mites?

[kittykat]

no, they didn't look like this at all. they were small, but not as small as sand. i don't know what they there. if i see them again, i will try to somehow get a picture.
danielle
thanks for all the help

[kuplakrabs]

Here is additional information from different threads that has been copied and pasted to keep it all in one place.

Posted by kuntrygirl261978 August 27, 2005 08:06 PM
when i took my crab out of the tank..he died..
a little bug flew out but it looked like a gnat
or those little bugs that might get on fruit when it starts going bad...



Posted by Kali_Ma August 27, 2005 09:24 PM
Mites don't fly.

Kerie


Posted by kuplakrabs August 28, 2005 07:18 AM
Mites are actually in the arachnid family and have 8 legs. Some are parasitic and some are not. The mites I have seen on my crabs were tear drop shaped (the point of the tear drop is where the head would be) with black and red mottled coloring. Size wise, I'd say about the size of a pin head. They were stuck to the gill area and were very difficult to get off. The crab that had these mites did die soon after I got the things off. Bathing coupled with swiping them off with a cotton swab was the only way I could get rid of them. Whether he died because of the mites or the store conditions, or the stress of harvesting is something that I guess will remain a mystery. Too many variables to say for certain.

The other mites were white (the size of a grain of sand), very fast moving and were crawling all over the crab-in and out of its shell. I was able to get rid of them with a succession of brackish (slightly salty) water baths. These crabs survived and have since molted several times. Coincidence? Could be-since I am no scientist LOL.

Here is an article on the species of mites found on C.Clypeatus you may find interesting.
http://hermitcrabsrus.com/eve/forums...2/m/3320018333


And from yet a different thread


Posted by <piccaloooo> February 14, 2005 05:24 PM
ok, i have a problem. MITES. in my main tank. i'm devestated and frustrated. i've unearthed 15 from the main house, and at least 4 if not more are buried and in mid molt. i don't know if they are pre/during/or post molt.

all that aside, i've pulled out all the toys from the tank and my 15 are currently wandering around in the after bath box. i can't go get new substrate tonight, and the only other options i have are housing them in my two 10 gallon iso's that have at least 4 molters in each.

i really don't know what to do, considering i have so many in the 29 gallon. it's been in dire need of a substrate change, but it's a bit hard to do that with someone constantly down.

i feel like a failure!!

bleh. help?


Posted by Kali_Ma February 14, 2005 07:11 PM
I don't have a lot of advice to offer on the mites, but if you are interested in helping the interests of science...

Dr. Williams at Hofstra University has offered to "lend" me a student and a scanning electron microscope to try to figure out what kind of mites we are dealing with on peoples' pet crabs. He's a marine hermit guy, but is getting interested in the idea of classifying coenobita pests now.

If these mites are on your crabs, and not just living in the substrate, obviously bothering and preying on the crabs, I really could use some samples from you to get to Dr. Williams.

Could you PM me and let me know? I'll give you my address and how to preserve them if you're interested in helping.

I hope you get some help cleaning them up.

Kerie



Posted by Redwolf March 03, 2005 06:25 AM
Kali... should I send u a sample of those white ones i get in my tank.. they made another reappearnce...

i have quit deep cleaning cause it does not work.. they just keep coming back...so i really would like to know what they are...




Posted by Kali_Ma March 03, 2005 07:12 AM
I know Dr. Williams is still interested; I had my alpha straw die, and he wants the whole body.

Are your mites/bugs on the crabs, or in the substrate or both? If it's a substrate/tank deco problem, I might have a suggestion for their control, but if they're crab mites, I'm still looking into control methods. Very hard to kill mites anyway, but when you can't use miticides because the crabs are vulnerable, you're in some serious trouble!

Email me at kali.epicureanhermit@gmail.com and I'll tell you more!