Newt Habitat

I've been dreaming up ways of accomplishing something like this for several years, so I was really excited when I saw this product on Amazon. I really want to give the designers a high five for coming up with such a great idea, but I couldn't bring myself to even give it three stars after my experience. Once you get it installed its pretty cool and works as advertised. Unfortunately, I had to give it a low rating due to three problems:1: Getting it set up is much more complex than it should be.2: Making any changes after you get your tank full is next to impossible.3: Customer support is non-existent.I'll detail the problems.1:This unit has a hidden base that spreads out in a rectangle several inches in every direction. The instructions advise you to attach a pair of base extenders and cover everything with gravel so it stays on the bottom of your tank. The extenders don't snap, click, or wedge into place - they just rest on it, and they have a tendency to float. I had to empty my tank until there was less than an inch of water before I could get it to sit still. This is fine if you are installing this in a new tank, but a pain in the neck if you have an existing tank full of water and fish like me.2:The design is gorgeous, but not conducive towards making changes or correcting errors. After you get your decorations and gravel set up, the lid snapped on, your air pressure adjusted and your entry pool laid out, you can start filling the tank. This is where I encountered the next headache. First, I realized that I should have move the enclosure back an inch. Well, forget it! Don't move it or everything falls apart.I filled the tank then reached down to put some food in the entry area. I barely touched the opening, but the lid shot up, water rushed in, and everything I had laid out was undone. The two clips that hold the enclosure to the base are weak and pop off easily. If one pops off the whole lid "explodes" to the surface of your aquarium. You can clip it right back on and feed air into it and all the water will drain out, but anything you had laid out inside the enclosure is probably going to be scattered. I had already placed my newts in there, so for them it was like the great flood as their home was swept away and they had a fast tour of the rest of the tank. They didn't want to go "home" after that.I have sand in the enclosure. The sand somehow got into the air tube and blocked it. The air tube goes into a really tiny hole in the bottom of the base. It is IMPOSSIBLE to get that hose back into the base while the base is in the tank with gravel on it. You have to lift the enclosure out and start the whole process from scratch (empty the tank, re-decorate the enclosure, and avoid the great flood).It would have been better if this unit had been designed so that the whole thing could be lifted out, rearranged, and then lowered into the tank. Suction cups or weights could be used to hold it down instead of the gravel at the bottom of your tank. The clips should be far more aggressive or the lid should slide into a channel so that it doesn't fly off so easily.3:I tracked down the manufacturer website and emailed them a pre-sales question (Would their feeding tube work with this item?). It's been three weeks since I emailed them and I have yet to get a response. When I received my Oasis, I noticed that the box said it included an in-line valve, an in-line tee, and 6' of air tubing - all items you NEED to get this installed. None of these were in the box. Then I began reading the instructions. Quoting from step six: "create a pool of water at the entry by making a retaining wall with the included rocks”. There were no rocks included in my kit. The instructions say to call customer support between 8:30am and 4:30pm MST. I tried calling them from work several times on a Friday. A voicemail instructed me to leave a phone number and they would get back to me. It's pointless to leave a message when you are calling from work on your break and can't take calls. I never got an email back and I can't get through to "customer service", so I had to go buy those other "included" parts from the local pet store.The box says "Made in USA" by Precision Plastics of Idaho, but the website is crabhomes.com. The site leads you to www.underwaterislands.com.Atlantis Underwater Islands has three other similar products. I might have had better luck with their "Island" which is much larger. I was tempted to buy one and see if it worked better, but since their customer support seems to be nonexistent I'm not willing to try it. Not being able to move the enclosure or lift it out of the tank from time to time to clean or rearrange is annoying.I won't say "don't buy it". It does what it's supposed to do and it looks pretty cool in the tank. They have obviously put a lot of effort into the design. Perhaps they will come out with a new version sometime in the future that addresses the issues I listed above. But I can't give it more than two stars because it's cumbersome and there is no support. If someone from Atlantis contacts me, I’ll update this review and perhaps add another star, but its two stars for now.

We purchased this for 3 fiddler crabs in our 46 gallon Bowfront aquarium. We can’t get the top to stay on for a long period of time. We adjusted the rate of the bubbler numerous times. We eventually added weights to the inside of the lid and it still can’t handle the pressure. We also drilled a small hole in the top for a constant, second means of air pressure release and the lid still pops off. 2 of the crabs explored in there a short time but that’s been it. However, The fish enjoy enjoy exploring the top when I just leave it there. It looks really cool and it’s a great concept!We are disappointed it hasn’t worked for our aquarium but haven’t given up on it yet. This has been over the course of a couple months.

I love it and how it looks in my tank the crabs do go in and out as they like. It took some tome for adjustments of weight vs air to stop floating up on you. You will be some time to fiddle with it only cuz the air makes it go up... Trick to it fill it with gravel or fill it rocks inside the cravhouse and add around the sides to make it somewhat volcano like along every edge just leave the front entrance open enough for the crabs to enter and exit. In the end anyone and everyone will always comment the tank and see it of have to look ..makes my aquarium look fantastic especially the bigger the tank it can pass on.smaller ones of 10 or 20 and up but my 55 gallon I had more room to for a theme of SpongeBob bottom without the city involved there are Mr crabs neighborhood on the other side of bikkinni bottom. I did add the air tube that was included..The air machine was not and purchased the smallest worked to keep the air in at a minimum for it won't ho up to the top floating again till I figure the rocks weight of not outside put some inside too. To much air in makes it fill up to make it float again..attempts where 8 in the beginning now it sets just fine and its 2 months later still fine.

Seems easy enough for installment as long as you have enough rocks and a powerful airator if you also have an airstrip. I just finished getting this into the tank. I am hoping my crab will find it and use it. So far she's just hiding.

Works perfectly and my Red Claw Crabs love it. I moved them to a smaller tank and I have ownedan an underwater island in the past but that one was too big for the new tank. i never had a crab escape before but with this I dont think I will ever have to worry

Great product. I wish it came in a bigger size but the crabs love it. Even comes with the decorations. Only catch is you must have some sort of air pump or bottom filter device to supply air to the chamber. I was fortunate in that aspect, but overall it is great!