What's wrong With Pest??? (Fruit Flies #2)
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What's wrong With Pest??? (Fruit Flies #2)
Guys, I'm having a serious hermie crisis. Remember I lost two a couple of days ago? I'm still afraid Pest is on his way out. He's extremely lethargic, hanging out of his shell (I mean abdomen nearly out and everything), ashy, and not eating/drinking anything. Now, to be fair, he does have a molt sac, but he's not burrowing. So I thought of a top molt (which is still possible). Problem is, that's exactly the same behavior Zero and Meanie had - and ya'll know what happened to them. Pest has been like this the last few days. I've got him in iso now. Help!!!! [smilie=crybaby.gif] [smilie=crybaby.gif] [smilie=crybaby.gif]
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Oy Tom this stinks.
Have you seen any evidence of those fruit fly eggs on your crabbies after you found it in the tank? Anything weird show up in the water when you were bathing them?
I've been thinking on antibiotic use and really don't like the idea (as many others on here agree) but what about herbal remedies? Great immune boosters for humans are olive leaf, echinacea, elderberry, and goldenseal. Olives & olive oil are safe for them... maybe olive leaf would be too? And elderberries are on the safe list. This is completely experimental but maybe adding just a drop or two of the liquid form to bath water might help? I don't have any tank issues right now *knocks on wood* but that's something I wouldn't be afraid to try personally because of my own positive experiences with using herbs for my family & my cats.
Just ruminating on ways to help.... please keep us posted!
Have you seen any evidence of those fruit fly eggs on your crabbies after you found it in the tank? Anything weird show up in the water when you were bathing them?
I've been thinking on antibiotic use and really don't like the idea (as many others on here agree) but what about herbal remedies? Great immune boosters for humans are olive leaf, echinacea, elderberry, and goldenseal. Olives & olive oil are safe for them... maybe olive leaf would be too? And elderberries are on the safe list. This is completely experimental but maybe adding just a drop or two of the liquid form to bath water might help? I don't have any tank issues right now *knocks on wood* but that's something I wouldn't be afraid to try personally because of my own positive experiences with using herbs for my family & my cats.
Just ruminating on ways to help.... please keep us posted!
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I'm not a big fan of templates, but here goes:
1- substrate: playsand
2- humidity: not sure*
3- temp of sand: no idea - never occured to me to check
4- temp of tank: around 70 degrees
5- location of gauges: about 1" above sand
6- heat source: don't need one. Temp stays around 70 degrees
7- water: fresh dechlor
8- dechlor: yes
9- feed: dried krill/crab pellets/cuttlebone
10- how long had crab: a couple of months
11- species - pp
12- bathe: yes, about once a month
13- housing: tank/kk**
*I have gauges in my tanks. I had to make an emergency iso in a kk, and haven't had a chance to put proper gauges in yet. I've got food/water in the kk, and have books covering the top (for humidity and to keep cat out)
**I have a 55 gallon main tank, a 10 gallon iso, and about 8x4 kk
I don't like templates because I can't always give as detailed information as I'd like. They do help, though, I will give them that. Pest has been like this for a while, but it's really gotten bad in the last couple of days.
Emergency Iso Situation: the main tank was FLOODED w/ fruit flies. So I removed my surviving crabs, and put them in the kk. Foo, my other goliath crab, is molting, so I couldn't put a bunch of young 'uns in with him. That's when Pest really started going downhill. I went ahead and put the others in with Foo, and left Pest in the kk alone. Hope this helps!
1- substrate: playsand
2- humidity: not sure*
3- temp of sand: no idea - never occured to me to check
4- temp of tank: around 70 degrees
5- location of gauges: about 1" above sand
6- heat source: don't need one. Temp stays around 70 degrees
7- water: fresh dechlor
8- dechlor: yes
9- feed: dried krill/crab pellets/cuttlebone
10- how long had crab: a couple of months
11- species - pp
12- bathe: yes, about once a month
13- housing: tank/kk**
*I have gauges in my tanks. I had to make an emergency iso in a kk, and haven't had a chance to put proper gauges in yet. I've got food/water in the kk, and have books covering the top (for humidity and to keep cat out)
**I have a 55 gallon main tank, a 10 gallon iso, and about 8x4 kk
I don't like templates because I can't always give as detailed information as I'd like. They do help, though, I will give them that. Pest has been like this for a while, but it's really gotten bad in the last couple of days.
Emergency Iso Situation: the main tank was FLOODED w/ fruit flies. So I removed my surviving crabs, and put them in the kk. Foo, my other goliath crab, is molting, so I couldn't put a bunch of young 'uns in with him. That's when Pest really started going downhill. I went ahead and put the others in with Foo, and left Pest in the kk alone. Hope this helps!
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My spidey-sense tells me that this might be an after-effect of the fruit fly infestation that took your other crabs.
My hope is that by catching it when you did, and taking steps to remedy it, Pest has a better chance of recovering from this. It may be that the fact that he's in pre-molt has made him more vulnerable so he's having a harder time beating it than your other crabs are?
Unfortunately all it seems you can do, is what you're doing. I don't see anything amiss according to the template info, tho of course adding gauges to the emergency ISO if/when you can will give you more peace of mind in being able to accurately monitor his temp & humidity.
Healing thoughts are coming Pest's way!!!
My hope is that by catching it when you did, and taking steps to remedy it, Pest has a better chance of recovering from this. It may be that the fact that he's in pre-molt has made him more vulnerable so he's having a harder time beating it than your other crabs are?
Unfortunately all it seems you can do, is what you're doing. I don't see anything amiss according to the template info, tho of course adding gauges to the emergency ISO if/when you can will give you more peace of mind in being able to accurately monitor his temp & humidity.
Healing thoughts are coming Pest's way!!!
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Topic author
Poor little guy! I know it probably did more harm than good, but I took him out and just held my baby for a minute or so. He was so sweet. Then he started trying to escape, so I put him back, added a sponge and put the whole kk in the closet. I heard Foo making all kinds of noise. I'll check on him in a few minutes...
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i can't remember which site (or which post) i was reading, as it was long ago; however, it recommended feeding spirulina algae flakes....very good nutritional supplement and thought to have some medicinal benefits (similar to those of antibiotics)....i always feed this with the staple food and (knock on wood) have healthy and happy hermies.....have only lost one since i started crabbing a year and a half ago.....
i didn't see any mention of fresh fruits/vegetables in your hermie diet....they need a variety of foods to get all the nutrients needed....
good luck and my thoughts are with you and your hermies....
i didn't see any mention of fresh fruits/vegetables in your hermie diet....they need a variety of foods to get all the nutrients needed....
good luck and my thoughts are with you and your hermies....
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