Living hermit crab is infested with maggots!

[Silas0526_]

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?
Cocofiber, 2.5 in

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?
Have had 60% humidity problems, taised it back to 70, temp is around 80

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
2 uth on sides

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)?
Distilled water, flukers salt conditioner

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
Flukers medly treat for turtles (mealworms,crickets,srimp;freeze dried)

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
About a month, purple pincher.

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
Unknown; might have molted, if it did, 3 weeks ago for 3 days

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
10 gallon, with a lid that is mostly but not entirely covered.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
2 small purple pinchers

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
14

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
No

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
No but will when my other hermit stops molting.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
No

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
A new hermit crab a month ago

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.
A hermit crab is infested with maggots, rinsed him with their salt water, removed most of the maggots, but they wont stop comming back. He stoped moving about two and a half weeks ago, except for the occasional twitch, but now he is infested. He still twitches and his exoskeleton is still hard. He dropped a pincher before he stopped moving. He has been under the top of a bottle with food on the substrate and water in a small clam shell until I moved him to iso after noticing maggots.

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[Silas0526_]

Flys 🪰 seem bad in kansas.

[curlysister]

1. What kind of substrate is used in your tank and how deep is it?
Cocofiber, 2.5 in
Curly - Substrate should be at least two to three times as deep as your largest crab, and needs to be moistened with dechlorinated water so that it holds it's shape.

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?
Have had 60% humidity problems, taised it back to 70, temp is around 80
Curly - Even 70% is on the lower end of humidity. Can you cover more of your lid so the humidity is a bit higher?

3. Is a heat source used in the tank? If so, what?
2 uth on sides

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)?
Distilled water, flukers salt conditioner
Curly - HCA recommends tap water, treated with dechlorinator - distilled does not have any ground minerals like tap water does. Then for the salt water, you will need to mix in a marine salt so that they get ocean minerals. Unfortunately, the Fluker's won't provide all of that.

5. What kinds of food do you feed and how often is it replaced?
Flukers medly treat for turtles (mealworms,crickets,srimp;freeze dried)
Curly - Be sure that you are also offering fruits, vegetables, grains, and a source of calcium daily. CHeck the 'nutrition' care sheet for more info.

6. How long have you had the crab and what species is it, if known?
About a month, purple pincher.

7. Has your crab molted, and how long ago did it happen?
Unknown; might have molted, if it did, 3 weeks ago for 3 days

8. What type of housing are the crabs kept in, what size is it and what kind of lid is on the housing?
10 gallon, with a lid that is mostly but not entirely covered.

9. How many crabs are in the tank and about how large are they?
2 small purple pinchers

10. How many extra shells are usually kept in the tank, if any?
14

11. Have there been any fumes or chemicals near the crabitat recently?
No

12. How often do you clean the tank and how?
No but will when my other hermit stops molting.
Curly- Only spot cleaning to tidy up any bits of food (and poop) is needed. Some people deep clean (change out all the substrate) once every year or two, but unless there is an emergency like a flood or bacterial bloom, this isn't needed more frequently.

13. Are sponges used in the water dish? If so, how are they cleaned?
No

14. Has anything new been added to your crabitat recently?
A new hermit crab a month ago

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.
A hermit crab is infested with maggots, rinsed him with their salt water, removed most of the maggots, but they wont stop comming back. He stoped moving about two and a half weeks ago, except for the occasional twitch, but now he is infested. He still twitches and his exoskeleton is still hard. He dropped a pincher before he stopped moving. He has been under the top of a bottle with food on the substrate and water in a small clam shell until I moved him to iso after noticing maggots.
Curly - Can you post a photo of what the bugs look like?
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