Spider mite thingy

bigwave

bigwave

AC Members
Jan 23, 2008
470
1
0
First off sorry for the poor picture quality. I'll try and get some more light on this and take another.

So the other day I was looking at my shrimp tank, and I noticed some little white things flicking around in the tank. At first I thought may be they were Cherry Shrimp babies, because this is a cherry shrimp tank. However they are WAY to small, just a tiny white fleck. Then after really watching for a while I also saw some black dots, wandering around on the the glass. Most of them were just hanging out, but a few were moving. They were about the size of a small font period. maybe like this ---> .

I got out my trusty little microscope and saw a SPIDER. "Yuck, I better not tell my wife" was my first though, and I still haven't told her :lipssealedsmilie:

I looked around and it appears they are not an un-common sight in the home aquarium, and no one seems too worried about them. I worry a little since I haven't seen any baby cherries in a while, but I figured you can set my mind at ease. Will they harm the shrimps? Possibly they are a type of mite, but I doubt with this picture you will be able to ID it. But if you can I would sure be grateful! :help:

Bother images are the same picture, the second one is just photo-shopped a bit. You can actually see the leaf in the upper 3/4 of the picture that was touching the glass this thing was in between the leaf and glass.

Other inhabitants are 1 Bamboo shrimp, and 1 amano. 25-35 Cherries are the focus of this 20 gallon tank. The white flecks are cyclops from what I can see of them. They moved to fast to get a picture!
Spider%20Mite%20thing%202.jpg


Spider Mite thing.jpg Spider Mite thing 2.jpg
 
Those aren't mites or spiders, they are Rhopalosiphum nymphaeae (commonly known as Waterlily Aphids).
 
Hmm, well it could be, but these sure seem to have 8 legs. And I see them mostly on the glass, not on plants, but I will look closely at the plants and see if I can spot any tomorrow.

Also if they are aphids I assume I will see some larger than a . soon!! That would be bad.
 
bigwave said:
Hmm, well it could be, but these sure seem to have 8 legs. And I see them mostly on the glass, not on plants, but I will look closely at the plants and see if I can spot any tomorrow.

Also if they are aphids I assume I will see some larger than a . soon!! That would be bad.
Click to expand...

Seems to have 8 legs, yes. But it's 6 legs and two feelers. Give them 10 more days and you'll see. (Yes, they get bigger.)

You probably see them on the glass because you don't have water lettuce or frogbit floating at the surface, right? They don't like being underwater, but if they came in with your plants and hatched there.. that's where they ended up.

More info:

Waterlily Aphid, Rhopalosiphum nymphaeae (Linnaeus)

waterlilly_aphid-s.jpg


In addition to water lilies, this aphid feeds on many other species. It is also known as the “reddish-brown plum aphid”, a name that is derived from its association with fruit trees, particularly during winter. This insect is widely distributed (cosmopolitan), and has long been known as a pest of cultivated aquatic plants. Aphids suck sap from plant leaves, but can also cause damage by transmitting plant viruses. The waterlily aphid is extremely destructive in aquatic gardens and nurseries and is known to transmit at least five plant viruses.

The waterlily aphid can walk on the water surface and can crawl down under fronds to feed underwater. Specialized “hairs” on their bodies trap and hold air while the aphids are underwater.

After colonizing aquatic sites, the aphids reproduce quickly. The developmental period from the birth of the first instar to the adult stage ranges from 7 to 10 days, depending upon temperature (optimally 21-27°C). Each female produces up to 50 nymphs at an average rate of two to four nymphs per day. The nymphs normally progress through five instars during the course of their development, although they will occasionally produce a sixth instar.

Photos above:
A, Adult female and two nymphs of the waterlily aphid.
B, Relatively dense waterlily aphid colony on the underside of a waterlettuce leaf.
Click to expand...
 
i was wondering what they are also.i was checking out my shrimp tank and seen a baby shrimp so i looked closer and seen these bugs. i have the same thiing in my shrimp tank and some slug looking things the same size . microscopic. how can i get rid of these.? any ideas without hurting my shrimps. they look white whatever they are.
 
smokin said:
i was wondering what they are also.i was checking out my shrimp tank and seen a baby shrimp so i looked closer and seen these bugs. i have the same thiing in my shrimp tank and some slug looking things the same size . microscopic. how can i get rid of these.? any ideas without hurting my shrimps. they look white whatever they are.
Click to expand...

Planaria maybe? I was told to do more WC's.

Ew, I hope you're able to get rid of them. Are they invertebrates then if they are an aphid?

Gosh the water world of plants has just as many problems are house & outdoor plants appear to have! :eek3:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom