Mold

[micahgordon]

I have white mold that I clean everyday. It gets on the glass, a plastic plant, and has grown on two shells but I immediately cleaned off the mold. So far there is no more mold on the shells but a little on some of my wood and plastic plant. I read another forum that said some agree and disagree about white mold being safe or unsafe, most of them say that it is safe. But, I was thinking don't many people get mold in their tank? I am wondering if I should just spot clean where there is mold everyday because it just keeps on growing back.

[curlysister]

With the heat and humidity, some mold is inevitable. Do you have any airflow in your tank? Increasing air flow a bit can help cut down on mold - just be careful you don't open it so much that the humidity goes too low.
Some items like wood can be boiled in salted water to decrease how fast mold grows.

[Jlmills525]

I moistened my substrate with salt water when I first made it and I have not had a mold problem other than on food that is left too long. (I mist with fresh)

[Scoots08]

Maybe send a picture so that we may better understand? Am I correct to assume you are misting their tank by hand? When I had been misting the tank myself (to keep their humidity within their range) I ran into mold…
I finally made them a humidifier and used wide air tubing to keep the humidity more consistent without having to mist and have the collection of moisture in certain areas. My contraption (which took several attempts to get it just right, but now I’m an expert!) is working rather well. I can count on the humidity to stay between 75-85% at all times with NO New mold or re-growth! But to answer your question, if you feel so inclined to make a humidifier, maybe try that…? (Again, I am only assuming what you are doing for humidity and haven’t seen your tank)

To treat the mold, either boiling or baking what is a problem, helps. Also, mixing some “extra strength” saltwater in a spray bottle, you can ‘treat’ the areas where there are issues. I have been having to do this with a piece of cork bark from when I used to be misting my tank by hand. I unfortunately cannot remove this piece to bake it, it is a permanent piece of my hermies background. I’m not totally sure if the saltwater is “killing” the mold, or just keeping it at bay and from getting worse. Regardless, using the saltwater, I certainly do not smell that tell tale “musty” smell anymore. Although, just to be sure, I’m thinking one of these days I may just have to allow my buddies to play in their holding tank while I zap that area with a hair dryer just to be sure! Btw, my cork bark had formed white mold AND green mold! Makes me so mad that by my own hand I created this issue and I had worked so hard for several months to create their perfect home live and learn I guess.

[curlysister]

Maybe send a picture so that we may better understand? Am I correct to assume you are misting their tank by hand? When I had been misting the tank myself (to keep their humidity within their range) I ran into mold…
I finally made them a humidifier and used wide air tubing to keep the humidity more consistent without having to mist and have the collection of moisture in certain areas. My contraption (which took several attempts to get it just right, but now I’m an expert!) is working rather well. I can count on the humidity to stay between 75-85% at all times with NO New mold or re-growth! But to answer your question, if you feel so inclined to make a humidifier, maybe try that…? (Again, I am only assuming what you are doing for humidity and haven’t seen your tank)

To treat the mold, either boiling or baking what is a problem, helps. Also, mixing some “extra strength” saltwater in a spray bottle, you can ‘treat’ the areas where there are issues. I have been having to do this with a piece of cork bark from when I used to be misting my tank by hand. I unfortunately cannot remove this piece to bake it, it is a permanent piece of my hermies background. I’m not totally sure if the saltwater is “killing” the mold, or just keeping it at bay and from getting worse. Regardless, using the saltwater, I certainly do not smell that tell tale “musty” smell anymore. Although, just to be sure, I’m thinking one of these days I may just have to allow my buddies to play in their holding tank while I zap that area with a hair dryer just to be sure! Btw, my cork bark had formed white mold AND green mold! Makes me so mad that by my own hand I created this issue and I had worked so hard for several months to create their perfect home live and learn I guess.

Be careful misting/ spraying/ adding salt water to the substrate, after the initial mixing. The reason for care is because as water evaporates from the substrate and it dries, the salt stays behind....which can lead to too much salt, and damage to your crabs.

[RedRouge10]

How did you make your humidifier?
I recently bought a small travel one that I could modify pretty easily.

Maybe send a picture so that we may better understand? Am I correct to assume you are misting their tank by hand? When I had been misting the tank myself (to keep their humidity within their range) I ran into mold…
I finally made them a humidifier and used wide air tubing to keep the humidity more consistent without having to mist and have the collection of moisture in certain areas. My contraption (which took several attempts to get it just right, but now I’m an expert!) is working rather well. I can count on the humidity to stay between 75-85% at all times with NO New mold or re-growth! But to answer your question, if you feel so inclined to make a humidifier, maybe try that…? (Again, I am only assuming what you are doing for humidity and haven’t seen your tank)

To treat the mold, either boiling or baking what is a problem, helps. Also, mixing some “extra strength” saltwater in a spray bottle, you can ‘treat’ the areas where there are issues. I have been having to do this with a piece of cork bark from when I used to be misting my tank by hand. I unfortunately cannot remove this piece to bake it, it is a permanent piece of my hermies background. I’m not totally sure if the saltwater is “killing” the mold, or just keeping it at bay and from getting worse. Regardless, using the saltwater, I certainly do not smell that tell tale “musty” smell anymore. Although, just to be sure, I’m thinking one of these days I may just have to allow my buddies to play in their holding tank while I zap that area with a hair dryer just to be sure! Btw, my cork bark had formed white mold AND green mold! Makes me so mad that by my own hand I created this issue and I had worked so hard for several months to create their perfect home live and learn I guess.

[wodesorel]

It sounds like the mold is originating from the wood, if you salt boil that you may be able to stop it completely. Mold needs a food source, organic material it can eat - like poop, wood, leaves, ecoearth, cocohuts. It can spread to non-organic materials just because it got bigger and is growing, like how a bush can swallow everything around it with time, but those non-organic items don't provide a food source so aren't a problem - things like shells, sand and plastic.

[Scoots08]

Be careful misting/ spraying/ adding salt water to the substrate, after the initial mixing. The reason for care is because as water evaporates from the substrate and it dries, the salt stays behind....which can lead to too much salt, and damage to your crabs.

Oh, No worries, curlysister! I have never sprayed any SUBSTRATE after its initial mixing. I’ve understood the evaporation process of saltwater. That’s why I would only spray items that I could not PHYSICALLY remove from their tank (and sanitize in a more effective manner). After spraying and drying the piece, I would scrape off/away where I had sprayed with a coarse file or an appropriate drill attachments.
But as always, I do appreciate the concern!