Lost An Entire Tank of Crabs - Bacterial Problem?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 10:35 am

I lost my entire tank of crabs recently, all with the same symptoms before dying, and I was wondering if it was due to an overgrowth of bacteria in the tank?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Aug 02, 2003 3:01 pm

Snapfish...the reason why I went to bacteria toxins is because how the crabs died. Their nervous system just seems to shut down slowly like a neurotoxin. I also got very sick from being around the crabs. I could smell something right before the crabs would die. There were so many crabs in that aquarium that the bacteria/whatever concentration had to be sooooo high. I passed out and hit the floor on three different occassions at work. I went into work feeling fine, but when I got there I got sick. I got tired, I had headaches, I was confused, I slurred my speach and so on. It was not fun at all. As soon as I would go home, I would start to feel better. So I knew it was coming from within the aquarium.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Aug 02, 2003 3:26 pm

Bacterial toxins may be secondary to something else, lke a parasite. First the parasite, and then bacterial infections can get a foothold. Hypothesis, of course.Gertie

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Aug 05, 2003 2:01 pm

Actually, a bacterial infection could conceivably kill every crab if something weakened them first, like a parasite or a virus. I'm leaning towards parasites as a possible theory. Bacterial toxins I believe are likely to show up no matter what, because whenever the immune system is weakened, bacteria can get a foot hold. It is often secondary in other caged reptiles and pets, so I am applying that idea to the crabs.I think isoing crabs when they are purchased is a good start. If employees and store owners don't wash their hands before getting into the crab tank, they can easily transmit any number of parasites like coccidia into the tank. Whether or not they crabs can pick that parasite up can only be answered by a marine biologist. That parasite in particular slowly moves around a tank of seemingly healthy reptiles, and the reptiles will actually die of some sort of bacterial or viral infection as a result of a weakened body. So it is possible, this parasite may be a culprit. Especially at a pet store where there are other tanks of animals. Please everyone, this is only a theory, I am not saying this is so, just something to think about.Gertie

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Aug 06, 2003 10:39 am

Really, the only thing I can think of is that a post mortem of one of Stumblez's and Aviate's crabs would be needed to come to any conclusion. There are incredibly dangerous pathogenic bacteria and fungi that abound in vivariums, as well as parasites, like coccidia that need no host to reproduce. Conceivably all of these could show the same outright symptoms and tank wipeouts in the crabs. I'm still leaning towards the parasite idea as a possible start to these chain of events, as my own theory, but without a post mortem it is hard to tell. Having two tank wipeouts at the same time does not, in my mind, mean there were the same pathogenic organisms at work. But, I think if we are going to track down the cause of this, the way to do it would be from a post mortem culture. Advanced herpetotologists, when obtaining new wild caught pets, will quarantine them for a minimum period of three months. Something to think about. I think it's improtant to talk about this too, the statement of hermit crabs carry no disease, I think what is actually meant is hermit crabs carry no disease transmittable to humans. That is a good item to discuss. Too my knowledge, any and all land living creatures are capable of being infected by flagellate protozoans, such as tric****nads. Coccidia is another protozoan.This is an important idea. Snakes can be afflicted with another infection called cryptosporidium, which has no known treatment. A little while ago this disease was diagnosed in a leopard gecko colony. This disease was thought of only afflicting snakes. The point being, our understanding of disease, parasites and other things is constantly changing even in the herp world. We know far less about hermit crabs and their disease pathology than other herps. I think the only reasonable conclusion, in order to make headway in the crab world, is to find a way to get a diagnosis, and post mortems would be a start.I unfortunately will not be on the chat this weekend. Although, to be clear, I wish I could be on. I hope someone could keep me posted?Gert