Jumbos with Mites

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 11:53 am

Alright, Bhaal and Asmoday my jumbo PP's came to me with mites. I bathed them and bathed them and bathed them... The mites seemed gone for weeks... Now today I picked Asmoday up and her back is CRAWLING with mites (I don't pick her up much.. she doesn't like it)

She also has a hole in her back plate... and I saw a mite go in it

I wonder if the mites have made this hole (she had it when I got her.. not sure if the hole got larger or not) or if they laid eggs in there and that caused the new mite outbreak... Does anyone have experience with this? Also, would there be a safe way to disinfect this hole and patch it up so nothing can go in or out?

I thought she had a motl sac, but it turns out she doesn't... she's been pretty lethargic since I got her months ago... Although secretly she likes to trash the tank ocassionally.

That's part one of the problem. Here's part two:

My tank molts... BADLY... the food goes fuzzy in a day or two, and now I also found mildew on the glass in the back corner... In the corner Bhaal has been burried for weeks, and I'm possitive he's down for a molt!

I also found a small gnat flying around in the tank....

Now, with mold, mildew, mites and a single gnat, I want to dig Bhaal up.... before things get to him! If they haven't already killed him

My husband yelled at me though and tells me he's safer under the sand...

I would like some opinions here, dig him up or leave him be? The tank smells like the crocodile part in the zoo! The water dishes are gross... But I'm too afraid to collapse Bhaal's cave if I move things around too much >.<

HELP!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 12:55 pm

i think its fine for you to dig him up. just make sure you transfer him into iso asap. ive done that plenty of times when i had to and they have all made it.

with the mites, i have a few with the holes in their backs. i hope none of the mites hid in there! i dont think there is really anything you could patch them up with.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 12:57 pm

I have absolutely no jumbo experience, but the rule has always been no digging up unless there's a life threatening problem... and it sounds like you have 4 very good reasons to dig him up.

About the mite thing, I only ever saw mites on Bernard... I'll go check his back out and see if I spy any holes.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 11:15 pm

Those are for reptiles... I dunno what that would do to my babies...

Ofcourse when I went to show Asmoday to ray she had NO MITES on her... WHAT ON EARTH? She was crawling with mites this morning.. he thinks I'm either crazy or hallucinating

She had 3 white mites crawling on her head... where the head ends and the back plate starts... and one oon top of her shell... and some on her legs... and now... NOTHING! Maybe I am going nuts...

Ray still doesn't want me to dig Bhaal up... He thinks the mold isn't really that bad and that the mold wont get into the sand.. He thinks disturbing him in molt is more dangerous than the mold and mites.. :/

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 11:36 pm

Look by the food and water dish - did the mites migrate there?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 11:33 am

Sounds to me like your tank needs a purge and things will only get worse.
You might be ok for a few more days but I don't think I'd let it go more than a week... and if he's a big guy he might not be done in a week.
Did he leave you a peeking window? on the underside of the tank maybe?

I think this is a textbook example of a time to break the "no dig" rule.

NaRnAR · Post by **NaRnAR** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 11:41 am

I have to agree with Wacky...you need to re-vamp that whole tank.

If there are mites in the main tank you should just dig him up. How long has he been down for? and how big is he?...like JUMBO or large?

No on the mite "rid" things....hermit crabs are related to mites...which is why its so hard for us to get rid of them..we cant use any of the on-the-market "mite-rid" products. That is also the reason anything like bug spray or things like that we cant wear around them...it could possible kill them.

So youre best of getting rid of everything that has somewhere mites could get into and lay eggs or what have you.

I have had to dig up many a molters once...the ones who were still on the surface spilled two waterdishes and turned it into swamp land. All the molters were just fine after I dug them up. You just have to remember to be extra careful in how you dig and how you transport them to the ISO...they are weak and may not be able to hold them selves in thier shell. So just be careful and everything will be just fine

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 2:18 pm

I'd say dig up the molter, but get rid of the sand. Sounds like you have to sterlize the tank. Is the tank near an outside wall or window? Then it could be too cold, and cool temps are what molds like. Turn up the temps and turn the humidity down a bit.

Dawn · Post by **Dawn** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 3:25 pm

Can you section off the area where Bahaal is buried and take all the sand out other than there? I've done that before rather than dig up a molter...

But I've also dug up a molter when I thought they couldn't possibly be molting and they were. I've also had to rescue a molter who was dug up by his tank mates and that turned out okay...

