In my filters I've noticed little white, almost clear bugs. They move almost like a shrimp would with ,what I am guessing is their tail, tucked under them. After a few fell off into the water they sunk to the bottom crawled around for a minute and then burrowed underneath the sand. I'd put up a picture but they are too small for me to get a good shot. I don't mind them eating and living in my filter. I just want to make sure they aren't some sort of parasite or other malicious creature. Any info or guesses would be great. Thanks in advance.
Bugs
- Thread starter Jmart159
- Start date
Nothing to worry about just little rotifer naturally occur in established tanks. They eat waste uneaten food there not harmful to fish. Small fish will eat them.
Actually, after a little research I think they may be Amphipods. That is what they look like anyway. Is it common to find these in an aquarium?
slow moving water, extra food/detritus collecting in the water. Increase your water change schedule. High nitrates are common when these little bugs become prevalent enough to see them.
The extra food makes sense I suppose. I have been tossing in a little extra to make sure the fry in the tank get well fed. Can they cause any harm that you know of?
No, they are harmless and make excellent fish food. As Laticauda says, they may be an indicator of other problems, but are not a problem themselves. They are easy to culture if you want an additional source of live food for your fish.
So do these little things get into your tank via adding a new fish from a LFS? I am just curious as to how they end up in an aquarium in the first place.
They are mostly just present in aquariums. You don't really notice them until their numbers are high enough for you to pay attention. High nitrates, build up debris, uneaten food causes them to be more prevalent.