# microfauna



## frogmanchu (Feb 18, 2011)

trying to find out if anyone has seen these lil guys in their tanks. i use eco earth substrate and spag moss. ne help would be great.


----------



## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

It's hard to tell from that picture.When I enlarge it it gets a little blurry, it looks like it could be springs ,aphids or maybe mites.They are probably springs,do they jump?How do they move?Did you seed your tank with springs?
Lou


----------



## ExoticPocket (Dec 23, 2010)

If you blow on them and they jump they are springs but if they freeze they are mites. Hope this helps. They look a lot like the springs that are in my tank...


----------



## tim13 (Feb 1, 2011)

The Oval shaped body on those guys makes me think mites. Also, mites tend to group together like that around food.


----------



## earthfrog (May 18, 2008)

I'm voting mites.


----------



## frogmanchu (Feb 18, 2011)

okay they dont jump wen i blow on them and i put springtails in there but this was about 4 days ago. i think they are mites too and from what you guys are saying they are mites. well they hurt my frogs?


----------



## earthfrog (May 18, 2008)

frogmanchu said:


> okay they dont jump wen i blow on them and i put springtails in there but this was about 4 days ago. i think they are mites too and from what you guys are saying they are mites. well they hurt my frogs?


It depends on the type. By the color they appear to be grain mites, which don't hurt frogs, but some types are predatory. Do a search for predatory mites and look through some other threads for the answer as I'm not sure what predatory mites look like.


----------



## frogmanchu (Feb 18, 2011)

will do susan thanx


----------



## rpmurphey (Mar 9, 2009)

I have had these mites in a few of my tanks and what I have noticed is that they are detris mites. They are always on decaying plant matter and fecal matter. I have not had any problems with them so far. I would still look for what type they are though.


----------



## frogmanchu (Feb 18, 2011)

my frogs are eating them and they are eating the decaying matter in the tank. but i'm still researching it all


----------



## Spyral (Sep 27, 2010)

I think those are soil mites. I had a bunch in one tank when I put in un-washed leaf litter in a gecko tank. Woopsie.


----------



## earthfrog (May 18, 2008)

I don't see what's wrong with having those guys. They would help keep the fatty isopods in check.


----------



## frogmanchu (Feb 18, 2011)

What ever they are the frogs like them and they cleanin up the waste so I'm good. Now on the other hand I wtb dwarf springtails if some one has any they would like to let go of pls pm me


----------

