Mites!

[Kerrud12]

Help! We have three crabs in our tank and it has recently been infested with mites! The problem is that one of our guys has been down under for weeks now. . . probably five or six weeks at this point . . . I'm assuming he's molting but not positive. And we need to sterilize this tank and get the situation under control. I have three kiddos in the house and am totally grossed out by this situation. I feel as though it's very unsanitary, however I don't want to hurt the crab below if he's indeed molting! What do I do?!

[KrabbyKris]

Help! We have three crabs in our tank and it has recently been infested with mites!

Hey there! Mites creep me out too! Continue reading these threads below. There are harmless mites and bad mites and these also cover a few options of treatment.

There are different types of mites found on and around hermit crabs. Some are completely harmless, while others live on the crab and should be removed. Each species of mite makes a meal of something different, so it's important to know what you're dealing with. Mites tend to make people very uncomfortable or gross them out, but mites are extremely common! We just never notice them until they swarm on something. Before you rush off to clean everything, please take a moment to learn what they might actually be... (http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 67&t=92530)

Are the mites on your crabs?

The rule of thumb is: if you find them in the food dish or the rest of the crabitat, they are probably harmless. If you find them on the crab, especially on the joints, the abdomen or the mouthparts, they are predatory and harmfull... (http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 26&t=92537)

[Rawrgeous]

It is likely food mites, and unfortunately a part of crabbing. They sell predatory mites you can buy to combat them, or isopods can keep the numbers in check. But they usually go in cycles and will likely die off themselves. They won't hurt the crabs. If you are concerned the whats that bug in the crabitat sticky under crabitat conditions can elaborate more.

[robinwhiskers]

I don't have any advice to offer. Sorry

[theornerycheese]

My old tank had mites on the crabs/dishes/ substrate. Then a few spiders (and a centipede or two) snuck into my tank and over a month I noticed the mites vanished. Now my crabs are sparkling clean and in their new tank, so maybe uh...put a wolf spider in your tank? >.> I never had any luck with salt water baths + the sterile substrate thing everyone recommends so mine were probably food mites.

[Kerrud12]

Thank you for your thoughts, all! Situation is still the same

How do I know if my crab is down under molting or if he's dead? It's been almost two months . . .

[Kermie16]

Some crabs just like to dig then come up later then go back down and dig more. Really can be hard to tell. If all conditions are stable and good in the tat, best thing you can do is just wait and be reassured that they know what they are doing down there. One of mine was down for 11.5 weeks. Another one of mine has been down now for 3 months. Best thing you can do for them is to just wait it out It's funny how they can worry us so much, isn't it?


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