Aquarium fleas???

[fisharefriendsnotfood]

Hi all, I have a 6 foot freshwater cichlid tank and am endlessly trying to kill some kind of critter...
I just did my usual water change and found these bugs on the exposed piece of driftwood poking out of the water... they dont seem to swim, they float ontop of the water and jump. they are clinging on to the dry glass and anything else out of the water.
I have just battled a plague of ich so I don't need this right now
I have added a photo... can anyone help me identify these tiny tiny things???

Cheers,
Kristy

 

[EndlersEatGuppies]

Welcome to AA and i am sure someone will soon help you with your problem. As for me i have no idea.

 

[fort384]

Hi Kristy, welcome to AA.

I really cannot tell from the photo but it sounds like daphnia. They aren't all that common, but I have seen them from time to time. It is very possible your cichlids will take care of 'em. They make a great snack. I wouldn't panic about it just yet. Give it a few days, and they may get cleaned up. You can also try and scoop them out as much as possible using a fine net, or a cup to skim the surface.

 

[Shadowraven]

Since they are above the water line it sounds like you have springtails from what you are describing. I'd need to be able to see them better to tell for sure. They seem to be the right size.

Take a look at this greatly magnified picture let me know if that is the critter you're seeing.

 

[Scalare]

Spot on shadowraven, I'm 99.99% sure they are springtails, they'll do no harm fisharefriendsnotfood,your cichlids should take care of them or you could try fishing them out with a fine net if you have several hours to spare lol!!. no need to worry though.

Pete

 

[Shadowraven]

If they are springtails, the only way to rid yourself of them is to manually remove them or drop them in the water for your fish to eat, if the fish are large enough. Anything that would kill them would also kill your fish.

Springtails like warm, moist environments and can be hard to get rid of if you don't catch them early. They like to hide in cracks and crevices, like under the rim of the tank. They can also exist outside of the tank in your home. That is why they can be so hard to eradicate. They are a common problem on house plants.

There are many fish who will eat them and some people even culture them for live food. If your attempts to rid yourself of them become worse, let us know. I'm sure that we can find some way to get rid of them.

 

[herp_mommy]

I have these in all of my planted tanks. The fish occasionally eat them. They're not harmful, I think they're kinda cute actually.

 

[Shadowraven]

I have these in all of my planted tanks. The fish occasionally eat them. They're not harmful, I think they're kinda cute actually.

herp_mommy is right. They aren't harmful to the fish, just the reverse because fish will eat them. It really is a matter of what you prefer. Just so long as they don't get out of the aquarium. Then they may not be quite as cute.

 

[dananddiana]

Springtails

I discovered these critters for the first time in my 55 gal tank today, I searched online for suggestions to get rid of them. One person suggested using a hair dryer on the surface of the water, causing the underside of the lid and the exposed sides of the tank to dry out. I did this for about a half hour and... 99% of the little buggers are gone....They jump off the plants onto the water surface and continue jumping looking for a moist haven. With the hair dryer running, there isn't one and they just die. let me tell you, there were hundreds.
It took a bit of time but was worth the effort. I kept one side of the lid down and blew the hot air in from the other side, Then after a while I switched. I will continue with the hairdryer treatment until they are all gone.

 

[dananddiana]

An update... The hairdryer worked very good and probably killed about 80 percent, (Not as much as I had earlier thought) however, it took a long time to do and there is always the threat of you accidently dropping the darn thing into the tank... Very bad! So, I was thinking... I use Hydrogen peroxide to kill algae with direct contact through a dropper. Those little bugs would probably be killed by it right? well I thought it was worth a try so... I put some in a clean spray bottle, Removed my lids and sprayed them thoroughly, Then sprayed the exposed insides of the tank and also a light dusting over the water surface. Guess what... No more springtails. Quick, easy and as long as you use a fine spray bottle, you are not adding enough to harm your fish.
It worked for me... Maybe it will work for others also.
BTW... My tank is heavily planted and I have 4 gouramis, an Elephant nose, 6 tetras, one shark tail, 6 other little fishies that I cannot remember the name of, One Plecostomus, 4 mollies, 2 African Dwarf frogs and about 20 Ghost shrimp.
Have had a happy healthy tank for about a year and a half now the only problem I have is recurring black hair algae that was introduced with a new plant and I treat with direct contact with the hydrogen peroxide. It kills it pretty quickly but I guess I have the spoors in the system so have to check every day for new growth so I can treat it early.
I hope my post is helpful to someone.
Diana