Mites are an urgent thing. You have to do something. I think you said he was under a dish. This can be done too. Remove the dish and replace it with a clean clam shell or a coconut hut lined up where the door isn't going to let light directly on the molter...It's still dark but the water dish is removed. I've done this once or twice too. But I would isolate him with either glass partitions (from a picture frame) or something and then remove the dish that is over him, make it dark again and then start removing substrate. You'll have to do it all over again once he's back up from his molt because there will be infected substrate in his isolation but for now it helps his tank mates and removes a good portion of the mites for a while.

Better yet, you can remove everyone to an isolation and deal with the mess in the main tank with him in the sectioned off area...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 11:07 pm

Okay, Asmoday is sitting comfy in her 29G, so far no mites on her body...

I took everything out the tank and put it in a garbage bag, closed it air tight and put it in the garage until boiling time... and sectioned Bhaal off and put a plastic bag over his area... The lid is off the tank so all that mold can air out.. the baggy will keep Bhaals area in okay humidity and all. Let's just hope he's alive.. I dont have the guts to take him out... yet

How long do you think I should wait? I mean... I think he's been under for... hm... a month... maybe longer.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 11:00 am

I know what I say probably doesn't mean much because I'm still fairly new at this but if it were me I would dig him up and iso him somewhere else after checkin for mites. I wouldn't think Asmoday would have any more mites after all the baths and moving her to a fresh tank that is probably mite free. I hope He is ok. My fingers are crossed and I've been following this since first post.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 12:21 pm

Where on earth do you ISO a jumbo though

I'm out of tanks! I'd put him in with Asmoday, but they may infect eachother with mites all over again...

*goes to peek on Bhaal* Shhh dont tell hubby... I can atleast peek... carefully... And put him in a lil ISO if he's alive and all (big enough to sit in and walk one step... and turn around and walk one step

)

NaRnAR · Post by **NaRnAR** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 12:47 pm

Tuperware!! You wouldnt believe how many times I have had to ISO a hermit crab in a tuperware dish, a cool-whip dish, or a country crock container (all empty of course

) OR a very clean trash can/bucket. THey get the job done!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 12:55 pm

He's in my lil tupperware ISO... I use those for NORMAL sized crabs, but he doesn't seem to need much space right now...

He wasn't in the part that I sectioned off!

I saw I missed one rock when I took out all the junk... and he was right under it >.< Good thing I dug him up.. his cavey had collapsed after I removed all the playtoys yesterday!

He's freshly molted, not superpink, but more pink than usual... He still has a bunch of legs and his BP to eat, so he can't have molted too long ago. He moved a lil in his shell, so he is alive YAY! I haven't checked for mites, and wont until he has hardened enough...

I cant believe he wasn't in the part that I sectioned off! He was right next to where the butter tup hut was!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 1:09 pm

Update: Bhaal has mites, badly... I bathed him yesterday 6 times! I boiled all shells... I sterelized all items from their tank.... Bhaal went into a cardboard box with the shells in hope that he would change from his STUPID muffin shell....he's in the box until his ISO is dry.. I used bleach on it so it has to air out...

Ofcourse, after a while I check on Bhaal.. and great.. ANOTHER MITE! I put him in his ISO for the night and plan to bathe him tomorrow (which is today)

This morning I check on Bhaal... he's active, but I can still see mites, I check on Asmoday, she got another mite too

So I figure, I put Bhaal in with Asmoday, they both have mites, what does it matter anymore... Asmoday has been so lonely for so long...

Now, a few hours later, Bhaal is naked and asmoday is holding his shell

Can this whole thing get any worse? I have no clue how to pick up a naked jumbo >.< But I just grabbed him by his sides (he's still very active... just shocked) dipped him in water because his rear end is covered in sand... and surprise! Bhaal is swarming with mites... That stupid muffin shell of his holds too much air which prevents me from flushing it out properly... the mites just had a nice hiding spot in that shell

I put him back in the cardboard box, it's the only ISO I got that's big enough for him and a bunch of shells.... He's still active, trying like mad to get away from me when I dipped his rear and he's been crawling on the bed (that's where I gave him a quick dip in a bowl of water)

So what now? I'm pulling my hair out... they're both infected with mites, STILL and Bhaal is naked now -.-; GRAH! Asmoday is playing around with a pica shell (Thank you Tammi for mailing me those shells!) I guess her lust for new shells got awoken by Bhaal's return... But why rob a jumbo of a MUFFIN shell... They're the worst shells in jumbo history! Stupid stupid asmoday