Gnats and Molters
Posted: Thu May 02, 2019 10:58 pm
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?
Aquarium sand, about 4 or 5 inches
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? yes, 60-70 percent humidity, 70-75 degrees
3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
Yes, two 4-watt uder tank heaters on the back of tank and the occasional space heater beside it when it gets too cold.
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)? Salt water is distilled water treated with All Living Things Hermit Crab Soaking Salt, and a seperate dish of distilled water
5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
A mixture of Florida Marine Research hermie food, All Living Things Variety diet food and eggshells. It is changed every few days. I know fresh food is best, but they do not eat it and it molds witin a day. They seem to love the store bought food. I hate that they dont eat the freah stuff, beause I know its best for them. They seem very uninterested in anything besides what i feed them.
6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? i have has my four crabs for a year.
7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
Right now two are molting and the other two are not, i will elaborate on this at the bottom, its complicated
8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
A 10 gal glass tank with mesh screen covered 3/4ths of the way with plastic wrap
9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
4 PPs, two about the size of a clementine, one about half that size, and one a teensy bit smaller.
10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
at the moment, 3. They all recently changed and grew out of the medium sized ones.
11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
no
12. How often do you clean the tank and how? I spot clean daily, and do a deep clean whenever all four are up and not molting. In the year i have had them that has hapeed once.
13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
yes, I boil them
14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
no
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.)?
no
16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail. I have had a sudden spring up of gnats in my tank. I did a full deep clean and sand change about 4 months ago. I have two crabs in the main tank molting. Narmally they all molt at different times, and one is usually always under, and they all four do fine in there together. About 3 days ago I noticed a few gnats in the tank but didnt think much about it. They are multiplying quickly, and i think they are fungus gnats. I put a homeade, crab safe fruit fly trap in the tank ad it isn't working. They are multiplying very fast. Do I dig up my molters to do a sand change and deep clean and risk them stressing and dying? or do I leave them and risk their safety and health by letting the fungus gnats stay but not digging up the molters? Just a note: I removed everything from the tank I could and washed it, I left food and fresh water in case one comes up. I made an emergency isolation tank for my two nonmolters and bathed them in case there were gnats in their shell. What do I do??
.
1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
Aquarium sand, about 4 or 5 inches
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? yes, 60-70 percent humidity, 70-75 degrees
3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
Yes, two 4-watt uder tank heaters on the back of tank and the occasional space heater beside it when it gets too cold.
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)? Salt water is distilled water treated with All Living Things Hermit Crab Soaking Salt, and a seperate dish of distilled water
5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
A mixture of Florida Marine Research hermie food, All Living Things Variety diet food and eggshells. It is changed every few days. I know fresh food is best, but they do not eat it and it molds witin a day. They seem to love the store bought food. I hate that they dont eat the freah stuff, beause I know its best for them. They seem very uninterested in anything besides what i feed them.
6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known? i have has my four crabs for a year.
7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
Right now two are molting and the other two are not, i will elaborate on this at the bottom, its complicated
8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
A 10 gal glass tank with mesh screen covered 3/4ths of the way with plastic wrap
9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
4 PPs, two about the size of a clementine, one about half that size, and one a teensy bit smaller.
10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
at the moment, 3. They all recently changed and grew out of the medium sized ones.
11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
no
12. How often do you clean the tank and how? I spot clean daily, and do a deep clean whenever all four are up and not molting. In the year i have had them that has hapeed once.
13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
yes, I boil them
14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
no
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.)?
no
16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail. I have had a sudden spring up of gnats in my tank. I did a full deep clean and sand change about 4 months ago. I have two crabs in the main tank molting. Narmally they all molt at different times, and one is usually always under, and they all four do fine in there together. About 3 days ago I noticed a few gnats in the tank but didnt think much about it. They are multiplying quickly, and i think they are fungus gnats. I put a homeade, crab safe fruit fly trap in the tank ad it isn't working. They are multiplying very fast. Do I dig up my molters to do a sand change and deep clean and risk them stressing and dying? or do I leave them and risk their safety and health by letting the fungus gnats stay but not digging up the molters? Just a note: I removed everything from the tank I could and washed it, I left food and fresh water in case one comes up. I made an emergency isolation tank for my two nonmolters and bathed them in case there were gnats in their shell. What do I do??
.