Water mites?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

KaylNeko

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Dec 23, 2011
Messages
766
I think I have water mites. I'm not sure, because I have found nothing about water mites in aquariums (not saying it's not out there, I just can't find anything) only about them out in the wild, but they fit the picture. No idea how they got into my tank as I haven't added anything since December, and everything's come from reliable sources anyway. How do I get rid of them? I've been picking them out as I see them since they stay on the floating plants, but I'd rather just clear them out.

Managed an okay picture-- that's an adult cherry shrimp underneath for scale. Any ideas, suggestions, places to look?
 

Attachments

  • 20200327_212723.jpg
    20200327_212723.jpg
    255.6 KB · Views: 59
  • 20200327_212718.jpg
    20200327_212718.jpg
    228.7 KB · Views: 41
I found some information on water mites for you. They are harmless to your shrimp but they may eat your plants. They will eat algae so if you reduce the amount of algae in your tank it should reduce their population
 
Oh good, not a danger to the fish or shrimp. Thank you! Must be the plants they're going after. This tank grows very little algae between the number of plants and the light stocking. They do like to hang out in the vals, especially the ones that are starting to get ragged edges.

I'm assuming anything that would kill them would probably kill the shrimp too, huh, being inverts?
 
I would assume that yes. Maybe you can "build" a trap like people do with pest snails. .....of course again your shrimp may fall for it too.
 
Back
Top Bottom