# Terrestrial bugs on floating plants



## mr.bigglesworth (Jul 6, 2012)

I just found an infestation of tiny bugs crawling around on my frogbit, ludwigia sedioides, red root floaters, hygrorzoa aristata, salvinia minima, salvinia sp?, giant duckweed, and lemna minor duckweed. They are about the size of fat ick parasites as you'd see on an infested fish. I can't take pics anywhere near small enough to even get an idea of what it might be. It has taken a liking to the ludwigia and has killed about 50% of the leaves. The infested leaves get crumpled up and turn black. It seems I can push the leaves underwater and they will drown. Are these the infamous aphids, spider mites, something else? What is it and how do I kill them?

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## mr.bigglesworth (Jul 6, 2012)

Anybody?

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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

It is hard to say what they are definitively without any picture.

Perhaps they are aphids, or perhaps they are not. However, if they can be drowned, I would just push the leaves under the water and scoop out the dead bugs (use a fine net).

Alternatively, just prune your plants so that they are under the water line.


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## ua hua (Oct 30, 2009)

What color are they?

Aphids are usually light green and usually a little bigger than you described. My first thought was they're springtails but without seeing a picture it's hard to say. Take a look through this thread and see if they look like the springtails that they have pictured. And as for your L. sedioides, that plant is not a good plant for aquariums. It needs tons of light and does best in a pond outside.

http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum/showthread.php/34333-Bugs-you-might-encounter-in-your-aquarium


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## mr.bigglesworth (Jul 6, 2012)

ua hua said:


> What color are they?
> 
> Aphids are usually light green and usually a little bigger than you described. My first thought was they're springtails but without seeing a picture it's hard to say. Take a look through this thread and see if they look like the springtails that they have pictured. And as for your L. sedioides, that plant is not a good plant for aquariums. It needs tons of light and does best in a pond outside.
> 
> http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum/showthread.php/34333-Bugs-you-might-encounter-in-your-aquarium


They are little blackish specs about the size of a grain of sand. Might be dark gray, dark brown, its hard to tell exactly. Definitely wasn't aphids then cuz no way were they lime green. I will google springtails and look at that link later on. Thank you.

The L. Sedioides was doing fine in my tank. It is getting enough light to turn red so that tells me I have more than enough light. It was purchased as an experiment in which I recognized that it might live or might die.

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## dmagerl (Feb 2, 2010)

The bugs that infested my tank were dark grey. It was the devil of a time getting rid of them. I took a net and just started pushing the floating plants around, trying to wash the bugs off, and then netting up any bugs that landed in the water. The ones I couldnt get I squished in my fingers. Over a period of weeks, I finally got them all.


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## mr.bigglesworth (Jul 6, 2012)

Will update on status of infestation when I get home tonight. Hopefully it's not too bad.

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## stealthypotatoes (Feb 2, 2013)

I've had these in my shrimp tank. They were roundish right? like an oval kind of like a mini armadillo. I don't remember what they were but I think they were there because of good water and I think over feeding. I sucked every single one of them up with a syringe. Took weeks.


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## jpappy789 (Jul 28, 2013)

Not all aphids are green, some appear black or brown. 

Never heard of spider mites attacking aquarium plants and they would probably had to have been introduced from a terrestrial plant. If its them then I would think you can simply drown them.

Springtails aren't a huge deal. Can be food for fish at the surface.


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## mr.bigglesworth (Jul 6, 2012)

Well it looks like they all disappeared. It should be worth noting that I believe the parrot fish might have eaten all of them. He is constantly pecking at the floating plants now as if theirs food there. He makes a lot of noising splashing water. He is being removed today and traded to the lfs for credit.

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## stealthypotatoes (Feb 2, 2013)

Ahh. I think I remember now. They were called seed shrimp.


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