Crabitat Smells Bad

Older topics that are in the process of being sorted and moved into the appropriate Archived sections below.
Locked

Topic author
Cate1129
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2014 8:12 pm

Crabitat Smells Bad

Post by Cate1129 » Thu Feb 18, 2016 4:15 pm

So my crabitat has been set up for nearly 2 years. I have the recommended mix of EE and sand and keep the humidity & temp above 80. I have noticed over the last week it smells bad. Not the usual damp dirt/sand smell, but kind of sour. Like something is rotting. I change food/water daily. I have 2 crabs one is her usual active self, and the other I just got and she buried herself. I know its not the new crabbie because it smelled before she went under a day ago. There is a little green mold, I have roly polys in there, as they help by eating the crab waste.

Is there a way to clean the sub? Or should I start over with fresh sub?

I will have to wait though since my newbie is buried. What can I do in the meantime? Thanks in advance!


Topic author
Cate1129
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2014 8:12 pm

Re: Crabitat Smells Bad

Post by Cate1129 » Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:23 pm

Can anybody help???

User avatar

purpleperson
Posts: 384
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2011 8:56 pm
Location: Manitoba, Canada

Re: Crabitat Smells Bad

Post by purpleperson » Thu Feb 18, 2016 11:05 pm

Is your sub grey or black anywhere? Overly damp? That can be a sign of a bacterial bloom under the sand.

Is it possible they hid some food somewhere that's rotting and you just don't know where it is?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Topic author
Cate1129
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2014 8:12 pm

Re: Crabitat Smells Bad

Post by Cate1129 » Fri Feb 19, 2016 12:25 pm

I took out all the plants and decorations and found some old food. Think this was the source of the smell as its better this morning. However I have found a bit of algae and some over-wet places that I need to deal with. Just concerned about my recently buried crab! :(


Topic author
Cate1129
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2014 8:12 pm

Re: Crabitat Smells Bad

Post by Cate1129 » Fri Feb 19, 2016 12:28 pm

[quote="purpleperson"]Is your sub grey or black anywhere? Overly damp? That can be a sign of a bacterial bloom under the sand.

Is it possible they hid some food somewhere that's rotting and you just don't know where it is?


I did find some food. I did find some over-wet places. I will try to remove any areas I found a bit of algae in. How can I help dry out the over-wet places? Add sand & EE?

User avatar

sugarselections
Posts: 360
Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:59 pm
Location: SW Ohio

Re: Crabitat Smells Bad

Post by sugarselections » Fri Feb 19, 2016 2:55 pm

If you have minor areas where it's too wet you can get a few of those small, compressed coco fiber bricks that look like hockey pucks. Doing your best to avoid any crabs underground, dig a narrow pit straight down to the bottom glass and insert the pucks in the wet places and fill the holes back in. The compressed coco fiber will absorb the excess water and expand.

If bacterial bloom has begun in your sub (rotten egg smell and color changes) you must replace all the sub immediately.

User avatar

purpleperson
Posts: 384
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2011 8:56 pm
Location: Manitoba, Canada

Re: Crabitat Smells Bad

Post by purpleperson » Fri Feb 19, 2016 3:41 pm

Also remember that a tank usually floods from the bottom up, so if you have wetness near the surface it's most likely really wet all the way down


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

User avatar

Laurie LeAnn
Posts: 989
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2015 12:31 am

Re: Crabitat Smells Bad

Post by Laurie LeAnn » Mon Feb 29, 2016 10:13 am

I had this happen to.. I tried to add e.e. to see if that would help suck up excess water, I found food to.. but in the end it was rotted substrate with bacteria..it just got worse..the crabs just got where they didn't wan to move from their spot. So I had to clean out the whole 55 gal. Tank now I make sure I stir my sand up about every 2 weeks to make sure its not getting to wet on the bottom


Mr. Crabby Pants
Posts: 56
Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2015 4:41 pm

Re: Crabitat Smells Bad

Post by Mr. Crabby Pants » Mon Feb 29, 2016 11:28 am

Laurie LeAnn, how do you stir sub down to the bottom of the tank when you have molters down?

I would love to know, because I am afraid of getting too aggressive with cleaning or disturbing the sub in my 55 gal. cause I've pretty much always had at least one down for molt since October.

Locked