# Aquarium mites?



## jaime

I have what I can only describe as mites in my tank. When I try and look up aquarium mites on the internet, however, everything I come up with is about white little bugs. These things are brown, roundish, and move very quickly on surfaces or through the water when disturbed. They're everywhere. I don't see any on the fish but they've all been restless recently. I first noticed these mite-like things on just one specific plant. It's a fake plant, though. At first I thought they were tiny snails but they didn't get any bigger.

I pulled the plant out and stuck it in a bowl of water to observe. The largest of these things are the size of a pin head. Once out of the tank I could also see even smaller ones racing around. They're still in my tank, though, and I don't know what I should do. I bought some external parasite medicine and put it in the tank last night but nothing has happened yet. The second dose the box recommended will go in tomorrow evening.

Can't get a good picture because they're so small. Does this sound like something you've seen before?

20G, 10 inch pleco, 2 guppies, 6 neons tetras, and what I thought was a yo yo loach (but Petsmart disagrees)


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## mec102778

Sounds like water bugs, usually find them in a pool after sitting all winter before it gets cleaned. If you have male and female guppies they could be babies.


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## holly12

I'm having the same problem!! I posted my question about this in the 'live plants' section though, as I noticed the mites on my water lettuce which is a floating plant. They are tiny (even smaller than a pin head) bugs that appear red in colour. When I took the plants out to rinse them, they appeared white/clear in the rinsing bowl and are quite fast. Nothing in my tank seems to be suffering, (except for my guppies, but they were having issues before I got the plants). Since there have been no problems, I'm guessing the bugs are harmless? You're right though - there's no info' on the internet for them!!


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## phys

i dont think they're an issue with anything. check this page out and see if you can find a match. then do a search to see if you can get rid of them. 
Bugs you might encounter in your aquarium


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## holly12

Thanks! That helped identify the ones that skim across the top of the water!! (The little tiny ones that crawl up the glass and skitter through the water I still can't identify because they are too small to see any detail.


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## Scalare

They sound like Copepods, they are completely harmless, in fact they are great
fishfood. I'm guessing they will slowly disappear as the fish eat them.

Pete


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## jaime

Thanks


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## James0816

jaime said:


> These things are brown, roundish, and move very quickly on surfaces or through the water when disturbed.


^ Perfect description of an Ostracod. I've got a couple tanks with these things running about. 

White is more likely an Copepod.

All are perfectly harmless. I've heard that Pygmy Cories will keep these guys in check but have not tried them as yet.


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## Scalare

The little white doodads on the glass are planaria, they are also harmless, if you
cut back on the feeding a little they will go, or you can just wipe them off.

Pete


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## jaime

Thanks! The Google images of Ostracod are the closest I've seen yet to the little buggers I have.


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