Bugs in a fish/reptile tank, what are they?

Question

I have a chinese box turtle in an aquarium with peatmoss, a lil container with water, and some fake plants to hide himself in. We noticed a lot of little tiny flies like gnats or aphids and went to go check the turtle and found TONNES of little white bugs crawling in and on his tank. None were on the turtle but they covered the aquarium. What are these bugs?? I put the entire tank outside and put the turtle in the sink making sure he is rinsed and clean. I checked the area where the tank was and made sure there were no more bugs, from what I can see they are all outside with the tank now. Does anyone know what those bugs are, why they sit in the turtle tank and how to permanently get rid of them?

Answer 1

Cant say for sure, but probably one of 2 things- mites or springtails. Hope for springtails(Thats my first guess also).
Mites are reptile parasites- they live on reptiles and feed off their blood. They can cause health problems. They are usually dark colored, sometimes red, but might be other colors. They will often be mostly on the reptile itself, especially by the mouth and eyes.
Springtails are tiny bugs that live in moist environments. They are not usually harmfull, as they feed on decaying plant material. They are often whitish or light colored. They will not typically be on the reptile.
You will need to seach "reptile mite" and "springtail" on google images, then compare to one of the critters you have. You may need to use a magnifying glass. Pay attention to the number of legs, number of body segments, and overall shape.
Frequent cleaning is the best way to control springtails. You may also be able to freeze your new bedding in bags for a few days, or bake it in an oven at low temp, to kill the springtail eggs, as this is where they originate.
Mites (if thats what you have)will take more action. There are several treatments available made by reptile product companies- including reptile relief and provent-a-mite. Follow instructions on the bottle.
I occasionally get springtails in cages that have bark for bedding, if I dont clean the cage often enough. They thrive in moist areas.
It is also possible that they are a type of aphid or similar insect. Many types of small insects can thrive in warm moist moss. Just make sure they arent mites.

Answer 2

"They are just some common little water critters. They are probably feeding on excess food. I've seen them before in tanks that have mostly plants and no fish. Your fish should be eating the bugs but if you are overfeeding the fish they won't be hungry for things they have to 'hunt' for. I overfeed sometimes too. I just have to realize it, clean up after myself and cut back. To get things back on track, don't feed the the fish at all for the next 3 days. Yep, that's what I said! No food for 3 days! Healthy fish can go for a couple of weeks without food so don't worry. They will start looking at more natural sources of food like those little bugs. The little bugs will also be lacking in food so they won't multiply anymore. Make a 25% water change and vacuum the gravel too. Do the 25% water changes every week as regular maintenance and vacuum the gravel every 2 to 4 weeks. This will keep the tank more tidy so the fish will feel good. Once the 3 days has passed and you can feed the fish again, start with only a little bit once a day. The fish must consume all the food totally from every area of the tank within 5 minutes. Look around the tank after 5 minutes on the top, the gravel, decorations, etc. If there is any left you are feeding too much. You could feed twice a day if you want to, but the fish must finish all food within 2 minutes. The goal is to give the fish less than 5 minutes to feed in day. Even if they consume it later, too much is eaten and the fish can't digest it properly. More food goes to waste and causes trouble in the tank. Like extra critters....yikes!" An algae eater will not be likely to help much. If you have a tropical tank throw a betta in there. He'll munch on them. Good Luck!

Answer 3

I don't know what they are,but I had them in my turtle tank,too.They won't hurt the turtles,but I don't like them.I would just dump everything and start over.Did you know that Chinese box turtles are semi-aquatic? They love a water container large enough to walk around and soak in,and they even like to swim,They're also highly carnivorous and will eat fish,dog or cat food,earthworms,crickets,etc.But just wash the tank with very hot water and start over.This gets rid of the bugs.

Answer 4

The flies are fruit flies, attracted to the rotting food and moisture in the tank. The white things are fruit fly maggots. You will need to throw out your bedding and clean everything very, very well. Once you get everything set up again, make sure you remove the uneatten food before it attracts anymore flies.

Answer 5

fruit flies...... from letting fruits and veggies sit too long. Good luck getting rid of them. You have to replace the substrate, sterilize everything in the enclosure, bathe your tortoise (box turtles are actually tortoises) and put fruit fly tape at the top of the enclosure to catch the rest. they lay aggs as they walk and fly... 24-7... The best way to get rid of them is to never get them in the first place. Avoid leaving fruit and veggies in over night, change water daily, clean enclosure weekly, and make sure the enclosure has plenty of ventilation.

good luck