# small white "bugs"



## mats808 (May 7, 2008)

Hey All,

I got some tiny little things swimming around in my water. They're kind of white-ish and are very small....about the size of baby brine shrimp. I can actually see them kick as they try to swim. I think they came in with some Java Moss. I bleached the moss but I think they survived somehow. At first there were very few of them but they multiply quickly, to the point that the water looks slightly cloudy. 

Since they got into my system there is a consistent slightly reddish sediment that builds up on the bottom of my tank. I siphon it out and it appears again the next day. 

It looks like fish would eat them but my macs are too big and ignore them. I did a water change and thinned it out but I'm sure they will come back. I was thinking of getting some small fish that would eat them but I really don't want to take the chance of introducing any disease into my Betta macrostoma tank. I was also thinking of getting a UV sterilizer but I don't know if that would kill them.

Has anyone ever had anything like this? What did you do?

the other bad thing is that my male is holding right now and I'm sure he doesn't really appreciate this whole thing.


thanks,
aaron


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## joycould (Mar 13, 2007)

If they look like brine shrimp you might want to google fairy shrimp check out the pictures and see if that is what they are.


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## NoSvOrAx (Nov 11, 2006)

Sounds like seed shrimp. Totally harmless and an excellent source of food for fry.


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## mats808 (May 7, 2008)

Ok, thanks guys. Whatever they are. Here's what I know I'm positive they came in with the Java Moss. and although hopefully harmless they are multiplying so fast and there are so many of them that the water actually looks cloudy because of what i assume is 1000s if not 100,000s or more of them in the water column. 

I've read that keeping the water clean should help to get rid or control their numbers but i was trying not to make too many water changes since my Betta macrostoma is currently brooding. 

My fear isn't so much that they will directly harm my fish but maybe that with so many of them they are degrading my water quality. I'm considering putting in some Sundanio axelrodi to eat them but I think my female macrostoma would eat them. because of this I'm considering Rasbora vulcanus, a larger species but because they are larger I'm not sure they'll eat something so small. the best would be if my male would release the fry soon and hopefully they would enjoy eating them but I'm not sure if I should wait that long. also not too excited about putting new fish into my macrostoma tank (disease).

thanks,
aaron


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## Fortuna Wolf (Feb 3, 2007)

If they are brooding definitely keep them. The fry will have a field day.

In general I find that small inverts which aren't directly harmful to the fish are beneficial in creating a more robust ecosystem.


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## NoSvOrAx (Nov 11, 2006)

Fortuna Wolf said:


> If they are brooding definitely keep them. The fry will have a field day.
> 
> In general I find that small inverts which aren't directly harmful to the fish are beneficial in creating a more robust ecosystem.


I'll second that


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