariums for Simplicity, Price and So Much More

I really love sponge filters because they're SO easy, easy to clean, easy to colonize, easy and cheap to buy.
Here's an article on the filtration method that's the SAFEST for breeder fish (won't suck up fish fry)
The filtration that does the most for water clarity the soonest. The longest cleaning interval and the lowest operating cost. (No electricity except for the air pump)
And it's the oldest filtration technology there is. Well maybe “undergravel filtration” is older.

Unlimited Vet-authored Pet Fish & Dog / Cat Pet Health Information


DrJohnson.com is one of the most comprehensive online fish and pet health resources available today, dedicated to providing people with access to a wealth of knowledge and educational materials. It offers a variety of free resources, ranging from articles to to videos, downloads, ebooks, images, and audio clips. With so much to choose from, this web site can be overwhelming—but don’t fret! We’ve compiled a shortlist of the best resources DrJohnson.com has to offer, so you can make the most of your time browsing the site.

First and foremost, DrJohnson.com boasts an array of encyclopedia-style articles, with topics ranging from Ammonia and Water Quality to Zoonosis and Viruses. These articles are written in a casual, easy-to-follow tone of voice, making them perfect for any level of educational interest. In addition, the website features helpful videos and slideshows, as well as structured lessons outlining key concepts in various aquatic animal medicine subjects. Whether you’re looking to brush up on the fundamentals of fish care or learn the basics of koi virology, DrJohnson.com has you covered.

DrJohnson.com’s database of helpful facts and care tips is another of its best and most interesting resources. Here, you can find things like fish care technology and facts about the best ways to keep fish and pets healthy, interesting tidbits about proper feeding of dogs, and even references to scientific discoveries and downloads. For the geek in all of us, this area of the website is invaluable.

Finally, the downloads available on DrJohnson.com can be especially helpful for those studying pet health. With downloads covering over 100 subjects, this site has something for everyone—whether you’re a first-time puppy owner, a seasoned dog trainer or a koi aficionado. 

All in all, DrJohnson.com is a fantastic online resource full of educational, fun, and interesting materials. Whether you’re a student, teacher, or just an avid explorer of knowledge, this website has something for you. So next time you’re looking for a useful source of information on pet health, look no further than DrJohnson.com.