Aphids in an aquarium

[dpatte]

I seem to have a few tanks that have aphids. (not springtails) They live off the plants.

Does anyone have any tricks for getting rid of them?

Im thinking the best way may be to keep the plants under water - below the surface. Aphids can't live underwater. Fortunately the fish enjoy the live food during the process as well.

Any idea how long plants have to be kept underwater (away from the surface) before all the aphids would be gone - and the life cycle complete?

[Ron]

Hi David,

If memory serves me correctly, aphids are livebearing insects, with no egg, larvae or pupae stage, so once all of the existing aphids are drowned or eaten, they should be history.

After all the plants are submerged, some aphids may release the plants they are on and float to the surface. If the make it to the edges of the tank alive, they could crawl out and wait for more food to show up or go looking for it elsewhere. They don't move really fast though, so you should be able to squash any survivors and swish them back in the tank for the fish to enjoy.

Good luck,

                 Ron

[artw]

I have these things in my tanks - I think they live off the slime on the glass which occurs just under the plastic trim above the water level.. and on the algae around the bottom of the hang on filter's lip.
when I do waterchanges I clean this and overfill the tank so the plastic trim is underwater so to speak... I haven't noticed these little bugs lately.

[dpatte]

Another small insect that is on alot of tanks is 'Springtails', which i hear are harmless. Springtails are very tiny, dustlike, and tend to jump around. If they get wet they jump back to the side of the tank.

Aphids, on the other hand are bigger, often larger than the head of a pin, and often have visible wings. They are slow walking insects.

I think mine came in when I brough some garden plants in during the fall. Fortunately they are VERY slow walkers and are only in a few of my tanks. I dont think they have walked to others yet

They say that ladybugs enjoy eating aphids. But somehow i suspect that having a colony of ladybugs thriving in my house may not be a good idea.