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Post by deadmansfinger on Jul 28, 2006 13:49:45 GMT
can the mites not hide in the breathing holes and this is why you keep getting them back Lisa?
Just checking but you are refering to sphagnum moss?
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LisaLQ
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Post by LisaLQ on Jul 28, 2006 21:11:28 GMT
Yep sphagnum moss. Maybe Kathy's right, I dont know - but it seemed odd that they only repeatedly returned in that one tank (adult margies) - all my other tanks are clear, even the one with my Brixton tigers in. All snails have appeared mite free after a couple of weeks in quarantine, yet returning to that viv they've come back. I'm now going to keep them on capillary, which isn't what I originally intended for my viv as I wanted a natural one for them all. But I cant put them back on moss, or compost/coir as on the moss they get mites, on the soil they bury and aestivate. No other choice really. I dont understand how the mites could survive such a lengthy quarantine with nowhere to lay their eggs? And surely they'd be visible outside the shell if they were still active and alive?
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Post by copigeon on Jul 28, 2006 22:03:05 GMT
Are these mites, big fat juicy round ones, slightly yellow in colour. Dont move particularly fast?
Because if they are, theyre just fruit mites. Get them all over the place, usually on rotting fruit/veg/snail waste. Harmless, yet disgusting in large numbers. If they are, best thing you can do is grow to love thier bilbous selves, they dont seem parasitic to the snails (and certainly I get them in beetle tanks etc as well as snail vivs) just parasitic to the food and rotting matter.
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LisaLQ
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Post by LisaLQ on Jul 28, 2006 22:32:51 GMT
No, these are small mites, usually white but sometimes brown. Running round on their shell, white ones move slower but do tend to congregate round their breathing hole. Also white ones in the moss and concentrated round poo. No doubt in my mind they're the evil bloodsucking b*stard kind, as my snails have been eating at their shell and acting a bit...erm...depressed?
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LisaLQ
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Post by LisaLQ on Jul 28, 2006 22:33:44 GMT
Sorry, I should say the affected snails are eating at their shells. My others are all doing great without these mites!
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Post by deadmansfinger on Jul 28, 2006 22:57:52 GMT
wish I could add something constructive but I don't have any solutions as I haven't experienced this except in some small WC snails. Your snails will still be as happy if kept on capillary with some hiding places, they seem to adapt well.
Does anyone know if heat has any effect on these mites breeding etc?
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LisaLQ
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Post by LisaLQ on Jul 29, 2006 19:15:43 GMT
Thanks Brian - I think I'll use coir in the burying tubs for a change, or a comport/coir mix, and see if they'll accept that now that it wont be all over...if you get me. Then in the future I'll probably try sphagnum again, but this time get the dried stuff and see if that helps. *shrugs*
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Post by section8angel on Jul 29, 2006 21:58:15 GMT
What about vermiculite? I know some people haven't got on with it but I mixed it in with coir before in one of the tanks and the snails didn't seem mind it at all. There was more vermiculite than coir in the mix too. I'm going to try vermiculite with some moss in one of them soon to see how they get on with a bigger amount of it.
For hiding places, have they got a flowerpot? Freddie loves his, maybe B and M would like one as much as he does?
(Sorry if you've said about either thing in this thread or another, I'm too tired to be posting really, bad me lol)
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LisaLQ
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Post by LisaLQ on Aug 1, 2006 12:18:44 GMT
Yeah, even in their bare tank they have flowerpots, they roll about a bit, but it's somewhere for them to hide anyway.
I hadn't thought of vermiculite, but I might give it a go if I cant work things out. I'm going to be ordering the hypoaspis mites at some point, but they're going to be in bare tanks for a week or two or on capillary at most, so I'll just keep bathing them and cleaning tank in the meantime.
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Moracai
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Post by Moracai on Aug 24, 2006 15:04:20 GMT
Lisa, I found a good bargain on the hypo wotsits. I got them at Defenders. Cost was £9.95 for 10,000 plus £1.75 for postage. www.defenders.co.uk
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