Tiny Bugs In Aquarium?

[Theulli]

So I just dropped a zicchinI slice into my aquarium as a snack for my nerite snails, they happily munched for a bit and moved on, and then I came back and the thing has 7 or 8 tiny black dots on it - and they are moving!

They are so small I can't see any features, but I am trying to figure out if it's something to be worried about or not .I assume they are not baby snails themselves as nerites aren't supposed to be able to reproduce in this environment. Any ideas? They are the smallest little specs...not much more to describe.

 

[georgelee1000]

Pics?

Could be pond snail.

 

[Theulli]

Here, for scale that is not a very large zucchinI slice, it is the tiny black dots

FYI no new fish or items in the tank for about 1.5 months, plastic plants only

 

[midna]

how do they move? my guess is baby bladder snails, but microorganisms can still get into the tank even without live plants. they could have hitchhiked on the nerite snail.

 

[Theulli]

They seem grounded, they move abruptly like bugs and not ponderously/smoothly like snails. I have been trying to catch one swimming but they are so tiny..

I just noticed that my ornaments are littered with white dots as well, though these don't appear to be moving. They are the spitting of nerite snail eggs, just comparing to s online...do snails really start out that small?

When we say nerite snails don't reproduce in freshwater is that meaning *impossible* or just unlikely?

 

[Briggs]

They seem grounded, they move abruptly like bugs and not ponderously/smoothly like snails. I have been trying to catch one swimming but they are so tiny..

I just noticed that my ornaments are littered with white dots as well, though these don't appear to be moving. They are the spitting of nerite snail eggs, just comparing to s online...do snails really start out that small?

When we say nerite snails don't reproduce in freshwater is that meaning *impossible* or just unlikely?

Impossible, the eggs can't develop enough to hatch in fresh water.

My guess is that they're seed shrimp. They're harmless, and they're the same size as nerite eggs.

 

[JenC]

Probably copepods. They swarm zucchinI in my tanks too. If that's what they are then there's nothing to worry about; they're a sign of a healthy environment and good for the tank.

Nerites won't breed but that doesn't mean they won't leave a ton of eggs around the tank.

 

[Theulli]

Thanks all for the input - as long as they aren't some plague that's going to mess up my tank I am good

Positive news is that in inspecting my tank top to bottom in this process I discovered that I have two tiny platy fry hanging out in the corner of my tank, so that's fun!

 

[Briggs]

Thanks all for the input - as long as they aren't some plague that's going to mess up my tank I am good

Positive news is that in inspecting my tank top to bottom in this process I discovered that I have two tiny platy fry hanging out in the corner of my tank, so that's fun!

Tiny free swimming bugs don't bother your fish, in fact they make great fish food! Your little fry might be snacking on them as we speak.

Typically you only need to worry about tiny bugs in your aquarium if they're hanging off your fish. Parasites don't spend much time free swimming. If you see a sudden population bloom of this kind of thing, it might be a sign you're feeding a little to much though.