Ask the mods anything
saby
Moderator
Anti Fun Officer
@TheGamerPainter
All canine are knotted, but not all knotted are canine. (Bc furries.)
All canine are knotted, but not all knotted are canine. (Bc furries.)
Gallus, with his feline caudal half, is likely to have feline parts. And that is likely to include hooks, or as science calls them, spines.
You’re welcome ♥
𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫
Ey guys, my hermit crabs are under attack by dozens and dozens of grain mites in their tank and they also burrow in the substrate soil as well. I’ve seen alot of them entering their shells and potentially exposing them to threats of bites on their soft side.
Am I doing the extermination right by temporarily evacuating all my hermits off their tank, thoroughly cleaning them with dechlorinated water then pouring really hot water on the substrate soil in their tank where there are alot of those parasites living?
saby
Moderator
Anti Fun Officer
@𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫
Without expertise in the matter of crustacean-friendly methods of clearing out an arachnoid infestation, I have some thoughts.
Without expertise in the matter of crustacean-friendly methods of clearing out an arachnoid infestation, I have some thoughts.
Whatever methods you choose to use, if you can keep the crabs in quarantine long enough to confirm the main tank has no surviving mites, it’s best to do that.
Sanitising the substrate will be most efficient if you can boil it or bake it to ensure thorough, sufficient heat. I’d be unwilling to try how well the seams and walls on a tank hold up to water that’s hot enough to kill the critters, especially in volumes large enough to soak and heat the entire mass of the substrate. Taking it out will also permit you to clean the bottom of the tank and let it dry out completely for extra safety.
In any case, before breaking the quarantine, you should be positive that both the main tank and the crabs themselves are mite-free. Since you’ve seen them enter the shells, there’s no guarantee that some haven’t hitched a ride and could re-infest the main tank.
/ETA: after some basic searches, following are advised specifically for hermit crab tank grain mite infestations: remove food scraps and the food dish every time after feeding to minimize mite access to food; change water and rinse the dish daily; find the source of grain mites in your home and treat accordingly by disposing of spoiled goods and heat testing or freezing any containers mites could have gotten into (likely your dry pantry; locate mites by putting some flour on offer as bait; make the flour as smooth as you can; if mites have visited, the surface will be disturbed).
𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫
@saby
I see. Well said alot bratha I’ll take this advice.
I see. Well said alot bratha I’ll take this advice.
My method actually worked hopefully, all this happened in 3 days, I didn’t just poured hot water on the soil but did it 3 times and each were being dried out of hot sunlight then pour another. Also some little bit of baking soda on the second try. The crabs were sheltered on my secondary but smaller tank.
It’s safe to say I successfully eliminated all of those mites now. They’ve never felt so comfortable when they got back to their tank.
Oh, when it comes to “tank”, it’s actually complicated how it looks like ahahah… the tank I use is actually a large plastic laundry basin that’s no longer able to contain water due to a large crack underneath it. Basically a makeshift tank. Aquarium tanks are expensive on my current financial stat but I’d like to have one.
Those soil are mixture of beach sand and cocopeat substrate btw.
Ciaran
Senior Moderator
君場森生きる
@𝕭𝖆𝖉𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙
This image is blocked by your current filter - click here to display it anywayThis image is tagged
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, which is spoilered by your current filter. Ciaran
Senior Moderator
君場森生きる
@Mikey
Absolutely nuttin, darling. Nuttin’.
Absolutely nuttin, darling. Nuttin’.
Anthros be smokin’. Haters be hatin’.
(warning: link to social sciences, may cause pupil dilation, feelings of anger, anxiety, fears of intrusion, increased heart rate, and anthropomorphism).
The punch line being every single image on this site that shows anything other than a human is ‘anthropomorphic’. They’re all cartoon animals driving cars and worrying about taxes.
Background Pony #CF13
I wish the mods here a Happy New Year.
I hope 2025 will be the best for everyone.
𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫
@𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫
Whaaaaaaat?! LOL!
Whaaaaaaat?! LOL!
So apparently, grain mites are harmless to hermit crabs and will still keep coming back no matter the amount of times you clean your hermit crab tank.
I shoulda never asked you about this in the first place, I didn’t also knew there is a site dedicated to hermit crabs. Sorry to bother you.
Ciaran
Senior Moderator
君場森生きる
@𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫
They’re like snails in fish tanks. No matter what you do, if you have plants in the tank, or use anything that isn’t 100% sterilized from a store, there will be snails. With fish tanks the solution is to get some fish that eat the snails. Is there anything that eats grain mites?
They’re like snails in fish tanks. No matter what you do, if you have plants in the tank, or use anything that isn’t 100% sterilized from a store, there will be snails. With fish tanks the solution is to get some fish that eat the snails. Is there anything that eats grain mites?
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