Trying to Getting Rid of Flies!! Please Help!

[GrantRyanL]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum, so I apologize if I break any rules, but I have a question about getting rid of flies in my aquarium. I have a 20 gallon tank for a red-eared slider that I really only fill about half way. I have about a 2 month-old Fluval filter, that is completely submerged.

There seems to be a never ending population of flies in my tank. They are very small, and basically black. Every day I kill upwards of 20 of them and then the following day just as many are back in the tank! On the tank walls, a few outside the tank, some flying around the room, and they are really starting to annoy me.

Just last week I completely cleaned the tank & the filter very thoroughly; hoping to get rid of them. But the next day they were back again. And these flies used to come around occasionally with the filter I had before (which had to be replaced), but I can't remember them being this rampant. I used to be able to just clean the tank and filter and be fly-free for at least a month.

Has anyone had similar problems? Or know of any way to get rid of the flies?

Thank you!

 

[WhiteDevil]

what kind of flies? little black ones that are small?

I had em when I had reptiles and herps, I got rid of them and the flies went with.

 

[GrantRyanL]

The flies are small and narrow. Maybe about 3/4 of a millimeter in width and 1.5 millimeters in length. They look black from far away, but close up, you might be able to say that they are clear-ish.

Does that help?

 

[dkpate]

Sounds like gnats or fruit flies. Maybe you could buy one of those fly sticky strips and hang it above the tank?

 

[Etunes]

Fruit flies usually only stick around when there is something to eat. So if it is indeed something about your tank that they are sticking around for then i would do water changes (maybe foul water is attracting them) and completely wipe down the aquarium. Even the lid were the lights are on.

 

[BigJim]

Set out a glass with a little apple cider vinegar. They'll fly into it and drown. Other liquids work too.