# What the Heck? Bugs now?



## Jeanine (Apr 4, 2009)

I wasn't sure where to put this post, so here goes.... I've been having some issues with my aquarium. It's a 55 gallon I got from a friend 3 months ago. It came with some fish, a few plants not much substrate, not much light. and a nice crop of Black hair algae. I added substrate, more light, DIY CO2 and more plants. I bought a few Otto's for the brown Algae that started growing. I've had Staghorn algae nicely spreading . And both otto's died within 5 days of getting to the tank. The otto that came with the tank is doing great. Then I noticed that my fish in the tank started getting spots (Ick I wonder if it came from the LPS). (now all are in a quarantine tank being treated because I have 2 amano shrimp and a flower shrimp in the 55gal). So, last night, I'm picking out nasty little snails and dropping them into a cup of water that I had scooped from the tank when I see this tiny, tiny bug to zipping across the bottom of the cup. Thinking that maybe I'm crazy, I spend some time staring at the bottom of my tank, and just before the lights go out (They're on a timer), I see some tiny, barely visible white bugs on the glass, and zipping up and back down into the substrate. Are these little guys harmful, or are they all just part of a little ecosystem happening? What are they? 

My husband thinks I'm crazy, but I tell you, There is never a dull moment with Aquariums. Bugs Now? Is it just me?


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## Dryn (Sep 6, 2007)

It is very hard to say what type of bugs you have without a picture, but usually microfauna is a good sign. The algae problems, however, are indicative of a nutrient excess. Either from too much decomposing matter from the change, or an insufficient amount of growing plants, or something else. Without more information, it is hard to determine what is going on with your tank. How much light to do have? What kind of substrate are you using? Do you dose with fertilizers? How many plants are you growing, and what type are they?


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## ombcat (Sep 23, 2004)

These little bugs are harmless and will not harm the fish or plants. 
wilma


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## Crispino Ramos (Mar 21, 2008)

Your fish won't eat those bugs if they are always overfed. Overfeeding contributes to algae growth, dirty water, opportunity for germs (bad bacteria, fungus, virus) to grow.

Decrease portion when feeding, 50% weekly water change (with water conditioners), check water temp (between 70 to 80), low light plants (like moss, java fern, anubias), remove unhealthy leaves/stems, don't give up.


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## ShortFin (Jan 13, 2006)

You're as crazy as I am. I used to spend hours looking for hydras, cyclops, glass worms, rotifers, etc. Then when I find it, I get a manifying glass to have a closer look. I have no idea what type of bug it is.


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## Jeanine (Apr 4, 2009)

Wow, Thank you for the replies.
Here's a little bit about my tank.
55 gallon PH 7.6 Ammonia 0
Light: 110 watts (80w GE plant aquarium bulbs, 30w Aqua glow) 14hrs (will be reducing to 10hrs) Just upped lighting from 30 watts 3 weeks ago.
Filter: Aquatec 50-70 (?) HOB
Substrate: GeoSystem
DIY CO2: 2 2ltr bottles with hose going into filter intake (does this work?)
Fertilizer: Nutrafin Plant gro 0.15-0-0 iron enriched, dose about once every week and a half. also 2 Nutrafin Plant gro fertilizer sticks (one at each end of the tank)
Feeding fish: Once a day, some times skipping a day in hopes that the clown loach will eat some snails (have yet to see it though)
Water changes: Once a week 25%
Plants: (some came with no tags, most are still small) Java fern, Java fern "narrow leaf", Anubia barteri, 1 Nymphaea, cryptocoryne parva, cryptocoryne wendtii, Echinodurus, Heteranthera zosterifolia, 2 types unknown hygrophilia (1 not doing well), Ludwiga repens (doing well), 2 moss balls.
Fish: 1 bristle nose plecto, 1 pitbull plecto, 6 congo tetra, 2 phantom tetras, 4 neons, 2 clown loaches, 2 corys, 2 balloon rams, 1 otto, 2 amano shrimp, and 1 flower shrimp.

Yesterday, I pinched back a pile of leaves off the cryptocorne and anubia due to the staghorn and the black fuzzy stuff. I did leave some leaves to keep the plant going. Today I'll do another water change.

I'm not about to give up, I had to fight the husband to get this aquarium, I'll fight to keep it!  
I've heard Excel Florish is a good way to combat algae. would I have to continue using it to keep algae at bay? Any suggestions would be appreciated.


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## Jeanine (Apr 4, 2009)

ShortFin said:


> You're as crazy as I am. I used to spend hours looking for hydras, cyclops, glass worms, rotifers, etc. Then when I find it, I get a manifying glass to have a closer look. I have no idea what type of bug it is.


I was soooo wishing I had a magnifying glass last night! I've always thought bugs were very cool! They make great subject to photograph too. I wonder if my flower shrimp would eat these little guys. I've never noticed bugs in the aquarium before.


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## overboard (Mar 11, 2008)

running CO2 through a HOB filter won't really work... a glass diffuser would probably be best for such a big tank, and put it on the other side of the tank from the filter outflow. There are some pretty cheap ones on EBay... when you see the PH drop a bit, then you know it's diffusing properly.
One way to get in balance without permanently changing your aquascape is to put in bunches of cheap fast-growing plants like anachris (sp?) or hornwort to suck up the extra nutrients. I would wire them to suction cups on the sides, to keep from shading plants that you don't want shaded...
You have shrimp and an otto living- something is going right! Good luck!


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## ErioLover (Apr 30, 2009)

Agree with above.

Also its probally clyops. Pretty much impossible to get rid of in an aquarium. All you can do is have some hungry fishes.


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## Jeanine (Apr 4, 2009)

My Husband thinks I spend to much on my Aquariums, so I thought I'd try a cheaper method. Well, about 3 weeks to a month ago I decided to do a little experiment. I took a little 1 gallon hexagon tank and put about an inch of Aqua pond soil in the bottom and then an inch of fine well rinsed gravel from a local river on top of that. A nice piece of Quarts that I found in the Skeena river went in the center. I had some trimings from my larger tank that I couldn't bare to throw out also went in there. (Lugwigia repens, Star grass, a pinch of Alternanthera recineckii 'pink', baby java fern, Anubias, and a marmio ball that I rescued after almost killing it with excel.) This tank has no filter, heater, or CO2. It just sits in front of the window and gets some natural sunlight (I did add a small light the other day as it was a pretty cloudy day). I noticed that the plants especially the marmio ball do pearl when the sun shines on the tank. I've tested for ammonia and it comes back 0. I have added a few flakes of Tetra fish food for fertilizer, which I read somewhere was OK to do. 
A few weeks ago I noticed that a lot of little cyclops are squirting around in there, quite happily eating (at least that's what I think they are doing) the bit of brown algae that's starting on the glass. Just when I was thinking of maybe adding a pair of guppies, or a betta (thinking of it yesterday), I notice these tiny, tiny light colored worms gracefully gliding around on the glass. So, I'm thinking that maybe these little guys might be Planaria. I'm wondering if these came from the river sand or the fish food. Can I still add a fish or two? And will fish eat them? 

There is never a boring moment when you have aquariums. I'll be moving in a few weeks and I have an empty 20 gallon that I'm thinking of setting up in this way once I move. I'm very excited about it. Should I bake the river gravel in the oven to kill any bugs or parasites?


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