(not sure if in correct place) HERMIT CRAB HELP PLEASE!

[animalfreak]

I was about to replace my hermit crabs food and water when i noticed little gray bugs. My first thought was mites. They are the same color, size, and places mites are found in. I have done little research on how to get rid of them, but it sounds VERY difficult and time consuming. They (5 crabs) are in a 10 gallon tank. Theres a log thing to climb on, 2 huts, food dish, water dish with sponge, and half sand and half sorta dirt and bark mix. I really want to get rid of them but i sounds really hard!! My parents probably wouldnt go through it all becasue theyre just crabs, but they arnt to me and I love them all. Any help and suggestions would be awesome! Thanks!!

 

[MoireErin]

This is what I found...hope it helps

Getting Rid of Mites In Your Tank

You must empty your whole tank and either replace or clean and disinfect (by boiling and baking) your substrate. Also boil and/or bake and/or replace anything else in the cage (except your hermit crabs of course and don't boil sponges, nuke 'em in microwave). Clean the tank very well squishing any bugs you see with the paper towel pressed firmly against the tank(especially in the corners where they hide) and rinsing the tank out very good. Leave everything in the sun for awhile (except your hermit crabs), because mites hate sunlight and will most likely leave the tank if their still in there. Leave the tank upside down in the sun so the mites can easily run off.

Getting Rid of Mites On Hermit Crabs

The only way to do this is by repeatedly (about 1 or 2 times a day) bathing them in Stresscoat laced water really well. Dechloronated water will work too but you're better off with stresscoat laced. Turn the crab upside down and get ALL the air bubbles out. Then pour the water off the crab. The mites will float to the top of the water and drain out with it. Remove all of the mites from the water by pouring them out, and repeat bathing them. Drain them down the sink, not in the garbage, and rinse out the sink and it's pipes very good afterwards with hot water and soap. Pour the water out before taking your crabs out so that any mites floating on the top don't latch back on to your crabs. Do this a few times until you are sure ALL of the mites are off the crab and out of the shell. You can leave the crab under water for a minute or so, it won't drown and the mites might release themselves. Just be careful and don't leave it under water for several minutes or it will probably drown. You can also use a paper towel and gently squish the bugs on the crab, do this gently though so you don't hurt the crabs or stress them any further.

 

[Yvonne G]

Go out into the yard and turn over logs and rock, looking for a handful of roly polys (pill bugs, sow bugs, etc.). These bugs eat the mites in your aquarium.