mold

[Bigbarb]

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?


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?


3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?


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)?


5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?


6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?


7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?


8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?


9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?


10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?


11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?


12. How often do you clean the tank and how?


13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?


14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?


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.)?


16. Please describe the emergency situation in detail.
I have previously answered the above questions on my last emergency post and nothing has changed. What I forgot to mention is the mold. The food dishes are surrounded by mold every day. Should I be worried? I remove it every time I see it. I normally allow the food to stay in take 2 days, but even when changed daily, there is still a lot of mold.

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[curlysister]

Welcome to crabbing and to the forum!
Mold is almost inevitable, given the heat and humidity in the tank. It is not harmful to crabs, so don't panic. You are doing the right thing by just removing what you see. Fresh food will only last 24-48 hours. You can try feeding dried foods, if you want to extend the time you can leave it in, and to see if there will be less mold.

[DragonsFly]

I struggled with a LOT of mold, until somebody recommended putting a small fan in the tank. I have kept a small fan in every tank since, on a timer so I can adjust how often it runs. I've had no mold since then (other than occasionally on some particularly mold-prone kind of food left in for too long), and the crabs seem to enjoy the moving air; sometimes they will sit on a high spot right where the air movement is strongest and face the fan, as if they are enjoying the breeze. If you think about it, they come from tropical islands where unmoving air is basically unknown.

Not only does this cut down on mold and seem to improve the crabs' general contentment, I'm also quite concerned about O2 exchange in these closed crabitats. I know we often hear that "they will get enough air exchange when you poke around every day or two to change food, etc.", but I have trouble really buying that. Although I know they can stay down in a closed molting burrow for months on end, we also know that their physiological state is very different then, and again, their natural habitat is a place where fresh air is constantly in great, moving supply. So I always have at least one bubble pool in the tank, with an air pump that brings in fresh air on a regular basis, as well as a fan that regularly makes sure the air is mixing and moving.

[HermitCrabCHICA]

I don't think mold is harmful to the crabs I think spraying the tank with salt water will help.

[DragonsFly]

I don't think mold is harmful to the crabs I think spraying the tank with salt water will help.

It is not good to spray with salt water, or to re-moisten your substrate with salt water. The problem with that is that the water will evaporate, leaving the salt. This means that if you do this very often, you can end up with a high concentration of salt in the tank, which can be harmful to the crabs.

If you have mold growing on a wooden structure, sometimes it can help to soak that wood in salt water for a while, then dry it THOROUGHLY, then put it back in the tank. This can deter mold growth on that structure. But adding more and more salt to the tank by spraying with salt water or adding salt water to the substrate is not recommended.

[curlysister]

I don't think mold is harmful to the crabs I think spraying the tank with salt water will help.

Like DF said, don't spray the tank with salt water. Some people use salt water to moisten the substrate when first mixing it up, which is fine. But then just use fresh water if needed for moisture after that.