6 Months Burried and Bugs

[bluestizz]

We have had three crabs for just over three years now. They were the classroom pet that then needed a home!

Two have been burried in our sand substrate since October / November. First question, is that too long? Typically we only saw them dissapear for a month at time before. It is more complicated below.

In December we got these really small black bugs that swarm their food. We built a new habitat and pulled out the awake crab and she has been living on her own since. We did not dig up the others as I read you never do that, so that terrarium we monitor and keep conditions going, but pulled out the food because of the bugs. The bugs all died off.

This week the new habitat with the one isolated crab got the same bugs. She has all new items in her habitat, nothing from the old one. We are thinking they came from the mineral blocks we are using. We put in a new one this week and then we got the bugs again. Has this happened to anyone?

We are now going to redo the habitat a third time to her away from the bugs. So do we start a new third terrarium or go back to the original terrarium and try to see what happened to the other two and dig them up?

Thanks!

[avocadocrabbies]

We have had three crabs for just over three years now. They were the classroom pet that then needed a home!

Two have been burried in our sand substrate since October / November. First question, is that too long? Typically we only saw them dissapear for a month at time before. It is more complicated below.

In December we got these really small black bugs that swarm their food. We built a new habitat and pulled out the awake crab and she has been living on her own since. We did not dig up the others as I read you never do that, so that terrarium we monitor and keep conditions going, but pulled out the food because of the bugs. The bugs all died off.

This week the new habitat with the one isolated crab got the same bugs. She has all new items in her habitat, nothing from the old one. We are thinking they came from the mineral blocks we are using. We put in a new one this week and then we got the bugs again. Has this happened to anyone?

We are now going to redo the habitat a third time to her away from the bugs. So do we start a new third terrarium or go back to the original terrarium and try to see what happened to the other two and dig them up?

Thanks!

What are the things that you use in their tank? (removing the mineral blocks sounds like a good idea) the substrate should be playsand and eco earth coconut fiber, about 4-7 inches deep. Also, what food do you use?

Crabs I don't think bury themselves for that long. It has been many months.... there is a chance that the crabs might have died and that is why the bugs have come in the first place. I would check

[bluestizz]

The original terrarium is sand from the pet store that was crab rated and the new one is coconut husk from the pet store. They are both 4" deep. If it was just that the two burried crabs died and attracted bugs, I don't think I would have gotten the bugs again three months later in the new terrarium that only has the awake crab?

[avocadocrabbies]

the coconut husk is not too bad, but I would not trust the pet store sand. Plain play sand can be found at Home Depot or Lowe's home improvement, it is like the sand you find in the sandbox at playgrounds. Mix it with the coconut fiber and that's what the substrate should be.

As for the bugs being attracted to possibly dead crab(s), you're right that they should have come to the second terrarium. But the bugs might have gotten outside terrarium #1 and found their way into terrarium #2 because there was food In there. I would just do another clean up, switch foods, and/or stop using the mineral blocks. I personally don't use mineral blocks, don't know anyone who does.

There is still a possibility that your crabs have not died. Some crabs take nearly 4-5 months to molt, and maybe they are coming out at night. It is hard to tell because you don't have sand, so you can't see their claw tracks. If the tank with the buried crabs does not smell, then there is still a good chance they are alive. I would wait for advice from someone else, because the has not happened to me before. Sorry!

[Xenpurgisn@cht]

How big are your crabs? Jumbos can stay down up for 4 months, and anything pass that point is where it's smart to start GENTLY digging and worrying, and with the mention of bugs, while someone else who has more crabbing experience then me can pitch in, I would HEAVILY recommend putting them
inside an isolation tank and doing a good deep clean of the main tank, that doesn't sound good at all.

Also, It would be a good idea to clean up the room they are in- is there any food left out for long? is there open windows or places in the walls that they are getting in from?

[Hermiesguardian]

It's very possible the bugs are springtails. Very beneficial in cleaning the tank and won't bother the crabs. Your substrate should be a minimim of 6 inches or 3 times the height of your largest crab, whichever is deeper. I have heard of crabs coming up after even a year. So unless there's a flood or bacterial bloom, never dig for them. And you can add an inch of substrate every 24hrs if you have a buried crab. Just don't pat it down.