White, fuzzy, & cobweb-like mold? ?

[Fliteless]

Since you've come to the emergency forum, we know you want a fast answer to your question. In order for us to figure out the problem as quickly as possible, we ask that you answer the following questions as best you can. Some of them may seem odd, but they're all designed to give us the information we need to give you a good solution for your problem. The things in the [ brackets ] are there to make this post easier to read once submitted. Thanks!


1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it? A mix of Eco-Earth coconut fiber and play sand, ~5 inches deep.


2. Do you have gauges in the tank to measure temperature and humidity? If so, where are they located and what temperature and humidity do they usually read? The gauges are a few inches above the substrate and on the middle of the back wall of the tank. Temperature is usually slightly under 80 degrees and humidity is around 75%. I spray water into the tank regularly to help keep the humidity up.


3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what? Yes, an 8w under tank heater on the front of the tank.


4. What types of water are available (fresh or salt) and how is the water treated (what brands of dechlorinator or salt mix and what ratio is used to mix it)? Both types of water are available, salt water brand is "Imagitarium", and I use non-chlorinated bottled water.


5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced? FMR Hermit Crab Food pellets always left back replaced about once a week. So far, I've also fed them a mix of other things like blueberries, spinach leaves, egg whites, egg shells, strawberries, and coconut shavings.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? About 1 month. Purple Pinchers.


7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen? No, they haven't molted as far as I know.


8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing? 10g glass tank with an aquarium lid with LED lights.


9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they? Two of them, with one being slightly smaller. I'd say their shells are about an inch tall.


10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any? Around 5.


11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently? No.


12. How often do you clean the tank and how? I just replaced nearly everything in the tank almost a week ago.


13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned? No sponges are used yet.


14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently? I've added Sphagnum moss, which I didn't use before I replaced the stuff in the tank.


15. Is there any other information you would like to share that might be helpful (anything that is regularly part of your crab care, playtime, bathing, etc.)? Lately, instead of burrowing down during the day, they're unusually active during almost all hours instead of only the late night. They don't try to burrow down that deep anymore, and I haven't seen them completely cover themselves within the substrate yet. They've also been very adamant about trying to climb out of the tank, it looks like, with them pressing against the glass a lot.

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail. There's this strange mold (I think) growing in the tank. As of writing this, it's only sprouted up near the food container, and one of their water bowls. The mold's white, translucent, and looks kind of fibrous. It's only sprouting on the ground of the tank.

Is this mold harmful to my crabs? Should I try to remove it, and if so should I replace all of the substrate in the tank again? Is there any way to make sure the mold doesn't come back again?


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[JoeHermits]

The mold is not harmful to the crabs, but it can trigger allergies in humans.

I’ve had mold like that, and when I did I just scooped it out. It never came back unless there was food laying around for it to colonize.

Can you tell what it may be growing on? Even a single crumb or pellet on a moist substrate can mold over.


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[Fliteless]

The mold is not harmful to the crabs, but it can trigger allergies in humans.

I’ve had mold like that, and when I did I just scooped it out. It never came back unless there was food laying around for it to colonize.

Can you tell what it may be growing on? Even a single crumb or pellet on a moist substrate can mold over.


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The crabs might've knocked out some of the food from their little bowl onto the substrate next to it, which might explain why it's growing right next to it. It's been growing a little bit on the food I recently put in for them, so I'll change that out for now along with their pellet food.

Maybe I'm spraying the tank down too much in my attempts to make it more humid?

[JoeHermits]

The crabs might've knocked out some of the food from their little bowl onto the substrate next to it, which might explain why it's growing right next to it. It's been growing a little bit on the food I recently put in for them, so I'll change that out for now along with their pellet food.

Maybe I'm spraying the tank down too much in my attempts to make it more humid?

The higher the humidity, the easier it is for mold to grow. Has your hygrometer been calibrated recently? It could be giving you a low reading.


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[curlysister]

Agree with Joe. I often find little white fuzzy molding bits, which I presume are food that the crabs have dragged out of the bowl. Too small to notice when I take the food out, but I only notice once they start to mold.
A bacterial bloom is something that happens under the substrate, and is a very different situation. It can be fatal and is an emergency that needs to be dealt with.

[Fliteless]

The higher the humidity, the easier it is for mold to grow. Has your hygrometer been calibrated recently? It could be giving you a low reading.


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No, I haven't calibrated it yet. Just looked through the pinned posts, I'll get right on that.

Agree with Joe. I often find little white fuzzy molding bits, which I presume are food that the crabs have dragged out of the bowl. Too small to notice when I take the food out, but I only notice once they start to mold.
A bacterial bloom is something that happens under the substrate, and is a very different situation. It can be fatal and is an emergency that needs to be dealt with.

What's a bacterial bloom? Is there any way I can tell which one it is?

[PinchersAndShells]

It’s not a bacterial bloom. A bacterial bloom occurs underneath all of the substrate at the bottom when there is too much water, and anaerobic bacteria grows. Mold on the other hand is a natural part of keeping hermit crabs, it typically looks like white fuzzy stuff growing on their food. Just remove it, it’s nothing to worry about and doesn’t hurt the crabs, but can cause issues for you.

[curlysister]

Sorry if my post wasn't clear! I meant that this situation is totally different from a bacterial bloom. Nothing to worry about!