Mold in My Tank

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xXxEmilixXx
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Mold in My Tank

Post by xXxEmilixXx »

Hi everyone, I have discovered that there is some white mold growing inside the tank, so I am going to clean it, but I am not certain what to use because I know that chemicals aren't good for them, please help!
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Re: Mold in My Tank

Post by crabcrazygal »

last time i cleaned my tank, i used lemon juice. I have also heard that you can use vinegar, but you need to make sure that you rinse all the lemon,or vinegar of thoroughly so it doesnt leave any smell.
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Re: Mold in My Tank

Post by emmac350 »

What is the mold growing on? In the future, whenever you spray in your tank (or when you dampen your sand/EE) you should use salt water. It inhibits mold growth.

Take your crabs out of your tank before you clean it, in case anything gets on them. I recommend taking everything out and doing a deep clean (wash and bake all the sand, boil the shells and ornaments that can be boiled, etc.) because the cause of mold is usually either food in the sand or too high of humidity (humidity shouldn't go any higher than 82 percent. Any higher than that and you will get mold on every piece of fresh food you put in there, as well as any wooden ornaments.

EDIT: One other thing, if you use a lemon to clean, you just need to cut it in half through the center and use it to scrub the glass walls. Make sure you rinse thoroughly. If you use vinegar, it doesn't take much, but you need to be completely sure that it's out of the tank because it is irritating to crabs.
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Re: Mold in My Tank

Post by xXxEmilixXx »

The mold is growing on the walls of the tank, the back and the front. It doesn't seem to be spreading to the food though...
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Re: Mold in My Tank

Post by Wai »

Just curious, but by spraying your tank with salt water, wouldn't that increase the salt content inside the tank over time? The water will evaporate, but it will leave the salt crystals behind and the substrate will get "saltier" over time.
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Re: Mold in My Tank

Post by emmac350 »

True, Wai. If you are spraying with salt water, there shouldn't be any mold. Salt water inhibits mold growth. What you may be seeing, Emili, is salt crystals left behind from spraying your tank walls.
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Re: Mold in My Tank

Post by ladybug15057 »

Very true Wai about the increased salinity levels from the water evaporating and leaving the salt crystals behind. Really something to consider as well! This is why some crabbers will rotate using between the ocean and fresh waters,
Emma, Misting/using ocean/sea salt does help to inhibit mold growth to a degree, it more or less suppresses it. However, spraying/soaking with ocean/sea water does not guarantee it kills/stops all mold growths.
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Re: Mold in My Tank

Post by bobo »

When I got mold on my hidey hut, I just rubbed it off with a paper towel then dunked it in saltwater. It never came back again...A 12 year old only has so many options. XD
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Re: Mold in My Tank

Post by bo and mo »

use vinegar to clean the tank than rinse it out with HOT i really mean HOT water. let it dry.
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Re: Mold in My Tank

Post by CrabbyJo »

I know this was an issue discussed back in June, but since it's been pulled up again, I'm beginning to wonder if it was actually mold, or perhaps salt left behind after the water evaporated?

Someone mentioned white mold on a hidey - I pulled a cocohut out because I was certain it was growing a cap of white mold - only to realize on much closer inspection that it was only salt left behind after I'd misted with salt water and it dried! I felt so silly. *|

I do wonder if it was actually mold on the glass of the tank, that just does sound quite odd.
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