Loaches Online Forum

I have tiny green (fruitlfy-like) flies that I have been unable to find the source of and I am wondering if maybe they are coming from a small shrimp tank. I also occasionally convince myself that something has stung my when I've have my hands in dirtier aquatic environments (like the canister filter). There is a colony of little worm-like things living in there that look really cool when they swim, but I doubt they sting and I don't know what they are. I'm curious what little bugs have turned up in - and out of - your aquariums?

I have springtails (Collembola) living on the surface of the floating plants in a couple of my tanks. I was quite surprised one day to find a very small centipede there, hunting the springtails! I'm quite happy for them to be there, especially as I imagine one occasionally jumps into the water and gets eaten by the fish.

We used to have an old specimen jar from the museum that we filled with water and stuck a few plants into. There were midge larvae living in that but we scooped them out and threw them in a tank with fish. We also get a lot of fly and mayfly larvae in water butts outside at certain times of the year, which make for great live food.

I have found all sorts of interesting creatures in my tanks. Most I have no idea what they are.

The most interesting was a freshwater sponge that grew for about a year in a couple tanks. I also have planaria and Gammarus Shrimp

The worst was leeches that lived in the tank. There were bunches and none of the fish ate them. Yuck! But the leeches ate detritus, and didn't bother me or the fish, so I left them. I have a live and let live policy.

I find roaches in the filters! Ick! The problem of living in Florida. I know mosquitos sometimes breed in my tanks, but usually the fish get them.

I have kept Dragon Fly Larve, Whirlygigs, water scorpions, and whatever else I come across.