# Don't Know What What These Things Are?



## PELIGROSO PYGO (Aug 27, 2008)

So I've had my tank running for awhile now, and just saw that near the top just right above the water line where its still wet, there are these little "bugs" and no it is not planaria. these things do not go into the water just above it and you can see the legs and attenna. I think they got introduced when i added live plants. I just wanna know if anyone knows what these can be, I'd take a picture but they're too small to see from a pic. they also appear to be red and they do jump. just hope these aren't mites. Can anyone please let me know what they think these are and if i should strip down my tank. Any advice will help thanks


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## Guest (Jan 20, 2012)

Without a picture I have no idea. If they dont appear to go into your water then I doubt they came in on aquatic plants. How many do you have? I would just take a piece of kleenex and squish them


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## memento (Jun 3, 2009)

Mites are arachnids, so don't have antennas I think.
Are you sure it are antennas though, and not the first pair of legs that are longer than the other legs ?

If there are 8 legs, it are archnids so most likely mites.
If there are 6 legs, it ain't mites.


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## PELIGROSO PYGO (Aug 27, 2008)

They are too small to take a pic and when I zoom they just look like specs, theres not many of them I wiped a bunch earlier. they're just scattered here and there but they jump? and they're sooo small that I cant make out how many legs there are, the attenna's could be legs but I don't know. I'm lost here


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## PELIGROSO PYGO (Aug 27, 2008)

The only thing That sounds like it are springtails, but how big do they get?


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## memento (Jun 3, 2009)

Those are usually less then a quarter of an inch, but there are many species. Just google Collembola, and see if one of the pics you get looks like it...

But if they are less than a millimeter and are jumping as you say, google for Daphnia as well : waterfleas...
https://wiki.cgb.indiana.edu/download/attachments/35684617/Daphnia_Img3003_Michels.jpg


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## PELIGROSO PYGO (Aug 27, 2008)

memento said:


> Those are usually less then a quarter of an inch, but there are many species. Just google Collembola, and see if one of the pics you get looks like it...
> 
> But if they are less than a millimeter and are jumping as you say, google for Daphnia as well : waterfleas...
> https://wiki.cgb.indiana.edu/download/attachments/35684617/Daphnia_Img3003_Michels.jpg


Thanks memento, its definitely Collembola that I have. Now that I know this, are these little buggers a pain to get rid of?


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## memento (Jun 3, 2009)

To be honest - yes.
Lots of people breed them as foodsource for spiderlings and scorplings because they breed very easily.
If they are still very small, you most likely got some larvae with one of the plants.

Best advise I can give you is to get rid of the plants, rinse the filters thorougly and rinse the gravel, to make sure you get rid of remaining larvae. And keep an eye on it, simply remove each one you see.
As far as I know there are no species living underwater, so that should do it.


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

PELIGROSO PYGO said:


> So I've had my tank running for awhile now, and just saw that near the top just right above the water line where its still wet, there are these little "bugs" and no it is not planaria. these things do not go into the water just above it and you can see the legs and attenna. I think they got introduced when i added live plants. I just wanna know if anyone knows what these can be, I'd take a picture but they're too small to see from a pic. they also appear to be red and they do jump. just hope these aren't mites. Can anyone please let me know what they think these are and if i should strip down my tank. Any advice will help thanks


Your getting some bad advice here. Please contact me via pm. I don't want to promote an argument here. Ksls is correct.


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