Lots (I mean thousands) of tiny bugs!

[FJrocks003]

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?
Play sand and coco fiber 5:1 ratio, 7 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?
They actually stopped working just yesterday for some reason but I ordered new ones. Before that it was always around 80 and 80.

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
2 heat lamps; night and day. Only use the night one in the winter.

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)?
I have fresh and salt water in one gallon tanks inside the main tank.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
I feed a lot a diffrent types of food but I'll list what I normally have in at one time. Leaf litter (oak and maple), leafy greens (usually lettuce or spinach), some kind of fruit or berry, crushed nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds), egg shells, shrimp, mealworms, crickets, and bloodworms. Everything is sprinkled with calcium powder (made from crushed cuttlebone).

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
This does not apply to one crab. I have had 2 of my crabs for about a year and the third for a few months.

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
The 2 I had for a year have both molted twice and the third has not molting but has been digging around a lot so I think she is about to do her first one.

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
They are kept in a 20 gallon long glass aquarium with a mesh screen lid covered by boxing tape to keep in the humidity.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
3 crabs, 2 mediums and a small.

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
So at the moment I took all the shell out to clean them andam putting them back in tonight, but usually about 10-ish.

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
No

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
Spot clean, deep clean every 6 months (I know it's not necessary, but I like keeping the tank extra clean)

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
No sponges.

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
I added new swimming sized water pools a few days ago.

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.)?
I only handle one of the crabs regularly (the small one that doesn't really mind it at all) but for the most par I am pretty hands off.

16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
I was doing a deep clean of the tank, I know it's not necessary but I do it every once in a while and I'm glad i did. When I touched the climbing wall a bunch of little blackish brown bugs went everywhere! I immediately took the climbing wall out but by the time I got it out a lot of the bugs had scattered all around the tank! They were REALLY tiny and there were thousands! I wish I took a picture to show you guys before the disappeared again. They must still be in thank tank but I don't see them. Does anyone know what the heck they are, how they got in the tank, if they are harmful to the crabs, and how to get rid of them???

.

[aussieJJDude]

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic? ... source=app

Does any one those mentioned in the above link look familar? If it was my guess, I'd go with grain mites or potentially springtails as they are the most frequent.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[wodesorel]

Blackish brown might be oribatid mites? I found them in a dish once and kinda freaked. They sort of looked like tiny ticks.

[FJrocks003]

I looked up some pictures and I'm pretty certain that they are the oribatid mites. They were not springtails, much to dark in color and a bit rounder. Are these mites bad, if so what should it do about them? I finished cleaning out the tank and replace half the substrate (didn't have enough for a full clean), but I guess that doesn't help if they are on the crabs.

[wodesorel]

Completely harmless! They eat dead and decaying plant debris like trees, and are known to eat fungus as well. Probably pretty common in our tanks, actually, but because they match the colour of cocofiber and don't climb, they would go unnoticed. I've found them in my tanks twice and just left them. It's surprising you found so many, because it's said they aren't crazy reproducers like grain mites.

[FJrocks003]

I'm glad their harmless, but still want to try to get rid of them. They could irritate the crabs in such large numbers. I took out the top few inches of substrate (only at about 5 inches now, but it should be fine sense know one's molting, I'll add more as soon as the stores open up) then I cleaned most the decor. I think this should get rid of most of them.

[Julsie]

Sorry I was stalking the emergency section threads and I am curious; how does a tank get bugs? I read it’s common but i’d love an sort of in depth explanation? && i’m not judging you or your tank at all by the way! Just curious like I said
if I could know what to look for/signs of these critters that would be nice!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk