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FAQs on Aquatic Insects and Freshwater Aquariums
Related Articles: Invertebrates in
Freshwater Aquariums, Invertebrates
for Freshwater Aquariums by Neale Monks,
Related FAQs: FW
Invert.s 1, FW
Invert.s 2, Hydra,
Worms,
Crustaceans, Shrimps, Crayfishes,
W and Brackish
Crabs, Terrestrial
Hermit Crabs,
May look like a worm, but this
is an insect larvae. |
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George in Greece...
worms, copepod... ID 03/16/08
Dear Bob,
As you can see in the photo there are two types of worms and one type of
copepod (freshwater).
<Can barely make these out>
We are extremely interested in finding out the following:
a) species and if not, genus or even family.
b) are they harmful to fish (esp. fry)
Your response will be greatly appreciated.
George & Marina
<The blue thing is obviously some sort of dipteran larva; the red
things perhaps small oligochaetes, but it's difficult to say. In either
case they're fish food rather than a problem!
Fish fry *might* be harmed -- I've lost baby Corydoras to planarians, for
example. But I suspect that the usual problem is that if the water (or
substrate) are "dirty" (bacteria-laden) enough to support these small
life forms, newly-hatched fish are at greater risk of fungal infections.
So in my case at least, the planarians didn't kill the Corydoras fry,
but simply attacked the moribund ones. That'd be my guess, anyway.
Cheers, Neale> |
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Stranger (damselfly
naiad) in my community tank -03/13/08
Hey guys.
This morning I noticed a strange-looking bug in my 10 gallon community
tank, which houses 3 guppies (tuxedo, sunrise, and fancy), 2
Hatchetfish, and 1-2 Otocinclus (there should be two, but I haven't seen
them both at once in a long time, though I haven't seen any bodies...)
After doing some research, I determined that the bug in my tank is a
damselfly naiad. I think it must have come in on the live plants I
ordered from Drs. Foster and Smith. In my research, I also learned that
the damselfly is carnivorous, and will eat small fish, which, obviously,
includes my guppies and Otos.
I don't really want to kill the bug, but I also don't want to run the
risk that it'll eat my little guys in there if I leave it be. Do you
think this is a risk I should be concerned about? Would it be better to
try to net the bug and transfer it to my 55 gallon cichlid tank? I feel
fairly confident that the cichlids can fend for themselves against a
carnivorous bug. I'm just always wary of adding contaminants to any
tank.
Any thoughts? I'd like to keep the bug just because I think it'd be
really neat to watch it go through its 2 year metamorphosis, and also
because the idea of a semi-complete ecosystem is so darn cool.
Thanks for your input!
Micah
<Hello Micah. Damselfly larvae are quite distinctive thanks to their big
bug eyes, long bodies, and three "tails" at the end of the abdomen. They
are relatively easy to maintain. Yes, they will eat small fish. But
bigger fish will eat the damselfly larvae! Set up its own aquarium using
anything that holds a couple gallons of water; even a goldfish bowl will
do. If you can, add a simple air-powered sponge filter, but that's not
essential. Fill with water from your aquarium, cooled down to room
temperature. Add some hornwort, and then some live daphnia and pond
snails. Voila! Your very own safe indoor pond. Put somewhere sunny but
not in strong direct sunlight (you don't want it to overheat!). Sit back
and enjoy. The larva will eat daphnia but they also enjoy bloodworms,
live or frozen. To get them to eat frozen bloodworms, use forceps to
dangle the food enticingly. Damselfly larvae are quite common in
shipments of coldwater and pond plants, but most people don't notice
because the fish eat them. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Stranger (damselfly
naiad) in my community tank -03/13/08
haha, thanks Neale!
<No problems.>
I have a simple question that I feel foolish asking...
Where on earth do I get live daphnia? Internet only? I found a site that sells a
"daphnia instant culture kit" at
http://www.hometrainingtools.com/catalog/life-science-biology/ocean-water-life/p_lm-insdaph.html
but that site does also sell live daphnia for substantially more (shipping costs
and whatnot).
<Usually sold in pet stores to feed fish. If not, don't worry about it. You can
look after this beastie with nothing more than frozen bloodworms and frozen
mosquito larvae. Daphnia can usually be found in garden ponds, especially once
it warms up. A fish net is fine for catching them. I get all mine from me
neighbour's pond!>
I actually do have a 10 gallon tank that I'm currently not using, which I could
fill halfway and gleefully transfer any number of the
common pond snails that have taken up residence in my little community tank.
<Very good.>
I'm excited for this small indoor pond of mine (though, it will have to have a
lid, as my cats are not the timid sort).
<Likely not a problem. Cats show little interest in small aquatic invertebrates.
They may choose to drink the water, but that won't do any harm. As you probably
know, cats can't bear the chlorinated water we use, and aquarium water is
considered by them much more toothsome!>
Thanks again!
Micah
<Cheers, Neale.> |
Please Help Get Rid of my
Flies!!!!(My last resort) 2/10/08
Hello I have scoured The net looking for a question and my LFS recommended
this site, so here we go.
First of I am running a 65 gallon fresh water tank. Two HOB Bio Wheels. Heater
etc. . My temperature is usually aprox 77/78 deg. There are two prismatic lens
covers on my aquarium. The transparent kind you see under fluorescents in
stores/ schools. With aprox 6 inch square of open space on each one.
There are 4 Platys 1 Sail Fin P#lco(2.5-3inc)
<A what...?>
and 12 harlequin Rasboras. The nature of my problem are tiny green flies. They
first appeared on the surface of my water as see threw shells. Within a day they
"fly away" and get stuck under my lid. My LFS said they could not be actually
flies on the water surface and must be a aquarium pest. Where as since then, I
have definably seen them fly away. When they Grow wings and get bigger aprox 1/2
mm they change into a fluorescent green. They are located around my filters ,
and are reproducing fast.
Some one suggested they are coming from my filter pads. Whereas they are under
water. Dose that make sense. The only new addition to the tank was a batch of
aquarium moss. Which has
since been removed. Where as the flies still reproduce and cause me a large head
ache. I clean the inside of the lids every two days now and there are between 30
and 100 every time. They are so small that when on the water surface my fish
cant see them as such cant eat them either. That is all I know.
Presently I am syphoning water from the surface at my water changes to attempt
to rid them of my tank. Like I said removed all new additions and am maintaining
a regular water change schedule 10/15% every 2/3 days. Any help would be great.
Ps have no photos where as I can try and resend the email towards the end of the
week If need be with new photos. Just email me and ask thank you ever so much.
You are my last resort.
<Well, not precisely sure what these "flies" are, but I also doubt they are
actually true flies, i.e., Diptera. Fish usually DEVOUR dipteran larvae, and
there's not much chance a population of mosquitoes or some other (semi-) aquatic
fly could actually maintain a population in a fish tank. It is much more likely
you have thrips or some other insect that walks on the surface of the water.
Now, there are two key things to known. Firstly, they don't do any harm. Most
freshwater tanks have played host to these at some point. They don't carry
diseases and they don't harm your fish. The second thing is that they don't
break the laws of physics: if they're multiplying, its because they're finding
something to eat, most likely decaying fish food. You don't see these insects in
clean tanks with strong water currents. You see them in tanks with variable
levels of cleanliness and filters insufficient for the tank/population of fish.
Even adjusting the filters so that there is more water circulation will make a
difference. In any case, these insects migrate into the tank from the rest of
the house. They'll come from other warm, moist places. You can't exterminate
them so either make the tank less attractive for them, or simply ignore them.
Cheers, Neale.>
Strange critters in my tank(s), FW aquatic insects 2/1/08
After several days of scouring the web for answers, I'm still no closer to
identifying this critter. So far I have found 3 - two very tiny, and one that's
now about 3/4 inch long. When I saw them swimming I observed that they moved
with a sort of eel-like motion, but they are definitely not worms (as I thought
when I had only seen the tiny ones). These have 6 jointed legs (looking much
like a spider's legs) at the "head" end, no legs on the bright green body (which
looks to be segmented, but since it is so small it's hard to tell). It's about
as thick as a pencil lead and at the other end is a sort of finned tail with 3
distinct "fins" which, unlike the body, are marked with dark bands. When resting
right-side-up, this critter uses the two outer "fins" to hold up its tail end,
and the middle "fin" stands straight up. When swimming the "fins" are folded and
look like a darker extension of the body. When the critter (presumably) sleeps,
the fins are also folded together and the 3 separate appendages can't be
distinguished.
I found the first of these when I was doing a water change in the large tank
(200 liter) and the second and third while doing a water change in the fry tank.
The first two were less than 1/4 inch long and the colors were not apparent at
that stage. They just looked like short, very thin wiggly things with larger
heads and I first assumed they were some type of worm. However, given the 6 legs
and fin-like tail sections I realize they're totally un-wormlike.
Not knowing what they were, I put the largest of the 3 in a small glass of water
and he's been there now for a couple of weeks. In that time he hasn't gotten any
bigger, and crumbs of fish food went untouched. A few days ago I put in some
dried and fresh bits of various leaves to see if he would eat them. Until then
he had stayed at the bottom of the glass, supporting himself on his legs and the
two outer "fins" - but the first day he somehow noticed the floating vegetation
(I say "somehow" because before then I had never seen him move from the bottom,
do any exploring, etc.) and has now relocated himself to the underside of a
floating bit of (dried) leaf, folded his "fins" and settled in at his new
location.
It's just not possible to get a good photo of him - though I did try - so that
his head, legs and "fins" are visible.
The fry tank sits on a low table beside a medium-sized potted Sheffler which
from time to time gets infested with those tiny pesky gnat-things that crawl
around on the surface of the potting medium. Not whiteflies, but I don't know
what they're called. However, I've never seen the gnats look anything like this
in any stage of their development, and there are no other plants/pests in the
immediate vicinity of the tank. The little table is, however, next to the
balcony door (which I tend to leave open when the weather is nice, though that
doesn't happen often here) and on the balcony I have probably 60 or 70 plants of
different types, none of which have had any pests aside from the occasional
snail. I considered the possibility that my critters came in from the outside
and from there to the fry tank, possibly transferred to the main tank on a
communal net or something. But that's quite a bit of guesswork, and I'd like to
know for sure what this is and what (if anything) I should do about it.
My partner thinks they're mosquitoes. However, we have had sub-freezing and
inhospitable weather this winter, and I can't imagine that mosquito larvae would
be already hatching. It hasn't gone above 8 C. for at least two months. In
addition, this mystery critter is already bigger than any mosquito I've ever
seen - even in southern Louisiana. :P
Does anyone have any ideas? Please?
Hopefully,
Erin
<Erin, without a photo difficult to say, but if the thing has three filaments
(actually gills) coming from the tail-end, then it's mostly like a damselfly
larva (Order: Odonata; Suborder Zygoptera). Quite common in ponds, and they
sometimes get into aquaria with live food or on plants. They are predatory, and
eat things like smaller insects as well as fish fry. They won't (likely can't)
eat dried food. Cheers, Neale.>
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Red Worm ID (Royal
Plec) 11/19/07
I've had a 3 1/2" Olive Royal Plec alone in quarantine for 10 days
or so. I dewormed with Praziquantel last week at the recommend dosage
(76 mg/10 g) as I know they're wild caught and don't want to pass
anything onto my own fish. He went into a 20 gal tank with new aged
water and a fully cycled Penguin 280 bio-wheel filter from another tank.
I did his 25% water change today (after leaving the Praziquantel in 5
days) and found these live red worms (pic attached) in the water I
syphoned off the bottom of the tank. Pretty wiggly and entertaining
under the microscope but I can't figure out what they are via the FAQ's.
If they weren't alive I'd have thought they were frozen bloodworms.
I'm hoping it's a harmless worm that can be treated as the Plec is
eventually going in with my much loved Severum. I promise not to bother
you anymore, but maybe the picture will help others.
Mitzi
<Looks like a chironomid larva (a.k.a. midge larva or bloodworm) to me.
Probably got in with some live food. Usually get eaten by fish, so not
common in aquaria. But if this tank was empty for a while, then it's
possible a midge laid some eggs there. In any case, harmless. Cheers,
Neale.>
Re: Red Worm ID
(Royal Plec) 11/19/07
Thanks, Neale. I feel stupid then but thankfully that's good news. I
never feed live food, but the driftwood in his tank had been soaking for
a month in a large kiddie pool outside. I rinsed it off real well but I
bet that's where the bloodworms came from. (The tank had been empty and
stored before he went in it).
What a relief!
Mitzi
<Mitzi, Glad we have a happy ending here! Cheers, Neale.>
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Worms in fresh water aquarium
11/29/07
Hi WWM
My sister has a fresh water Aquarium which she just cleaned out on the weekend,
and a few days later we have noticed these worm like creatures in the filter
tubes no where else but in them. They have small legs and are hatching out of
these things that look like cocoons and if you look carefully at them they
have small mouths. There very disturbing to look at and gross us out. There's so
many of them please help!
Jessica
<Hello Jessica. Without a photo its impossible to say what they are. But given
they have obvious limbs and mouthparts, one must assume they are some sort of
insect. Aquatic insects vary in their danger to aquarium fish: most are simply
fish-food, but a few, particularly dragonfly (Odonata) and beetle (Coleoptera)
larvae, can turn the tables and will catch and eat small fish. If you can send a
picture, we can try and identify your visitors with a bit more precision.
Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Alaskan
Isopod! One Id down, now on to the Water Beetle! 11/16/07
<Hi Jack!>
Thanks for identifying the isopod for us. <You're very welcome!> It is
known locally by
Inupiat Eskimos as a "toe biter". I doubted they had the ability to bite
toes, but perhaps they actually do.
<I would imagine so. Those isopods can get relatively large - around 3”.
I sure wouldn’t want one grabbing hold of my toe!>
We have a large(3 cm) water beetle living in the same aquarium as our
specimens of Saduria entomon. It preyed upon our snails and is now
preying upon the S. entomon.
<Ah yes, I see. The predator becomes the prey!>
I have had trouble identifying it and hope that you can help. <Hope so>
It breathes with head down and stores a large air bubble in its tail
region. <Typical> It is quite buoyant and uses a lot of energy to dive.
<I’ve seen videos of this. It looks extremely awkward, and reminds me of
trying to see how deep/far I could swim with an inner tube around me as
a kid! LOL I didn’t do as well as these insects, and I’m very thankful
that there are no existing videos to prove it! Regarding identification,
unfortunately, insects are not my strong point. What I can tell you is
that since it’s a predacious diving beetle, it’s most likely in the
family Dytiscidae. This family, though, has many, many genera and
species in it. The good news is that I found the following link that
supplies a list, for Alaska, that narrows it down considerably:
http://www.uaf.edu/museum/ento/Insect_Omnibus/Dytiscidae/
The next, tedious, step would be to go through that list and look up
each specie on the internet. If you do a search based on images, it goes
a lot quicker! I looked through about a third of those listed, and saw
one that appeared similar - Dytiscus circumcinctus. Here’s the link that
shows this specie:
http://www.hlasek.com/dytiscus_circumcinctus_ac7200.html
Problem is, while it looks like yours does have something of a light
border around the anterior edges, it doesn’t look like it extends all
the way around as is shown at the link. If this is indeed the case, then
it’s back to old drawing board - or in this case: the search engine!>
Thanks for any help that you can provide.
<You’re very welcome, I just wish I could have given you a definitive
answer!>
Jack Adams White Mountain High School
We are located on the Seward Peninsula in Northwestern Alaska.
<Indeed a beautiful area, that’s a fact! Take care –Lynn> |
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Water Bug? –
10/18/07
I'm not sure what it is or how it got into my tank. Is it
potentially dangerous to my fish? Could there be more? It's a little
less than half an inch. My apologies for the bad picture.
<It's almost certainly a dragonfly (order Odonata) larva of some type;
and yes, they're predatory. Absolutely fascinating animals to keep in
their own aquarium or bowl, but not safe with fishes. Easy to keep, and
you can even hand-feed them bloodworms using forceps or similar. Take
many months to mature in some cases. Impressive jaws, and if anything
these insects are even more interesting than the fish we commonly keep.
(Rather like mantis shrimps, which are *far* more interesting than the
average coral, despite being viewed as pests!) Usually these things get
into tanks with live food or aquarium plants. The parents lay the eggs
directly in the water, and the aquatic larvae can't fly from one pond to
another. So it got into your tank because you put it there, albeit
unintentionally. Cheers, Neale.> |
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Wiggly worms and Scary Fish Questions!
Insect larvae... plus bizarre Macropodus obs. – 09/29/07
About a month ago I started up a 10 gallon freshwater tank. In the tank I
have 2 gala
<Heee! Likely Bala... Balantiocheilus... needs much more room than here>
sharks, two tiger barbs,
<Keep your eye on... nippy>
and 2 blue paradise fish. I set up the tank with an under gravel filter. A few
days ago I went to replace the under gravel filter for a regular power filter
because the tubes that contain the air stones in the under gravel were clogged
with a brownish algae. That’s when I noticed these tiny white worms wiggling all
over the lid. They didn’t seem to want to be IN the water although the lid stays
very wet. What could have caused these worms?
<Likely terrestrial insects... larvae. Can just wipe away...>
(A fruit fly laying eggs because of the algae in the tubing above the water is
what someone told me?) my second concern is about one of my paradise fish. All
of the fish in my tank are pretty mellow (not because they are unhealthy) but
occasionally one of my paradise fish does this strange thing with its mouth. Its
upper lip moves away from its head and exposes this thin "nose-like" membrane.
It swims around like that for a while and then it will suck its lip back in and
look normal. What is that all about?!
<Got me... can you send a pic?>
Please Help!!
thanks,
Sammy
<BobbyF>
My fishes are bloated!!!
HELP! 10/14/07
I emailed you about a month ago about some tiny white worms that were
crawling all over my 10 gallon tanks lid. you suggested that they may just be
terrestrial but? I was wondering if these could be parasites of some kind.
<Mmm, no. Some terrestrial insects do have larval forms that are predaceous on
aquatic life though...>
They have little black heads and a little black tip on the end of their tails.
They are REALLY tiny like almost unseen unless you know they are there? and live
in what looks like food splashed on to the lid from the tank. I feed the fish at
night and wipe the tank lid clean every morning but still notice these little
worms. Also, about two days ago one of my blue paradise fish died. Its stomach
looked swollen and it just floated around bumping into things? at bottom of the
tank until it died. Now both of my tiger barbs and one of my gala sharks are
bloated looking!? I still have one paradise fish and another? shark that aren't
affected? yet.)? is there anything that i can do to get rid of these worms and
keep my fish from dying!? please help!
Sammy
<Mmmmm, well, the fishes might be consuming this life... and this might be
mal-affecting them... I would try taking the top off... cleaning it thoroughly,
wiping under the rim of the tank... to see if you can eradicate whatever this is
for good. Bob Fenner>
Tiny white bugs/crustaceans,
FW... 8/29/07
Hi. Hope you can help me with this one!
<Will try.>
I have a 5 gallon freshwater aquarium with a betta fish in it. A few months ago
I noticed a few things:
1) tiny white bugs, barely visible to the naked eye, that swim/jump through the
water and sometimes scoot along the surface of the glass
<Those are very small insects or insect-like animals. Thrips, collembolans,
mites, and so on. Harmless.>
2) tiny things that stick to the glass and plants. They remind me of barnacles
more than anything else. They are scale-like, flat, transparent beige in color,
and have a small red-orange colored center. They start out as specks on the
glass and progressively grow bigger, to about the size of a pin-head. They have
a hard outer "shell"....I know because I've been killing them off as best I can
("crunch"), but they continue to multiply.
<Sounds like snails of some sort. Basically harmless.>
3) tiny red-orange bugs that jump/scoot on the surface of the water, which
remind me of mites or water spiders or chiggers.
<Again, some sort of harmless arthropod. Quite possible red mites.>
I have no idea what any of these are, and my internet research thus far has not
helped. I'm wondering it is it possibly a single organism that I am witnessing
at different points in it's life growth cycle??
<No, not really. Aquaria become ecosystems of a sort, and animals in house
attracted to warm, damp places congregate on them. Hence you find the same sorts
of things on the aquarium as you'll find in the bathroom.>
A few weeks ago I did a major overhaul of my tank. I boiled the gravel,
driftwood, and filtration components. I threw away all the plants. I replaced
all but about 10% of the water. Two weeks later, there are tons more of the
white bugs, and I'm seeing more and more of the "scale" looking things on the
glass everyday.
<You can't get rid of them. Remove them, and more will move in from your house.
I'm guessing your tank doesn't have a proper filter; these little arthropods
don't tend to be such a pest where the surface of the water is agitated by a
filter. In "bowl" type situations, the still water surface is a perfect habitat
for them. Furthermore, in betta bowls the water tends to have lots of nitrate
and organic material in it because the volume is so small, and this encourages
the growth of algae and molds. It is these that the little arthropods are
feeding on. In bigger tanks with proper filtration, there's less of this stuff,
and so the arthropods are less of a big deal.>
These critters are such an EYE-SORE and NUISANCE in my Betta's home. Can you
please help me diagnose this infestation and how I can get rid of them?
<You can't. Learn to love them.>
With gratitude,
Shawna B.
<Hope this helps, Neale>
Re: Loach ID 7/26/07
Wow, thanks for such a quick response. You nailed it: Misgurnus
anguillicaudatus, Dojo Loach/Weather Loach. About the nymph, a goldfish bowl is
sufficient? And do I need real pondweed or would fake plants suffice? And I
figure he'd eat just about any bug I throw in or do they have to be water bugs?
I'm very excited about what you told me and not having to get rid of him. Should
be very interesting!
Thanks again
-John
<Hi John. Weather loach is a lovely fish. One of the nicest. Hardy, cute, fun to
watch, hyperactive, and totally peaceful. Just for once, a "mystery fish" story
has a happy ending. Anyway, yep, the nymph will be fine in a bowl. Change some
of the water every couple of days just to keep things sweet. But damselfly
nymphs especially live in still water and aren't fussy. (To tell the difference:
damselfly larvae have three "feathers" at the tail end, used for breathing;
dragonfly larvae are a little bigger and more robust, and they don't have those
feathers.) Obviously a 5 gallon tank with a air-powered sponge filter would be
even better. And yes, they eat pretty much anything. Soft prey are preferred
(like midge larvae). The only thing that matters is there's something floating
at the surface the larvae can crawl about on. They need to breathe air
periodically. Good luck. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Loach ID, now an Odonatan! 7/28/07
Hey Neale, thanks again. He's definitely a Dragonfly Nymph. Over an inch and
he has 3 spikes on his end instead of feathers. I got him the biggest bowl I
could find, 2 gallons and he's got some artificial plants to crawl on. Should I
stick an airstone or sponge filter in there? I have both but they aren't in use.
I threw a small feeder Guppy in there to see what happens, hopefully he can
catch him. I just don't know where to find or what kind of food, live or
prepared, to feed him. Any suggestions? I live in suburban Atlanta with a lot of
woods but not many ponds or anything to speak of. Oh, and I noticed him sticking
his tail out of the water just like you said, pretty cool. Thank you in advance.
All the best,
-John
<Hi John. If you have a little sponge filter, then by all means add it to the
tank. As you have learned, this nymphs breathe air, and this allows them to live
in pretty swampy environments. But keeping the water clean will certainly help.
In terms of food, they will eat very small fish. Potentially a guppy, though
typically they feed on fry rather than adult fish. Otherwise, they will eat a
variety of things. I've fed them using frozen bloodworms held in front of them
with tweezers. If you have a garden or balcony, nothing beats setting up a
"water feature" to grow your own live food. This is a good time of year to start
one up, if you're so minded. Mine is a plastic tub that looks like a half
barrel, and I stuck some sand and aquatic plants in there, plus the result of a
few sweepings of the net in another pond. It now has daphnia, ostracods,
freshwater amphipods, leeches, hydra, Tubifex worms, snails and all sorts of
other small beasts. Many of these are useful and safe live foods for things like
pufferfish and baby fish that are otherwise difficult to feed. Even if you don't
have access to any real ponds, adding a couple bags of daphnia from the shops
will get things started, and a lot of things, like insect larvae, will just
arrive by themselves. I've even kept some tropical fish (peppered Corydoras) in
there over summer, despite the lack of a filter. They not only did well, they
bred as soon as I brought them indoors. So what I'm saying is that even if you
don't have a pond, if you're finding keeping just the nymph fun, consider
scaling things up to a "mini pond"! Cheers, Neale.>
FW Copepod? – 05/16/07
Hi Bob,
<Hello George!>
Just found this beauty in one of my tanks and I was wondering if you
know whether it is a parasitic copepod or not.
Mind you, it was found in a freshwater tank.
Thanks a lot for your help !!
All the best,
George J. Reclos
<It does appear to be an aquatic Acarinan... not a Copepod, but might be
deleterious... BobF> |
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Hi Bob,
Thanks for your instant response.
Do you know of any ways to get rid of it ?
George
<Mmm, yes. In the absence of other arthropod life, the use of an
organophosphate like DTHP/Masoten/Trichlorfon... or Dimilin. Please read
here re:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/contrpdparasit.htm
BobF> |
Bugs in tank
4/27/07
I have a 50 gallon tank that we fill to about 47
gallons because we have a fire-bellied toad.
Recently, I have seen tons of extremely small darker
colored bugs jumping along the surface and sitting on
the tops of our lily pads.
<These aren't bugs (i.e., not Hemiptera) but some other type of
insect, most likely collembolans or some other very primitive,
moisture-loving insect.>
The problem is that they seem to really be bothering our toad because he
tries to stay in the water most of the time now.
<Sounds very unlikely. Collembolans eat decaying plant matter, and pose
no threat to a toad. This is a case of two things happening at the same
time, but not actually being related. Check water quality, humidity,
whether they have enough land, scary things like loud noises, etc.>
What can I do to get rid of these things so he will not be so miserable
and what could they be.
<You can't get rid of them any more than ridding your garden of ants.
They're harmless so don't worry too much. If you truly have a plague of
them, then consider what they're eating: if there's lots of food for
them, they'll multiply; if the tank is kept clean, they will die off or
move elsewhere to find food. You have populations of these collembolans
all over the house, particularly the kitchen and bathrooms, where it is
warm and damp. At night especially they "spring" about looking for new
resources, and it sounds like your toad-arium has just what they want.>
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Kimberly Boling
<Cheers, Neale>
Very Tiny Bugs on Water Surface 2/13/07
Hello,
<Danielle>
I have a 120G Amazonian community tank. It has been set up for about a year
now and is doing well. I have noticed something curious when I do a water
change: there are quite a few (30-50) tiny bugs that hop around on the
surface of the water.
