is there cause for concern

[vincent winyard]

hi everyone i think i may have a problem. i was doing water changes tonight and when i got to my king baboons tank i noticed what looked like condensation at the bottom of the tank. the substrate is very slightly damp at the bottom that's why i thought it was condensation but on closer inspection with a magnifying glass it looks like hundreds of tiny white ball's about the size of a pin head. the substrate is about 6 inches deep and at the very bottom is a layer of damp about 1 and a half inches and that's where the problem is by the way all the substrate above is bone dry. should i do a total clean out or is that a hastey decision to make thanks.

[Mark Pennell]

Vincent
sounds like you've got a slight mite issue. These can be a problem if they infest the mouthparts of your spider. They will hide in the damp areas of your substrate and feed on the dead crickets or leftovers etc.

Might be worth, a clear out to be safe. These mites spread easily and if left unattended may have serious effects on your spider. Id have a clear out and microwave the substrate before put any back in, oh let it cool first before returning the spider...

Mark

[vincent winyard]

cheers for that mark. by the the way im using shredded coconut husk as substrate and it seems to work really well and the spider seems happy with it as it's tunneled all along the back of the tank but what i want to know is will it be ok to zap it in the microwave or would it be better to start over again with new substrate thanks again mark.

[Mark Pennell]

cheers for that mark. by the the way im using shredded coconut husk as substrate and it seems to work really well and the spider seems happy with it as it's tunneled all along the back of the tank but what i want to know is will it be ok to zap it in the microwave or would it be better to start over again with new substrate thanks again mark.

Vincent
Use fresh just to be sure. Remember to clean the tank as well.

Cheers
Mark

[vincent winyard]

thanks mark much appreciated.

[Christian Elowsky]

Unless they are ON the tarantula they're only a clean up crew. I suggest allowing the surface to dry out a bit, and the numbers will go down. Regardless of how hard you try, biology will happen, so why fight it? I always suggest looking for stress on the animal, if there is none, mites are just an annoyance visually.

[vincent winyard]

hi christian it's hard to see if there on the spider as she's 6 inches under the substrate and unless i dig her out i don't know. i understand what your saying but it.s the first inch or so from the bottom thats damp the other 5 inches on top are dry. it's hard to know what to do for the best as i have 2 completely different options. my first instinct was to clean it out and was looking for a second opinion. maybe i'll keep an eye on the situation and if i think it's getting worse and it causes me to worry then i'll go with my first instinct no disrespect christian and many thanks for your advise.

[Christian Elowsky]

No disrespect taken! There is a continuum when it comes to all mites. On one end, you have hobbyists who have zero tolerance of any mites, on the other, hobbyists who only worry if the mites are acting like ectoparasites or causing direct stress to the animal. I tend to just let things go unless it's a problem to the animal. Do I like seeing mites on the glass at night? Not really. Do I clean out enclosures to slow them down or drop their numbers? Nope. Thus, I advise looking at the animal and the behaviors. If you see an increase in grooming, then you should probably do a clean up. Remember, the mites which come in on feeders or wherever on this side of the puddle are probably not the same as your species, so a wide selection of advice is best!

[vincent winyard]

christian i've never seen this problem before in any of my tanks so what i intend to do is just keep a close eye on things for now and see how it goes. i suppose it's down to the individual on what there prepared to let go and what needs attention. fingers crossed the problem will start to right it's self if not i'll have to sort it. many thanks for your help christian