What's that bug? How to recognize them

[jaidexl]

Nice looking tank.

If the Betta's not eating them, then I doubt they're daphnia. Daphnia make Bettas go nuts, in my experience. They must be stuck on the glass? If that's the case then they might be planaria. How much and how often do you feed the Betta? If you're not target feeding him, as in putting it right in his face, and only giving him an amount of food equaling the size of his eye (which is close to the size of his stomach), I would try that, it'll cancel out any offerings for scavengers and their numbers will plummet before they completely disappear.

It's also entirely possible they're coming from your water source, make sure it's well filtered or chlorinated before being treated and added to the tank. Using natural water sources like pond or rain water that has been sitting out for a little while before collection can bring in all kinds of interesting critters. I actually leave containers of dirt out in the rain then collect the "bugs" for live fish food.

[Cyriss]

Thanks Jaidexl Still new to planted tanks, so the tank's looking pretty bare at the moment.

Actually they are not stuck on the glass most of the time, they'll land on the glass for a little while, run about abit then take off into the water again. Have no idea what they can be

Prior to this, I had some cloudy water (from bacterial bloom I think). Once the water cleared, I noticed these critters appearing.

My water source is from the tap, so it's chlorinated water which I need to treat before adding into the tank.

So little food or the betta? That serving size (i.e. size of it's eye) is for once a day sort of feeding?

[jaidexl]

Yeah, once a day, or twice is fine. That's all they need to stay healthy, sometimes they don't even get to eat all day in the wild. My bettas get no food for one day of the week, other days I rotate from dry pellets to bloodworms, in no particular order. Whatever I feel like for the day, and it mimics nature I suppose.

The most important reason to only feed a Betta that much is because of their physiology. A betta's internal organs are all packed in close behind the gills, it's very easy for them to become constipated, especially with the dry foods. Constipation can mean death for them. If that ever happens, just hold off feeding until it's over except for some blanched pea to aid digestion.

That's very strange that these things move so much and the betta doesn't touch them, daphnia are really tiny and still get noticed so I can't see size being an issue. Whatever they are, perhaps they just don't taste good. I would borrow a danio and see if he eats them, would transfer the betta and danio back and forth, because I don't think the betta will appreciate the danio's energy, and that might be too much of a bioload for a small tank like that. Danios and tetras are some of the most opportunistic eaters, Bettas on the other hand have a reputation of being picky and even spitting offerings out and refusing them. Some tetras don't appreciate being "borrowed" or transfered around, zebra danios are tough as nails, though.

[Dave k]

I'm real curious.How do some critters get into the tank in the first place.I no they were not in my tank when i first started it up.Just now i was watching my shrimp and noticed a really small whirlly bug land on the tank glass and then i see this worm coming out of the moss i have in there.How do they get in there in the first place?

[B16CRXT]

I think from the microorganisms in the water and the food. I've got mosquitoes or some sort of water skimmers in my 10g. I guess because it still has a lid on it, they keep reproducing. I just smash them and feed to my guppies. They love them.

[jaidexl]

A lot of the plants we get commercially have been grown in outdoor ponds, even the "indoor" nurseries are not immune to water bugs and critters, if it's not a strict quarantine situation then they can get passed around easily. Some of them may even be thriving in the tanks of folks selling clippings in forums. Us anything natural in the tank, from the sub up to hardscape and you can easily bring in hitchhikers. Some fly right up to the tank and do their business.

[dj2005]

Figured out what my bug was thanks to the images in the OP.

[eva321]

This list is great -- while surfing the web for half an hour to no avail, I come here and find out instantly that I have two cute lil' ostrocoda in my tank! So exciting! They are friggin adorable, and must have come in along with my plants. My only fish so far are otos. I hope they don't get eaten when I add tetras

[sewingalot]

I hate to tell you this, but my emperor tetras love them.

[dj2005]

Originally Posted by eva321

This list is great -- while surfing the web for half an hour to no avail, I come here and find out instantly that I have two cute lil' ostrocoda in my tank! So exciting! They are friggin adorable, and must have come in along with my plants. My only fish so far are otos. I hope they don't get eaten when I add tetras

One thing to watch out for with seed shrimp is that they may agitate any snails that are in your tank - particularly brigs since those do not have as much shell coverage as something like nerites. I actually had to remove all my brigs from my tank that has these seed shrimps as my brigs began to hide in their shells all day. Not very harmless...

However, my tank is purely inverts so there is nothing to keep the seed shrimp in check other than bi-weekly water changes.

[B16CRXT]

Anyone know what this tiny organism that attaches itself to glass and plants is? I can't take a pic because it is sooo small. It looks like a short shaft with 5 legs or whiskers sprouting off of it in a star pattern.

Actually, here is the best pic I could get...

[jaidexl]

Might be a hydra, check the first post.

[B16CRXT]

that's exactly what they look like. The ones in my tank have shorter bodies though. How should I go about getting rid of these guys? More water changes? I have baby RCS in there all the time.

[jaidexl]

http://www.planetinverts.com/killing...and_hydra.html

[eva321]

Originally Posted by dj2005

One thing to watch out for with seed shrimp is that they may agitate any snails that are in your tank - particularly brigs since those do not have as much shell coverage as something like nerites. I actually had to remove all my brigs from my tank that has these seed shrimps as my brigs began to hide in their shells all day. Not very harmless...

However, my tank is purely inverts so there is nothing to keep the seed shrimp in check other than bi-weekly water changes.

That's not a problem -- I got a little snail infestation on my hands at the moment. I was planning on getting some kind of botia or a pair of Rams to eat them, but with the seed shrimp in there I don't want to risk it. Time to break out the cucumber I suppose.