HCA: Hermit Crab Association

He came back! Gary has finally surfaced! Since then, all three have followed suit at some point. I think Nemo resurfaced and was down for 2 to 3 weeks. I lost track of who is who though because Gary switched shells, and it looks just like the one Nemo had on last lol! I haven't seen my smallest one ...

Great!

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The link isn’t taking me to your image, but a layer of pure coconut fiber is perfect for fungus gnats. No wonder they’re so bad! A thin layer of sand on top will keep out the adults. The larvae already in will still emerge, so you won’t see results right away, but they won’t be able to lay their eg...

In the first picture, you can see the sand. The top layer appears to be much wetter than the under layer.

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Figured it out!
Please excuse the dirty tank, I need to clean it but haven't been wanting to disturb the crabs (and the bugs lol)

A bacterial bloom would result from a lack of oxygen in the substrate, which is not beneficial for insects. How moist is your substrate? Letting the top inch or so of sand dry out helps with fungus gnats, otherwise add a shallow layer of pure sand (fungus gnats can’t lay eggs if there’s no organic ...

Thanks for replying! I was just about to make a new post because I didn't think anyone would see this. Anyway, yeah I agree that it could be risky but the bugs are really becoming a nuisance and I'm worried that they are bothering my 2 guys that are still out and about.. their activity lately is ver...

UPDATE so I got the fly issue under control, they were gone for a few weeks, so it seemed. My missing crab is still missing (Gary). Then Nemo (one of my smaller guys), went down for molting maybe a week ago. I figured he was following suit. Well the flies came back with a vengeance about a week ago ...

I tried to get a pic but they're so tiny and fast I haven't been able to but I'm pretty sure they're fungus gnats now, they seem to love the moss. I think I need to replace the moss but one of my crabs really likes hiding in it and I don't want to disturb him. Also, if I replace it right away, it's ...

Ok well that all makes me feel better! Should I move my plant and or treat it at all? Do the nematodes just go away after you put them in and their job is done? I just looked up what it was and it kinda freaks me out but says it's safe for humans and pets. Also, lol, what does pet sand mean exactly?...

Ok thanks. I'm just stumped because I have no idea where he could be. Usually they're (the crabs) easy to spot, like under a water dish or whatever. The flies hover and fly alot. But they also appear to settle into things and if I move something they appear, flying again, if that makes sense. They l...

Backstory and info: I got my crabs in August from a friend. I then recently (1 month ago) bought 2 more so 4 in total ranging from small to one fairly big guy. I use sand and eco earth coco fiber substrate 6 inches deep. I have both fresh and salt water (declorinated) dishes in my 20 gallon tank. Ho...