<Neat>
These bugs are very, very, very small (less than half a millimeter, I would
guess), so small that I can barely see them and too small to photograph for
you (I tried!) - and much too small for even my smallest fish to notice. I
have attempted to catch one and look at it under my microscope, but have
been unsuccessful.
<Ahh, at least a "B" for trying>
I only notice them during a water change when the surface is more than 2"
below its full level, the water is still, and my four 65W compact
fluorescents are on - I would not be able to see them otherwise. The bugs do
not seem to be swimming or in the water column. They do not walk on the
surface; they just hop (and hop quite high).
<Some lessons in water tension now!>
Their shape is that of a new-model VW Bug, flat on the bottom and a slightly
slanted semi-circle on top. They have a distinct pair of antennae set at
about 70 degrees from their body; one antenna is set at about 90 degrees to
the other. At first I thought they might be dust mites, but dust mites do
not have antennae.
<Correct>
They are much smaller than fleas (which do not have distinct antennae
either).
Have you noticed these in your tank(s)? What are they?
Thank you,
Danielle
<There are a few groups of "water riding" insects other than the well-known
striders (Hemiptera, Gerridae)... however... what you have here is likely
juveniles of this family... do take a look-see re... These very likely "came
in" with some of your plants... and will cause no harm. Bob Fenner>
Sorry - in the third-to-last sentence, I meant "They are much smaller than
fleas..", not "much bigger".
Thank you! I greatly appreciate your efforts!
Danielle
<Ahh, will amend. Thank you, BobF>
Worms In The Aquarium/Flies In The House 1/8/07
Hello, I am a fan of your site and have always been able to figure out what
was going on in my aquarium by looking at your pages but I'm now having an issue
that I can't find any info on. I seem to have tiny worms growing in my
aquarium, which eventually mature into tiny flies. Do Planaria do this? I
don't think so. I have looked around on the web and cannot seem to find any
info. A friend of mine has noticed white spots on her aquarium, which I would
imagine to be Planaria, but she says she also has noticed tiny flies around her
apartment. I do not have white spots in my aquarium and the worms themselves
are not white, but more of a reddish brown colour. I have already begun daily
water changes and gravel vacuuming as suggested for removing Planaria. I have
also cut back feeding. Just wondering if any of you could offer any suggestions
as to what these little creatures might be. I have actually witnessed the
transformation from tiny worm, to tiny tadpolish thing to finally a tiny fly
sitting on top of the water right before my very eyes. Any ideas would be
appreciated. Thank you for your time. Amy
< There are many insects that have an aquatic stage to their life cycle. They
could have come in with the gravel, plants or the food. The aquatic stages can
all be killed with Fluke-Tabs. This medication will kill all the invertebrates
in the tank.-Chuck>
Oscar question... insects on light lid 12/29/06
Hi,
<Greetings>
My name is Nicole I ran across your site while searching for an answer for
something going on in my Oscar tank. I have two Oscars, they are both around 7
inches, I've had them for several months. They are also in a 75 gallon tank with
a bottom feeder. The past month I have been noticing little bugs on the light
lid, inside of their tank. All of their levels are fine, I change their water
weekly sometime bi-weekly. Both of them are healthy, they eat plenty they love
each other. I just can't seem to figure out what are these bugs, how are they
there, why are they there, and how to get rid of them. I don't want my fish to
get sick. Please help me!
~Nicole M
<Mmm, likely an "outside" insect... I would simply wipe these off with a damp,
plain paper towel when you see them... They should "go" with such maintenance in
a short period of time. Bob Fenner>
Fresh water - centipede 6/10/06
I've got 35 gallons of freshwater - only a few tetras while the tank is
cycling. We had some major problems with a Molly (from a local pet store - ugh)
and we're rebuilding our tank.
I've got fake plants, no "live" rock - the substrate is a mix of aquarium rock
and river rock (long ago cleaned, boiled, soaked in water for weeks on end, etc,
etc, etc)
Everything is settling down and looking good - then I notice this centipede in
the middle of my fake plants.
<!>
I don't think it was a bristle worm - after looking at all the pics of both - it
really didn't resemble a bristle worm, it looked exactly like a centipede (that
and I've seen centipedes before...)
<Likely some sort of insect larvae... does it have many legs?>
It was about 1 1/2 inches long - curled up on the plants. Colors kind of orange
and dark brown or black. When I pulled it out, it was still moving around, had
the legs, head and tail of a centipede. Tossed him out and gave a good look
through my tank - no sign of any other uninvited critter.
<Good>
So, where would this thing have come from?
<Might have been "laid" there... fallen in, perhaps came as a juvenile in
food..>
And does it mean my tank is not ready for new fish? Help?
<Shouldn't be a factor if removed, the system is cycled. Bob Fenner>
Thanks!
Rochelle
Freshwater Sea Monster, in Miniature - 04/05/2006
Hi Guys,
<Sabrina today, not much guy-like, really>
I have a freshwater tank, 175 litres of water, tropical setup. We
recently purchased a new plant and discovered that I believe, is a
bristle worm.
<I.... don't think there *are* freshwater bristleworms. I could be
wrong.> <<There are some FW polychaetes... not prominent, large, many...
RMF>>
I have attached two pictures to aid in identifying this little fella. I
have read much on saltwater bristle worms but very little on fresh water
ones. I know some worms are beneficial. However I wanted to make sure
that this worm was not toxic to my fish (Platies and angels) as they did
try to eat it. The brave little worm but up a fight and wiggled free,
then I rescued him. I would not mind him staying in tank if I could be
sure that he was not poisonous.
<I've got no guarantee there, but I rather doubt that he is.>
Also the worm is approximately 2 cm by 3-4mm. Any help in this matter
would be appreciated.
<This looks to me to be an insect larva of some sort - and very cool
lookin' at that. Were it me, I'd keep him for sure. There is a minor
possibility that, as he grows, he may become slightly predatory on very
small fish (fry, etc.). I think he's just awesome enough to be willing
to wager the minor risk!>
Thanks Roni & Ruth (Geelong, Victoria, Australia)
<Congrats on the very neat find! -Sabrina, in the Santa Cruz mountains
of California, USA> <<RMF also sees these as insect larvae... may well
be predatory.>> |
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Insect ID
Hello, we don't know the name (scientific or common) of this insect and
would like to do some research into exactly what it is. Do any
of you WWM Crew know what the scientific or common name of this is so we
can study up on it? We have never seen anything like it until
we found this where we work. The head and front legs are bright
yellow and the rest of it is dark purple. The tail is at least
4-5" long. I am sending a picture. Thanks for
any help, Jeff
<Nice pic. Does appear to be a species of Mud Dauber Wasp (Hymenoptera:
Sphecidae). You can "look up" much info., other pix with these
names on the Net. Bob Fenner> |
Re: Insect ID
Hello again, it is a wasp then with stinger as well?
<Not necessarily>
I assume the extremely
long tail thing is not the stinger but is in the rear of the insect?
<Yes>
I entered
the name you sent in your e-mail in ask Jeeves but am only coming up with
pics
of the common mud dauber that you mention and that I am familiar with. Any
more clues that would point me to better pics with description on the web?
Thanks ever so much again, Jeff
<Do try Google... and words like "flying insect/s" and your
State, general geographical area. Bob Fenner> |
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Not Mosquito larvae but what???????? are these things?
I'm clueless. I inherited a 50 gal fresh water tank with Mollies,
Gouramis,
danios, tiger barbs and Corys. I've had it four years. I had no experience and
fish have survived thru no fault of my own.
Several months ago, fish store had water hyacinths. Being clueless, I bought
one. Ended up with snails but learned they are a mixed blessing, can be
controlled and no big deal.
<Good>
HOWEVER, the last few times I've done water changes, I noticed the water looks
like it is snowing - hadn't seen anything like it before but attributed it to
stirred up sediment. After the 2nd or 3rd time, it just looked too strange so I
got a magnifying glass.
Along with the normal gunk, I saw these things, about 1/8" to 1/4" long and
there was one today that was 1/2". They look like white thread and snap around
like mosquito larvae but they are not. With stronger magnification, it looks
like they have razor scales along their body and some sort of head at one end.
Does any one know what these critters are? Are they a problem for the fishes
(and/or me since I've had my hands in there)?
Thanks to who ever has info to share.
<I hope these are just one of a few possible aquatic insect larvae that are
harmless (look up the word "chironomid" on the Net with Google, look at images),
and not small Odonatans/dragonflies... Here's a fave:
http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu:16080/~ethanbr/chiro/
Bob Fenner>
Re: chironomid-think you hit it
THANK YOU for the help. Picture I saw looks exactly what I see in my tank
with magnifying glass.
<Ahh>
I am ill right now so unable to read all the info, however skimming thru it
learned they are used as bait by fishermen and thereby harmless? (Can't help
wondering how they get those little things on a hook?
<Yes, harmless. In fact, often used as fish food in places. Be well. Bob Fenner>
Chironomid-last thought and then 'over and out'
Don't try eradication, let them be and save on fish food?
<I would>
Didn't know enough to think it germane mentioning 50 gal indoor led to
600 gal outdoor.
<Hee hee, this happens>
Plants I bought were grown outdoors and purchased for outdoor
pool. Clueless me took a small one and put it in house tank which explains how
this type critter got inside.
<Also not uncommon... I've done this on (from the Old English meaning "many")
several times...>
Thanks again for helping me put the pieces together!
<A pleasure to share. Bob Fenner>
Tiny jumping spiders
Hi, I have a weird question. I have a 48 gallon tank with 8 cichlids in
there. Tetratec300 power filter, all the water specs seem ok, but I noticed
the fish seem very scared and stick close to the bottom, they rarely swim
all the way up if at all. They do if they're really hungry and it seems they
do it really quickly, meaning, they swim up quickly to pick up the food and
swim back down quickly. Now the question is, I see some weird tiny white
(clear?) spiders, they are maybe 1mm in length, hard to say whether they're
spiders or something else but seeing one very up close I noticed it has
about 8 legs. in the beginning I thought it was just air bubbles in the
aquarium but now I'm beginning to think it's them! there's a couple dozen of
them on the surface of the water and they seem to be jumping up and down!
now if they "are" the bubbles in the aquarium, then I have hundreds of
them!!! I turned the filter off for a little while to make sure it wasn't
the water splashing and I was right, it's tiny little white thingies jumping
around!!! How do I get rid of this, I do partial water changes every week
but I guess that didn't do anything... help me!!!
< These are little springtails and are harmless to the fish. They feed off the
fish food when you feed the fish. If you decide to switch to a wet dry filter
with a surface skimmer then they will be sucked into the skimmer.-Chuck>
Small black flies
Hi, I have a 55 gallon tank with only a few fish in
it. About 2 months ago, I started seeing these little
worms in the filter when I changed it. Then I started
seeing these small black flies all around my fish
tank. They were coming out of the filters! What is
this and how do I get rid of it?
< Usually invertebrates are quickly eaten by fish. If you obtained any sand,
rocks or plants from nearby waterways then the contaminants could have come from
these sources. Clean your filter often, change 30% of the water weekly and do
not overfeed your fish. A clean aquarium will usually take care of most of these
little critters. If you want to medicate the yank then try Parasite-Clear or
Fluke Tabs.-Chuck>
Gnats in the Aquarium, Mystery Answerer?
I am writing you for my mom, She is having a whole lot of trouble with gnats in her fish tank and it is driving her crazy, she cleans her tank
and even changes the gravel very often, and nothing seems to work. She loves her fish but she says if she can't get rid of the gnats she will
have to get rid of the fish and that is the last thing she wants to do. She has 3 cichlids in her 29 gallon tank, she has tried parasite tablets
and that hasn't worked either. Can you help? Thanks, Rachel
Please reply ASAP.
< Insects in the aquarium are pretty rare. I don't thinks the gnats actually come from the aquarium because I don't think they have a larval stage and cichlids are pretty good at eating any sort of insect life. If any insect/snail or worm are found in an aquarium then Fluke-Tabs will get rid of them.
>
Larvae 9/30/05
Hello again, Everything is going well with my tanks and my Oscars, but today
I found small black wormlike larvae (it looks like) at the top of my filter
cartridges, they are at the edge of the water not really down in the water. Can
you tell me if these are harmful and if there is anything I can do with them. I
changed the cartridges, although they weren't that dirty. They didn't seem to
be anywhere else as of now. Thanks for your time. J
<Likely not harmful... and very possibly of terrestrial (out of the tank)
origin... some insect reproducing... I would do as you have done and just rinse,
clean your cartridges and remove them. Bob Fenner>
Hello again, I just wrote to you about the little black worm like things and I
just noticed some in the substrate so I guess they are in the water. anyhow,
can't wait to hear what this is. J
<Mmm, again, I would siphon these out and not be overly concerned. No matter
what their origin, it is highly unlikely they are dangerous to your Oscars. Bob
Fenner>
Strange Bugs In The Tank 12/1/05
I just cleaned my fish tank and noticed these little silver-ish color worm type things. I have also noticed little flying bugs by my lights. Anyways I caught like five and put them in a container with a lid. I opened it a hour later and there was two of the flying bugs in there what are they and how do I get rid of them. Thanks Lindsay
< There may be a correlation between the two. The lights may be attracting the insects that lay eggs in the water and hatch into the wormlike creatures you are now seeing. Normally I think the fish would eat these. Add Fluke -Tabs to the water and that will kill any
invertebrates and insect larvae and hopefully both problems will go away.-Chuck>
I know you've heard the phrase "tiny bugs" a million times... -
03/09/2006
But I have "tiny bugs" with oval-shaped bodies and a circular head (*maybe*
1mm in length and 1/3mm wide - at the most!) that are either brown or black in
color, have 6 (maybe 8) legs and 2 antennae (I only know because I got out a
magnifying glass), and they can't swim but they love to be on the sides of the
tank above the water and to bask in the light under the hood and on my breeding
net.
<A great description - and could be many different things. If there are any
floating plants, or plants that break the surface of the water even a bit,
involved, I might guess that these could be Aphids. Lots of possibilities,
though.>
They don't look like insect larvae, though. I have a 10 gallon FW tank with 5
adult guppies, a Pleco, 40-some guppy fry that are only a few days old, and some
small brown snails (I don't know what species of snail, but I don't really care
much either as long as they behave).
<Heh, they won't, but that's probably okay. Do be cautious about letting them
stick around.>
At first I thought they were baby snails as my snails have laid eggs, but they
crawl too fast and after using the magnifying glass and my knowledge that snails
don't have legs,
<I certainly hope not!>
I realized they were not in fact the cute baby snails I thought they were. My
question is what these bugs are
<Tough one>
and how I can get rid of them.
<Not quite so tough.>
I read pages of FAQ's on the website and you mentioned Parasite-Clear and Fluke
Tabs, but would either of these work on insects that aren't IN the water,
<Highly unlikely.>
or could either of them harm the fry?
<Yes, quite possibly. I would not risk it. These little buggies are likely of
no threat to your fish or tank. They're feasting on something (flake food
particles stuck to the sides of the tank, plants, or something else) that is
keeping the population sustained. If you can isolate whatever it is that they
are feeding on and reduce or eliminate it, you will be able to reduce or
eliminate the buggies. Um, you could also try rinsing or wiping them into the
water as munchies for your guppies.>
Thank you for your time!!
<You bet!>
-Jessica, South Dakota
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina, of the Santa Cruz mountains in California.>
Little Bugs At the Top of The Water 7/28/06
Hello I have a 55-gallon community tank w/all plastic plants, angels, a
Pleco, clown loaches, and a few
other community fish. Today I was doing a water change and noticed tiny brown
bugs crawling around on
my artificial lily pads. I checked and saw them jumping around on the surface
of the water. There are
quite a few of them, but I never would have noticed them because they are so
small that I cannot make out
their appearance. Do you have any idea what they are, are they harmful, Should
I get rid of them and how?
Thank you. Ben Berube
< These little springtails are completely harmless and usually come in with
plants or fish. They feed on the little bits of leftover food.-Chuck>
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