Link to photos and description of my 4x8 closed system

[rdbeard]

 My tank is in shade part of day but inmy experiance the warmer the water the faster they come out.

[capt. ron]

You're right the warmer the water the faster they come out but turn harder too.  If the water temperature is kept in the low 70's you don't have to check them in the middle of the night.  I use to check mine before I went to bed around 10/2200 and once again in the morning 5/0500 before I headed out.

I first kept mine under one of those car canopy's 10 x 20 that you can get at Harbor Freight but the water was getting to hot and I had to check them every 4 hours.  I then built a small shelter and the water stayed in the 70's.  At the height of the shedding season I was shedding 10 dozen a day with 4 separate tanks.  Each tank had its own filtration system.

I have other crabbing friends that have turned their garages into shedding houses and use AC units to keep the temperatures under control.  Now these guys have 4-6 tanks and have a elaborate system.  But they shed a lot of crabs.

Ronnie

[double E]

The garage idea was a second thought of mine also. I already keep it tempered with and A/C unit, not to mention it would make life much easier when checking on them at night if need be. There is only one obstacle in my way, the wifes van would have to go outside no more garage parking for her.

[rdbeard]

 I don't have to check the crabs in the tank after i put them unless there's a problem. My wife is retired and really like's soft shells, she checks the tank at night, every 2 hrs and helps me bait bags with clams, she's not as fast as me but still saves me alot of time. I think i'll keep her.

[double E]

I plan on starting off with 1 4x8 tank, depending on how the first season goes I may go to 2 the following season. My question is can my pump be to big? Thinking of going with a Danner Magnetic submersible pump 1200 or 1800 GPH, would like to get one big enough to run 2 tanks if I decide to do so in the future, but okay for one tank now.

[Mikie]

If you have a bigger pump then you need, run a bypass line back to your filter. I pump water from my creek but I did the same thing to bypass any extra water back into the creek. You just need to install a couple of valves in the lines so you can adjust the flows to where you want.

[double E]

If you have a bigger pump then you need, run a bypass line back to your filter. I pump water from my creek but I did the same thing to bypass any extra water back into the creek. You just need to install a couple of valves in the lines so you can adjust the flows to where you want.

Got it. Thanks

[rdbeard]

 I think the bigger pump would be ok. You have to put a valve on the discharge side so u can regulate the flow to suit your system. I use a ball valve on my discharge and close it enough to make the water in the same as water out.

[double E]

I think the bigger pump would be ok. You have to put a valve on the discharge side so u can regulate the flow to suit your system. I use a ball valve on my discharge and close it enough to make the water in the same as water out.

Makes since.

[Jim Bright]

I chose a small pump so I wouldn't burn more electric than I needed and also so it would fit in the bio filter. My pump is in the same container as my filter material/oyster shell. I don't bring home enough peelers to need more than one tank. In retrospect though I am thinking a larger pump would cycle the tank more, which I think would improve the oxygen level, not sure on that on though.

[double E]

Jim what size pump are you currently using?

[Jim Bright]

900 gph I think

[double E]

900 gph I think

Thanks

[Crabcruncher]

I chose a small pump so I wouldn't burn more electric than I needed and also so it would fit in the bio filter. My pump is in the same container as my filter material/oyster shell. I don't bring home enough peelers to need more than one tank. In retrospect though I am thinking a larger pump would cycle the tank more, which I think would improve the oxygen level, not sure on that on though.

Like Rdbeard said, buy the bigger pump and put a discharge valve on it to throttle the flow to what you need. When you throttle the flowrate, the amps actually go down. Less flow, less work. Wide open is max amps.

[double E]

I have been looking for info but have had no luck. Can I use pressure treated lumber and coat it with gluvit for my tank construction, or will the pressure treated be a issue for the crabs?

[rdbeard]

 I think the pressure treated wood could be an issue for the gluvit, i have heard that fiberglass will not stick to PT wood and since PT wood for the most part is salt treated instead of arsnick but not sure. google it .

[Mikie]

Get a sheet of regular 1/2" exterior plywood, three 8'  2"x10" 's for the sides and ends. Caulk the seams well when you put it together and then paint the whole thing with a good exterior paint. It will last longer then you think and you can always fiberglass it later, or even fiberglass it when you build it.

[double E]

Get a sheet of regular 1/2" exterior plywood, three 8'  2"x10" 's for the sides and ends. Caulk the seams well when you put it together and then paint the whole thing with a good exterior paint. It will last longer then you think and you can always fiberglass it later, or even fiberglass it when you build it.

That was my plan, but have a free source to just enough PT lumber to build the tank.

[Mikie]

When I had my pier put in, the builder poured Gluvit on the tops of all of the pilings to seal them. That was 29 years ago and most of the Gluvit is still there, some has flaked off but I would blame most of the deterioration on the ultraviolet rays from the Sun since they were never painted over. As far as the crabs, they don't seem to mind the pressure treated pilings when they are hanging all over them.

[double E]

When I had my pier put in, the builder poured Gluvit on the tops of all of the pilings to seal them. That was 29 years ago and most of the Gluvit is still there, some has flaked off but I would blame most of the deterioration on the ultraviolet rays from the Sun since they were never painted over. As far as the crabs, they don't seem to mind the pressure treated pilings when they are hanging all over them.

That is true.