Mold?

[NCgirl19]

Hi everyone, I have a quick question I hope someone can help me with. I'm in the process of moving my grabs to a 20gL (from a 10g.) Last Sunday (2/12) I cleaned the aquarium thoroughly with vinegar and water, allowed it to dry in the sun, and then added my substrate (5 parts playsand to 1 parts EE.) I then added a coconut/ladder and a couple of moss pits. I was holding off moving the crabs until this weekend when I would have a bit more time to add a few more things and hook up my bubbler and all the good stuff. Anywho, last night as I walked by the tank I noticed white fuzz all over the coconut and when I opened the lid to look closer I realized the ENTIRE coconut was covered in fuzz...along with the ladder, both moss pits (the bigger one had visible white spores in it,) and even 2 of my climbing branches...me being me freaked out and removed them. I planned to clean them tonight and had planned to ask on here what would be the best way but I saw a post saying that the white mold might not be bad for the crabs? If its not bad then thats fantastic but if it is - how do I get rid of the mold? And how do I prevent it from coming back?

Thanks in advance for any help!!!

[NLindsey921]

It's not harmful to the crabs but it can be to us if we breath in the spores. The easiest way to get rid of it is to soak everything except the moss in declorinated marine salt water. Let it dry and then place it back in. The moss should be cleaned real well in declorinated water and placed back in

Sent from my SM-J700T1 using Tapatalk

[LadyJinglyJones]

It wont harm crabs - but you probably don't want it in your tank!

If you bake in your oven (maybe at 350 for ten minutes? perhaps keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't singe) & then soak in MSW for a bit, you'll probably be inoculated against mould for quite a while.

[NCgirl19]

Great - thank you both so much!

[Kermie16]

All of my wood structures and cocohut, hemp netting, etc are soaked in MSW as mentioned above. I soak them for a couple of hours and then the wood structures I bake at 250 for about 80-90 mins and leave out to cool. I do this any time they are put into the tank;) and Just wondering from your pics if your cocohut suction cup has metal hooks? Almost looks like it from the pictures. If not, my mistake! If so, it would be best to keep any metals out of the tank due to rusting. Otherwise, looks like u have a nice set up!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rawrgeous]

Eh. I wouldn't worry about the metal. If they do start to rust remove them, but I used that type with no ill effect or rusting. Crabs seemed to leave them alone. Then again I'm pretty laid back. It's copper we have an issue with, and rust hasn't been necessarily proven to cause health issues, it's just something we avoid.

[soilentgringa]

Mold is an inevitability in crab tanks, and as stated above, is harmless to the crabs.

Just take items out and rinse them and allow them to air dry before putting back in the tank.

I would advise against repeatedly soaking anything in salt water and baking as this can cause a harmful buildup of salt over time.

[NCgirl19]

Thank you guys so much for your advice. I cleaned and soaked the moldy items yesterday and spent most of the day getting everything ready for them to make the move. I still want to tweak a few things but for the most part I'm happy with it and from all the banging around they did last night I think they are too! LOL!

[Kermie16]

Looking good!! They are so cute!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[EliseWegrzyn]

DO NOT LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE SAYING MOLD IS SAVE!!! FOUND THIS
Yes, mold in a hermit crab's substrate is unsafe and can cause health problems for the crabs:
Mycotoxins
Mold can produce mycotoxins, which can be dangerous to the health of hermit crabs and humans.
Carbon dioxide, water, and other compounds
Mold produces these compounds when it breaks down proteins and complex carbohydrates.
Entry routes
Mold spores can settle on every surface in a closed habitat, including the hermit crab's body and gills.

[GotButterflies]

That is an old practice. Mold should be removed from the tank. We recommend boiling items that can mold in marine saltwater, and allowing them to dry before replacing in the tank. We also recommend that you refrain from misting your tank. Mold is caused by too humid of an environment.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk