Hi all - I've got a small fresh water crab (maybe three inch leg span) which is currently affected by some kind of parasite. We initially thought it was anchor worm but I now suspect that it may be some kind of fluke. The crab was in a tank with a large red devil but is now in an isolation tank so that we can treat the main tank - the treatment for either of these maladies is toxic to crustaceans.
The crab has an area that it can sit on in the tank which allows its whole body to be out of water. It can cope with air and enjoys this. I was curious, though, whether these parasites are dependent on being in an aquatic environment and thus whether exposure to air may aid in them being killed off? When the crab sits out, they seem to group together into a small bunch, making them easier to remove (the only treatment we've been able to find so far is to catch the thing and remove by hand). Any thoughts?
The crab has an area that it can sit on in the tank which allows its whole body to be out of water. It can cope with air and enjoys this. I was curious, though, whether these parasites are dependent on being in an aquatic environment and thus whether exposure to air may aid in them being killed off? When the crab sits out, they seem to group together into a small bunch, making them easier to remove (the only treatment we've been able to find so far is to catch the thing and remove by hand). Any thoughts?
