Crab Paludarium Build Ideas (8×16×6")

Hi friends, just got this shiny new tank yesterday and I'd like to build a brackish paludarium for my old rescue red claw crab. Currently he's in a 2.5G standard. The land side has approx. 2" of normal washed play sand. The water side has gravel and 1" of water total. In-between are 3 foraged cholla. He doesn't climb anymore, using most of the tank. He was in a 5.5 but didn't use any of it ("too big".)

Since recently, he's become friendly (still startles easily but eats out of my hand now), so I thought I could upgrade him again. Thing is, 5.5's are tall. He won't use the height space at all. But with my new shiny paludarium being the same footprint as a 5.5 but shorter, he'll use most, or all, of this space.

Anyhow, now that it's all explained, I'd like some opinions on scaping. Usual gravel/sand/cholla is fine but I'd like something cool. His species hails from rocky, sandy, muddy shores and mangroves and this is a brackish paludarium. Any ideas?

 

If you have a substantial enough dry area, some succulents might be a cool idea.

I think a nice, clean tan sand would look nice, and then you could use saltwater base rock to create a small island in the center of the tank and cover it in succulents.

 

If you have a substantial enough dry area, some succulents might be a cool idea.

I think a nice, clean tan sand would look nice, and then you could use saltwater base rock to create a small island in the center of the tank and cover it in succulents.

Here's a terrible picture of his 2.5G enclosure (it's dark where I am right now...so sorry)


Tan sand and a green stone on the dry side, tanish gravel on the wet side, 3 pieces of cholla between the two. I'm excited to have a larger footprint with the same height

 

Maybe build up a shelf of dry land using dragonstone and add some pieces of spiderwood to simulate mangrove roots.

 

Maybe build up a shelf of dry land using dragonstone and add some pieces of spiderwood to simulate mangrove roots.

I really like this idea but haven't researched hardscape in awhile. Spiderwood and dragonstone won't effect parameters...will they?

Also, how "cleanable" is this idea? Dude eats a lot (small amounts, multiple times daily.) It's hard enough cleaning both sides, let alone possibly complicated but very nice scapes.

 

I really like this idea but haven't researched hardscape in awhile. Spiderwood and dragonstone won't effect parameters...will they?

Also, how "cleanable" is this idea? Dude eats a lot (small amounts, multiple times daily.) It's hard enough cleaning both sides, let alone possibly complicated but very nice scapes.

Spiderwood shouldn't do much to the water quality. Dragonstone often has a lot of clay and sediment, so it might increase pH or water hardness, but crabs often appreciate more minerals and higher pH because it's good for their calcium shells.

I wouldn't imagine it would be much harder to clean than your average tank, just do the weekly water change and spot clean any accumulations you see on the rocks. Just don't create areas inaccessible to yourself on accident.