Bugs you might encounter in your aquarium

[Zercon]

This is a wonderfully informative thread that is both nice and horrifying.

Regretfully, I got another mystery to add to the list :c

They are small black dots that sit on the glass bottom of my tank eating waste, and visually pepper silk plants when viewed close. They do not climb glass walls. Using digital calipers, they are somewhere around the 0.5mm range, if that, so they are quite small. Here is a video under a cellphone attachment microscope at 60% or so magnification




I have tried, and they SURVIVE...
-Scrubbing the tank in dawn soap ((Probably missed a spot in the filter))
-Seachem ParaGuard
-Seachem MetroPlex
-Copper Power Green - 1.40 ppm ((Hanna checker))
-Seachem Cupramine - 0.25 ppm ((Hanna checker))

They may be harmless, good for the tank etc etc... but they freak me out a lot because they look like mites and I don't want to put my arms inside the aquarium. Is there a medication that will kill them and not fish that can be purged enough I can put inverts back in after water changes and charcoal? Is there a fish that is small enough to eat them that Angelfish can't catch in a 120? Is there at least confirmation they are not parasites that will harm my fish? I am really unsettled and wish I was ignorant :c Out of sight out of mind...

Bonus Question - I think the copper killed these from my tank, but a positive ID could still make me more comforted if they come back. They were the size of powdered sugar haze on the glass, and this is 200% or so magnification. Makes me think of little planaria, but the size and speed of movement throws me off.




Thank you all for your time! It is greatly appreciated so very much.

 

[Wookii]

Another bug query if you guys not mind assisting - these came from my outdoor Moina culture, so I assume they’ve been added by a flying insect, but it would be good to know which and ensure they aren’t an issue for shrimp or fish:

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Another bug query if you guys not mind assisting - these came from my outdoor Moina culture, so I assume they’ve been added by a flying insect, but it would be good to know which and ensure they aren’t an issue for shrimp or fish.

They are type of midge larvae, like "bloodworms", but without haemoglobin, fish are keen on them and they aren't a problem.

Cheers Darrel

 

[Wookii]

Hi all,They are type of midge larvae, like "bloodworms", but without haemoglobin, fish are keen on them and they aren't a problem.

Cheers Darrel

Thanks as always Darrel. I tried feeding one with some Moina and the fish didn’t know what to make of it as it wiggled about - most swam away from it and it disappeared into the undergrowth! 😂

I tried two more this morning, and the Chocolate Gourami’s plucked up the courage and swallowed them whole! I suspect they now have the taste for them!

 

[NotoriousENG]

Hoping for an ID on these little guys. I'm thinking a nematode? Caught them free swimming (more like twisting and knotting on themselves) before lights on. Have not seen them before but I did disturb part of the substrate yesterday during maintenence.

No fish in the the tank, only shrimp and snails. Only thing added recently was a few aroids from a another hobbyists a week or two ago.

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[dw1305]

Hi all,

Caught them free swimming (more like twisting and knotting on themselves) before lights on. Have not seen them before but I did disturb part of the substrate yesterday during maintenence.

Sounds like a <"Detritus worm"> (Naididae).

I'm thinking a nematode?

Look at it against the light, if you can see segments it is an annelid.

No fish in the the tank

Fish usually eat them, although they may persist in the filter or substrate.

cheers Darrel

 

[MichaelJ]

Living at the ocean when I grew up I remember when I started keeping large Cichlids, I would catch and feed them live and frozen krill (mostly not more than 1-2cm). The Cichlasoma's would go absolutely nuts. Not entirely sure this is relevant for the thread as krill is not something you would randomly encounter in your freshwater tank (hopefully), but I do believe even grounded up frozen krill can be a great source of food for a lot of ornamental freshwater fish - I think a lot of flakefood contains krill actually. Living in Minnesota, I no longer have access to live krill unfortunately.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I would catch and feed them live and frozen krill (mostly not more than 1-2cm).

