Flys coming from Tank

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Burbotman

Burbotman

Goliath Tigerfish
MFK Member
Feb 16, 2006
2,156
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Canada
For some time now I have had the issue with the occassional hatch of flys coming from my 180g. The flys are small and white and are coming from very small clear worms that I can see wriggling in my tank.(about 2mm)
The problem seemed to start when I upgraded my 120 to the 180 and got some second hand aquarium gravel from a buddy.
As long as I keep my 50% weekly water changes and filter well maintained I hardly notice them....miss a water change and the problem magnifies.
I have been told that they are protien worms and that certain fish such as Danio's will actually feed on the larva and take care of things--unfortunatly in my tank-it is all about the monsters.

Has anyone else had this problem and found a way to deal with it?????
Clean water and not overfeeding is obvious, however is there a permanant solution?
 
You need some dither fish to eat those worms. Also, I would think corys and loaches should take care of those.
 
The flies are actually a kind of midge, glass worms and blood worms are midge larvae. They are harmless and as you mentioned, great food for small fish. You could get some small cheap fish such as daios or even small feeder guppies and they might last long enough to make a diffeence. I can't think of any med off hand that would kill them without killing the snails. Otherwise formalin preperations or copper based meds would probably do the trick. Most midges look like this but some have wider, or even fluffy wings.

adultmidge.gif

bloodworm.jpg
 
Thanks for the info. They really don't bother me too much--Unfortunatly my wife does not share my point of view.
After watching my little cory for awhile-it does appear that he is consuming some of them.
I tell my wife that It makes the tank much more of a complete ecosystem to have them.
 
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