D Grantii all immobile at top of container please help

M

midori

L1
I've had three d grantii larvae for about three weeks now (from BiC), doing well and growing quickly. The substrate is mostly oak flake from BiC but with some mushed rotten oak and dried leaves sourced from local forest (baked at low temps for a couple hours). Glass container with airtight lid about 5" wide and 3" deep. I normally check on them every couple days to pop the lid up/look through the glass for them but try to not disturb the soil or bother them. Temps in LA yesterday hit over 90 degrees for the first time this year but I'm keeping them in a closet that is cooler than the rest of the apartment.

Yesterday evening, the biggest one was lying on top of substrate, which is unusual. I mixed in more oak flake, added some dry dog food to the container, and sprayed the top with water. This morning, all three were immobile (but still alive) on top of the substrate, on their sides with legs in the air. They otherwise look normal but are unusually slow to react (they did re-bury themselves after several minutes and are back at the bottom of the container). I am afraid that they are dying. Link to photos of the poor babies and of their container.

What do I do? What's going wrong?

 
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It sounds like there isn’t enough airflow in the cage, or there’s too much water. I would recommend poking a couple of holes in the lid, or not making it airtight. For now, leave the lid off until they become active again and bury themselves

 
Thank you! They re-buried themselves so I hope they're okay. I'll move them to a plastic container that I can poke holes in the lid of. Any chance you have any advice on how deep the substrate should be or that the appropriate moisture levels/temperatures are?

 
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Yes, definitely don't use an airtight container; substrate needs to breathe - it's very much a living substance, and needs continuous air exchange in order to avoid buildup of carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, etc.  Beetle larvae don't live under airtight conditions in nature.  When they sit at the surface, it usually means that there's either a lack of oxygen in the substrate, or that some kind of harmful gas has built up in the substrate due to a lack of good air circulation.  This situation can develop in just a matter of hours, especially if there has been a recent change in temperature.  In addition to providing ventilation holes in your containers, another good step at this point would be to thoroughly aerate your substrate by hand-mixing.  This will also help release any harmful gases that might have accumulated from when the substrate was kept sealed.

 
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Thank you for the info and advice! I realize now it was foolish to think that popping the lid every couple of days would be sufficient and did not realize how quickly conditions could change. I moved them to a new container after spreading out and thoroughly mixing around/shifting through around the substrate. They're burrowing and lively again so I hope they're recovering (!), but will peek in more frequently. I really appreciate your help!

 
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