Underwater, dry Crab beach Idea

[gasmonkey]

Hey guys, I just had this awesome Idea, and wanted to run it by you guys for some input. In my front right hand corner of my tank (25G) Im thinkning of putting a Crab "house". It would basically be a "cave" with an entrance, go up 3-4 inches, and then be airtight, and have walls on all 4 sides. It would then have a patch of sand a couple inches deep, and about 6x6 wide. The top would be flat, and have seethrough glass, so you could watch the crabs on teh "beach" (fiddler crabs, BTW). It would be airtight, and the beach level would be an inch or two higher than teh doorway, so no water would go up. Total size we're talking 8-9 X 9 X 9-10 high. thats the basic idea. It would also have a pipe for air the surface, so theres fresh air. The Pipe would be sealed all the time (so air doesn;t go out, and the water level doesn;t rise) and once a day or whenever I would just uncap the hose, blow a couple breaths in, and the air would circulate (its airtight, so air would go outt eh doorway, while fresh air goes in, this would also be used to adjust teh waterlevel if it gets too high) then cap again.

Questions:
1. Would a crab find AND use it?
2. Would the sand end up staying where it started?
3. Are my science/physics/whatever right? will it end up (if heavy enough) with a dry area?
4. WHat kind of clay sould I use(safe, good in water)? and where can i get it?

Thanks.
any comments/suggestons would be appreciated.

P.S. has anyone ever tried anything like this? and if so do you have pics or anything?

 

[TKOS]

Most likely the crab would try to climb the pipe. They really do need to escape the water for a good portion of the day and will find a way to do so. Why not try a water/land type tank instead with an actual "beach" in it. Then you can watch the crabs wandering on land.

 

[Oddball~]

hmm..... Just make the hump of SAND-not clay.

Clay usually contains metals in it and are very "unpure". Sand is better. You can get sand at the pet store, usually.

Is it just a hump of sand that goes above the water? Please explain!

 

[gonefishin]

Is it just a hump of sand that goes above the water? Please explain!

If you took a cup upside down and put it in your tank, an air bubble would be trapped inside. I think this is the concept were looking at here. there would be a dry space under water.


I think the sand might get washed away, mabey use a rock or gravel if the sand doesn't work. I think the "air bubble" might not contain enough oxygen for the crab to breathe?