Question: Tiny white bugs in axoltol tank??

[Mewtwo]

So...I've never seen this before, but there are TONS of them. They're like tiny little specs, I don't even think I can take a proper picture of them.

It's a 20-25g tank, with 2 juvanile axies.



What the heck are these things?

 

[Mewtwo]

I just found out that my internal sponge filter is apprantlg ****, as it's no longer working and I'm not sure how long it's been that way, certainly not longer than a day, but.... Idk. Could these things be the result of that? Or is the broken filter the result of these things?

 

[Donna001]

Have you put anything new, such as live plants, in the tank over the past few weeks? If so they could be baby snails, but that does seem like a lot of white specs on the glass for a snails.
Or they could be planaria, which are tiny little worms.
It would be worth wiping them off the glass to remove them from the tank.
I have attached a link to an article about things that invade the tank. I hope it helps.
Caudata Culture Articles - Aquarium Invaders: Algae, Snails, Worms and Other Critters

 

[Mewtwo]

I've changed nothing in the past few weeks =(

These are most definitely not snails. They move far too fast, and free swim as well as sit on the glass.

There are some that are bigger and some that almost look like teeny tiny tadpoles. In shape, I mean.

I'm honestly not sure if they have BEEN there longer, and I'm only now noticing them
(I only noticed on random chance, lecustic was being adorable and putting her feet in the glass and I went to get a picture, and saw something moving) or if they've only just popped up.

My grandfather put a new pellet type into the automatic feeder a few days ago, actually. These little green sinking pellets for amphibians and tadpoles, or so he says. When I noticed I took them all out (the axies where completely uninterested anyway) but...could those be the source?

 

[Donna001]

Sorry, I'm not experienced enough to know much about other things that can end up in the tank. Hopefully one of the more experienced keepers will be able to identify them.
I guess just keep wiping them up from the glass to get rid of the ones that you can see, and perhaps the more experienced keepers can give you some further advice on resolving the problem.

 

[Niels D]

They could be cyclops, but it's hard to say not seeing them up close.

 

[dutch guy]

I agree, Niels look at the bottom Circle second from the left, those are female Cyclops with egg's

Tylototriton Shanjing 3,5,19

 

[Niels D]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclops_(genus)

Lovely food item for larvae. Though they say that they can form a threat if their numbers are great I've never had any problems. Adult animals have nothing to fear.

 

[Canecorsonewt]

I would agree with everyone else i think they are cyclops too. I got them with some scuds and horn wort/coons tail. I think you got them from some live plants. They could have been there for month or more before they began to thrive so you would notice them. They hang out by my floating plants. Like niels D said should be good larvae food. I hope so my larvae have eaten them.

 

[Mewtwo]

SO glad to hear they aren't dangerous!!

Ok don't have any live plants though! Not in this tank anyway. There are live plants in the Betta tank, but these things aren't in there, and nothing from there has ever been put in here! Weird!!

Very very VERY relieved though. Phew!