NEED HELP NOW!!!!!!!

[The ultimate_fish MaC dAddY]

please help, I went to feed my hermit crabs and their tank is covered with mites! they're everywhere. What Should I do?


P.S. I have land hermit crabs.

 

[SirMinion]

1. Remove crabs
2. Clean the tank and decor with hot water (take care with hot water on cold glass)
3. Re-set up the tank
4. Replace crabs
5. Feed them less
6. Remove uneaten food as soon as they've finished
7. Clean them out more often.

The bugs are attracted by the uneaten food and soiled substrate.

 

[SPLiSH]

I'd give the crabs a bath in addition to what SirM said, too.

 

[The ultimate_fish MaC dAddY]

thanks for the help, but the thing is my hermits don't eat crab food. They only eat fruit salad (don't blame me it's all they will eat) and when I feed them that they usually eat while I'm asleep. Will the pet store take them if they have mites?

 

[SRC]

The bugs are attracted by the uneaten food and soiled substrate.

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He didn't say they were attracted to hermit crab food..he said uneaten food (meaning if they you feed them before bed..you should take what they haven't eaten through the nite out when you wake up, not leave it there for them to maybe finish) and soiled subtrate (meaning what they crawl around on isn't being cleaned often enough).

No..I do not think a pet store will take an animal that is infested with mites.
Nor do I think you should take them IN a pet store....that would be needlessly exposing all their animals to mites.

 

[JackDemp528]

I used to give my hermit crabs baths all the time. You take a shallow pan of water, not hot or cold, and put some stress coat in it, and let them crawl around in it, but make sure to turn them upside down to get water in their shell too.
If the mites aren't off of him during the first bath then give hime more until you cant' see anymore.

Also Make sure all extra shells, toys, bowls, sponges or anything else in the tank is extremely clean. And if you can't afford new substrate for the tank preheat your oven to 300° Fahrenheit. Take the 'infected' substrate out of the tank and spread it on a cookie sheet to a depth of about ½ inch. Bake it in the oven for ½ hour and allow it to cool. Repeat as many times as necessary until ALL your substrate is sterile. Then clean the whole tank. And if you can vacuum out all of the corners just in case.

Good luck!