Food mites - Harmless?

[PinchersAndShells]

Hello all, I've been suspicious of them residing in my crabitat since I've upgraded but tonight I got a confirmation while picking up a piece of dried banana. My question is, they are indeed harmless to the crabs, correct? If so, I'll hold off on doing a deep clean. I'm basically just wondering if theyre a safety issue or more of a heebie-jeebies kind of deal. I'm going to get isopods now that I have a job again, and I know they wont get rid of them but compete for survival. Its really up to the safety of my crabs, I dont want to stress them out with a deep clean uneededly.

[wodesorel]

Heebie-Jeebies! They really are completely harmless, and in a lot of ways beneficial as they break down wastes in the tank. You're right in that the isopods will help to put them out of their job.

They also tend to go bonkers over banana. I would never see them in my tanks until the crabs got a slice, and then I'd get a little creeped out over how many would show up!

[PinchersAndShells]

Ohhh okay! Thank you! I just wanted to reassure myself that they weren't harmful before I went willy nilly and started trying to bake everything. Maybe it will be nice to have two different types of cleanup crews and even observe the "survival of the fittest" between the two.

On another note, you may not know me but I wanted to say welcome back! I've read some of your old threads and have been spacey with my activity so I never got to welcome you back.

[wodesorel]

Thank you!

You probably didn't want to know this, but the mites are a native species to our area, and they're drawn to the crab tank because of the warmth, humidity, and food sources. I was crabbing about six months the first time I found them invading the food bowl and I. Freaked. Out. Tore everything down, sterilized everything I could, and got the crabs set back up in under 24 hours. (Hurt my back major, what with throwing a 30 gallon aquarium around to bleach it.) The mites were back in force in three days, I kid you not. Three. Days. I've been living with them invading my humid enclosures ever since and have never had any kind of problem. Collected a few more species of harmless mites along the way too, somehow.