If I lived near the coast I'd catch and use <"Opossum (Mysis) shrimps"> a lot more. You get huge number of them in brackish conditions.

I think the Crangonyx I have are probably as good in nutritional terms, but in ten minutes I could net more Mysis shrimps than I could <"culture Crangonyx in ten years">.

cheers Darrel

 

[MichaelJ]

Hi all,

If I lived near the coast I'd catch and use <"Opossum (Mysis) shrimps"> a lot more. You get huge number of them in brackish conditions.

I think the Crangonyx I have are probably as good in nutritional terms, but in ten minutes I could net more Mysis shrimps than I could <"culture Crangonyx in ten years">.

cheers Darrel

Yes. The Great Lakes have Mysis as well - different from the European species, I believe and not as numerous as found in say the Baltic Sea where they seasonally can be found at some spots in such abundance that the water almost turns into porridge.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[NotoriousENG]

Look at it against the light, if you can see segments it is an annelid.

I had the worms in my dosing cup which must have some residual trace mix in it since the worms had died and retracted to the size of a grain of rice within an hour of catching them. So I couldn't check them against the light and have not seen any since.

So would you say it's likely safe to assume they are nothing to be worried about?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

So would you say it's likely safe to assume they are nothing to be worried about?

Nothing to be worried about.

cheers Darrel

 

[swyftfeet]

Found these little guys in my plant growing tank.

Look like tiny white specs about 1/20th the size of a grain of rice that swim really fast

 

[Angus]

Found these little guys in my plant growing tank.

Look like tiny white specs about 1/20th the size of a grain of rice that swim really fast

Omg they are cute!

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Look like tiny white specs about 1/20th the size of a grain of rice that swim really fast

Might be <"a "Springtail" (Collembola)">, although I can't see spring appendage (it would be tucked up against the ventral side of the abdomen). They are hydrophobic and travel really quickly across the waters surface.

cheers Darrel

 

[dougbraz]

Are these ostracods?

They seem to enjoy munching a dead shrimp as well.. all of a sudden I have a boom of these critters. Guess I need to siphon them out?


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[Wookii]

Are these ostracods?

They seem to enjoy munching a dead shrimp as well.. all of a sudden I have a boom of these critters. Guess I need to siphon them out?


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Those are Octracods perfectly harmless - I have them in my tanks, and an interesting addition to the ecosystem of a tank. Their population seems to rise and fall without intervention. So no siphoning necessary - leave them be 👍

 

[dougbraz]

Those are Octracods perfectly harmless - I have them in my tanks, and an interesting addition to the ecosystem of a tank. Their population seems to rise and fall without intervention. So no siphoning necessary - leave them be

Tks for the feedback
Hmmm.. ok …. Just think the little buggers might take over - I have minimal plants coverage (by choice) and lots of white sand so they do stick out a bit when playing around.
Cheers
Doug


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[Wookii]

Tks for the feedback
Hmmm.. ok …. Just think the little buggers might take over - I have minimal plants coverage (by choice) and lots of white sand so they do stick out a bit when playing around.
Cheers
Doug


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They won't take over, they are limited by food source - they feed on bacteria, algae and detritus, so are actually performing a beneficial function in your tank. I'd wager in a few months you end up looking in your tank and will barely be able to find one, and then six months later there'll be loads of them again.

Personally I find them fascinating the way they scurry around with what appears to be real pre-defined purpose!

 

[dougbraz]

They won't take over, they are limited by food source - they feed on bacteria, algae and detritus, so are actually performing a beneficial function in your tank. I'd wager in a few months you end up looking in your tanks and will barely be able to fins one, and then sic months later there'll be loads of them again.

Personally I find them fascinating the way they scurry around with what appears to be real pre-defined purpose!

Ok - I agree they are fascinating to watch as they buzz around - not being dangerous to the sheimps or baby shrimps is fine by me!
Thanks again.


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[Tanksy]

I'll leave this here for future reference.