[Aru]

Hello. I have had aquarium (aquascaping) long time. Now I have set a paludarium for vampire crabs. Humidity level is from 86% (right side of paludarium with temperature 24.9 ºC) to 99% (left side an also right side when temperature is reach 22 ºC) Left side are the aquatic section (made of emmersed dragon stone and driftwood with bolbitis heudeloti,java fern, moss, anubia with a small waterfall dropping on the driftwood) and right side the emerged section (hardscape: ADA aquasoil Amazonia II, volcanic and dragon stone with echinodorus bleheri, marsilea hirsuta, sagitaria subulata and moss). All aquatic plants.

I have issue with temperature level. I have a 50W heat cable (suitable for terrarium and acuarium) outside with an exo terra 600w thermostat (set 22ºc at night and 25ºc at day). Temperature level at white temperature probe is 21.6ºC at night and 22.6ºC at day, while exoterra thermostat probe (black one) is 22.2 ºC at night and only reach 24.8ºc at day. Heat cable is long.

My question is: if i put the cable inside the paludarium with same position (but inside in order to get more temperature) with same temperature set: will the future crabs get injured by the cable's heat? Will they nibble or pinch the cable? I don't care if the cable is visible. I only care about future crabs safety.

Thank you very much.

Pd: paludarium have an aquarium heater (25w) on left side, set at 27ºC giving 24ºC to water. Paludarium set date dec 06 2022.

 

[minorhero]

I've never kept them so I can't say for sure (despite really wanting some). Is the heating cable water proof?

I do know you can dramatically improve the effectiveness of the heating cable if you insulate behind it. So it would go glass - heating cable - insulation. For insulation you can use anything, foam, blankets, insulated blankets used to ship things, etc. The more effective you trap the heat with the insulation the better it will work.

 

[Aru]

Hello minohero. Thanks for you answer. Yes , that heating cable is suitable for aquarium and terrarium ( so it's water proof).

Few days ago, I put poliestirene foam at left side and a few over (placed where there is no heating cable in order to avoid heat incident, glass,etc.).

 

[Aru]

Finally I put a false bottom. Doing that I've earned more water and space to put the aquarium heater under the false bottom, giving more temperature. Now with the heater cable (outside the paludarium) I can reach 25ºC in the air inside. I've take out the ada aquasoil from water, because it set very low KH (0-1) and very high NO3 value ( I only left a few at the land zone, away from water level mixed with black sand). Tomorrow I'll have the red devils and a few red cherries shrimps. ^_^