How I Clean my Crabitat

Hey I found some pictures of me cleaning the tank after the mite invasion. I won't guarantee that this method works to get rid of mites, but it did for me, and I haven't had them since.

Step 1:
Prepare the place where your hermits will be while their home is being sanitized. I use the biggest tub I have, because it sucks when you check on your crabs and one of them is missing. Lay some moist paper towels (or cloths) in the bottom, and one giant cloth over the top. This will help to keep the humidity up.

 Also, prepare the bath water for your crabs. It should be deep enough to completely cover them. I put a couple drops of stress coat into some warm water. 

Step 2:

Giving crabs a bath really sucks, in my opinion. It's just so hard to watch them be so upset, and I found that after the bath they didn't trust me so much anymore. When I came around the tank, instead of just minding their own business, they scampered away. But I needed to get those mites off, so a bath was necessary. 

Put your hermit crabs upside down in the bath water. (I know, it sucks.) They'll be upset, scramble around, but then they'll right themselves. After a minute or so you can take them out and put them in their temporary tub. 

Step 3:

This is my least favorite part: dealing with all the heaters and lights. So many plugs! I really should label them, now that I'm on summer break. Anyways, deal with the plugs, and get your tank outside. Take out all the furniture and put it in some pots (it will need to be boiled later). Dump the sand. I wouldn't save it if it had mites, but if this is just a normal cleaning then you can bake it and use it again (350 degrees for 40 minutes). Before you put in new sand, make sure to bake that to remove any new parasites. Also, when you get new sand, make sure to run a magnet through it (metal and parasites are hermit crab enemies). (I have to give credit to Artemis, another Hermit Crab blogger, for these tips on cleaning the sand. If you like my blog (thanks!), you should go check out their blog, because it's way cooler.) 

An Awesome Hermit Crab Blog

Step 4:

Now that the sand is out, use some vinegar to wash the tank. Take a cloth and press really hard against the glass to kill any mite eggs. Rinse out the tank with dechlorinated water (I know this part is annoying, but anything for those darling crabs!) and then let it dry in the sun. 

Mites really hate the sun. The thermometers and such could also use a vinegar scrub, since I bet it would be a bad idea to boil them.

Step 5:

While the tank is drying, boil the furniture. My furniture stays in the boiling water for about five minutes. 

See those awkwardly large furniture pieces? I just pour boiling water over them several times and also let them soak. Just in case.

Step 6:

Time for new substrate! I use five parts sand to one part coconut fiber. Moisten the substrate with salt water until you can make fun shapes with it (just like at the beach!). Don't make too many fun shapes though, your crabs are waiting. 

Step 7:

Redecorate! Plug all the heaters back in so the temperature can get back up to speed while you put back all the furniture. I try to put it back differently every time, so it's almost like the crabs moved to a new home. 

Checking on the crabs...

Step 8: 

Reintroduce the crabs! They've had a long day.

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