oimsofunny

[oimsofunny]

Well I finally got to do my deep tank cleaning. It was about two months late. I knew I wasn't going to have a good result but it was some better then I expected.

I have been at the hospital or at my in laws place alot the last 6 weeks due to first mother in law having surgery, then father in law hospitalized for a week, then he comes home, and has to go back and have more test ran. Then he ends up having Quad by pass done last week and he came home Tuesday of this week. I am finally getting to take a deep breath, but having to go to their house tomorrow to help out for the day. 

So today, I did the deep tank cleaning on the tanks. I ended up going from 58 hermies to 40  .. Thank goodness my two originals are still safe and sound.. lol.. I had a few that had recently finished up molting and they look wonderful.

It is so heartbreaking that I lost that many, but with being gone and the temperature dropping down into the 30s the house got quite cool and no heater on them. Then our pet raccoon got up and opened their lids a bit and let out to much humidity, so I knew that things wasn't going to be so hot in the hermie count.

I did the hermie tank up for their Christmas tank decorations. I will add the lights around the tank later this month, when I set out decorations. If I can get my daughters camera to work the next couple of days, I will post pictures of the new tank set up and let everyone know.

[Globalshock]

Wow, sorry about your crabs. I'm always scared when I do my deep cleans 'cause it stresses the crabs out alot.

[oimsofunny]

My hermies always seem to really enjoy the deep tank cleanings.. they get baths and the shells cleaned out and so have fresh shells to check out and move into and then new tank to move around in and check out.. I do a deep tank cleaning and they will check things out for several days, and then several usually dig down and molt.. lol..

[Hugalilcrab]

oimsofunny,

Yikes! I am so sorry for one, about your family, and two, your pet loss. Hard times I understand completely. This year in a matter of three weeks I had food poisoning, my Uncle/Godfather died, and I had a nail go through my foot! Someone told me bad things come in three's so I hope I am done for now.

I hope your family is ok with all that has gone on. You cant really blame yourself for your loss of crabs. Yes 30' is well below the crustation living means but, what can you really do when daily life comes into play. Thats the tough part that a lot of folks do not realize. I wish you all the best and hope your family (including crabs) recover.
~Heather

[oimsofunny]

Thank you Heather and Globalshock. Yes, you feel bad that it happens but have to look at real live and know that we have to take care of family first. ALong with, alot of hermies, have things happen and die in their natural environment. We can only do the best that we can at giving them the best life that we can. Aso, knowing that there are still A LOT of uneducated hermie owners and those hermies need more help.. lol..

[ReptileMan27]

Sorry for my non hermit crab expertise but what is a deep cleaning .

[landhermie]

Sorry to hear about your poor hermies. Wow, that's a lot of crabs that died.

[Globalshock]

Sorry for my non hermit crab expertise but what is a deep cleaning .

A deep clean is when you change everything in the tank and clean them, including changing sand, boiling shells, and ect. Unfortunatly to do this you have to dig out any buried crabs.

[oimsofunny]

I have done many deep tank cleanings and dug up several hermies. I put them in an isolation tank (ISO) if they are in the molting process (shedding their outter skin like a locust does).  If a hermie is to weak from their molt and not going to live through it, then moving them will not make any difference. I have never lost any hermies when I moved them during thier molting process.

When you do a deep tank cleaning, you need to change out their substrate or take it out, dry it and then put it back in the tank. FIrst, you need to boil all the shells and clean them, then put the shells in a container and then give the hermies a bath. After they have their bath, then you put them in with the shells. While they are shell shopping you take out the substrate, replace with new or dry out the substrate that was in the tank. While everything is out of the tank, you need to wipe it down real good and clean it with salt water works good. All the decorations in the tank, different levels, food and water dishes,. everything needs to be either boiled or soaked in hot water to clean it. Wood items should be soaked in salt water and then put the in microwave or the oven to dry it out. Sand can be reused by drying it in the oven.