Mites

[krabby_katie]

I think I had a mite investation today. I was cleaning out the tank, to put in the sand that I bought yesterday. While I was dumping out the old sand, I saw a bug crawling around. I figured that it was a mite, because it was small and white. I boiled all of the decorations, bowls and shells. I gave them a bath. I cleaned the gravel in scolding hot water. I also cleaned the tank with extremely hot water. They water was dechlorinized. Anything else I should do?

[iluvhermies]

Sounds like you did a good job of cleaning just keep an eye out. You can give them a bth in a salt bath a little more stronger than usual.

[krabby_katie]

Alright. I don't know how in the world they got in the tank... I hope they don't get mites again. I didn't realize how thoroughly you have to clean everything.

[HermieLove19]

I actually read up on mites in a book we sell at work. If your crab has mites your never going to see them and they cause the crab no harm. some mites use the crabs as a form of transportation and they hang out around their gills. But if you atually see a little bug on the crab its from a dirty tank. It means they hid food or something else and we just didnt know about it. You should still clean everything thoroughly, get rid of the substrate and clean all the wood and everything in the tank.

I also read that you shouldn't use any product from the store to kill the mites because they are in the same family as our crabbies and it could possibly kill the crabs.

[krabby_katie]

They take food from the dish ALL the time and drag it places. I don't know how it would have gotten so dirty. I had ony had that old sand in there for a week tops. Maybe I didn't bake the sand long enough of something. Oh well, all is well now. I think they like this set up better then the last one anyways.

[iluvhermies]

I had the same problem and here is my thinking on it. If it was a white crawly thing it was a larve from something. I see the little fruit flies and flies that get into my tank when it is warmer and tehy smell the fresh foods in the tank. Now how they get into the tank I do not know because I have the glass top and it has the plastic strip but it fits well with no holes. Last year when I moved here was when I started to notice these and I lost the 29 hermies that I lost. During the winter months I did not have problems with them. Now that it is starting to get warm again I am notcing the flies in the tank again. They are aweful cause they get into their shells and eat at them. So my suggestion is this. Be sure to regularly check on the fresh foods and place them and remove them often.

[krabby_katie]

Maybe freeze dried fruit and stuff would be better. It doesn't smell as strong, so I doubt that they would be attracted to it as much as they would to fresh fruit. Summer is great, but there's too many flies.

[HermieLove19]

Thats terrible. All those poor little hermies. I clean everything once a month and spot clean each time i feed them. Just like you said i noticed yesterday when i cleaned out the whole tank there was a little bug in there. It never happened in the winter or when i used just sand or 75% sand in my tank. i dont have a glass top either i have a mesh top. none of them had and bugs on them but i gave them a bath anyway. i did find that they hid some food while i was away on vacation. it was the first time i saw any little bug in the tank.

[krabby_katie]

Those nasty things! How frustrating. I hope that I won't have to deal with them all summer long. That would be so annoying.

[Mr.Crab]

Nice job you did cleaning.. How long has it been since u last changed ur tank? if u see em again read all the good info above ^^^^