# Mosquito problem in small planted tank



## jpemelton (Apr 3, 2014)

I've been preparing and "maturing" a one gallon small tank. I'm still in the process of making sure that it's good enough that the plants there can grow, but I keep running into the problem that mosquitoes lay their larvae in this tank (unfortunately the weather proofing on my apartment doors seems to be subpar, so keeping them out of the apartment won't work). I don't have fish in this tank to help eat the larvae (I'm trying to make it like Diane Walstad's recommendation in the paper she had on shrimp in a small planted aquarium). Are there any recommendations for getting rid of these mosquitoes?

Thanks


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## devilduck (Sep 7, 2012)

Have some water movement on the surface do that mosquito cannot land and lay eggs.


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## JMN16150 (Jul 16, 2013)

Increasing water movement may help, but you can also buy mosquito fish or cheap livebearers.


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

A 1 gallon is not big enough for fish. 
Can you screen the top so the mosquitoes cannot get in? 
Glass top that covers the whole tank?


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## hornedtoad1 (Jun 24, 2011)

hi jpemelton,
how long has your tank been set up? what kind of plants do you have? do you have any ammonia, etc? 
some cheese cloth draped over the top would keep mosquitoes
from laying any more eggs, but the ones you've got already would still hatch. 
the tank will need fish or shrimp at some point; a male betta would go to town
on those larvae, be a good way to keep him fed, and bettas are fairly sturdy.
it's possible to have both shrimp and a male betta in the same tank; i've had a 5 gal npt with rcs and a male betta for several years;
betta's too slow to catch the shrimp, and they're all doing well. good luck.


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## jpemelton (Apr 3, 2014)

I think I'm gonna try to provide some surface water movement and maybe put in a rummynose tetra, so if his nose changes color I know the water isn't good for him.

Thanks


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## reybie (Jul 18, 2007)

I borrowed a guppy from one of my tank and put it in the problem tank temporarily. That fixed the mosquito problem for me


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

Fiberglass window screen works great.

Sent from my SGH-T599N using Tapatalk


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## Ericj (Oct 22, 2007)

Least killifish are tiny and love eating mosquito larva. And livebearers so if you keep them happy you'll get lots of them!


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## apistomaster (May 24, 2008)

I see you solved your problem.
I have tried such a small aquarium and I stocked it with a 4 Boraras maculatus although any of the other similarly small Boraras species are suitable.
Boraras are among the smallest vertebrates.


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