Yellow tiny insects hopping on water surface?

Amy_Payne · Post by **Amy_Payne** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 8:57 pm

We've got a few (3-5) tiny yellow-orange thingies hopping on the water surface of our 20 gallon high. They are less than 1mm in length. Can't catch 'em either. Probably harmless, but has anybody seen these things before?

SCMurphy · Post by **SCMurphy** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:05 am

Springtails, harmless.

Amy_Payne · Post by **Amy_Payne** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 2:16 pm

Thanks! I'm going to try to float some tape sticky-side up and see if I can catch some.

Rick Dotson · Post by **Rick Dotson** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 3:46 pm

Surprised the fish didn't eat them. They are pretty small.

Rick

Sonny Disposition · Post by **Sonny Disposition** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:41 pm

I've noticed some black ones on some of my tanks. The don't seem to hurt anything. Like you, I'm surprised the fish haven't eaten them.

SCMurphy · Post by **SCMurphy** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:38 pm

Springtails feed on detritus, dead plant material, fishfood stuck to the glass, that sort of stuff. Small livebearers and killifish will eat them if they can catch them. I imagine that something small enough to hop on the surface film of water doesn't attract much attention.

RTRJR · Post by **RTRJR** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 12:38 pm

Great dart frog food though...

kerokero · Post by **kerokero** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 5:50 pm

Wouldn't bother trying to catch them, they will just go away and also the tape very likely wouldn't catch them (the smaller the critter, the less likely glues and gels won't work). Some fish may eat the larger ones, but since they don't actually break the water's surface they aren't the easiest to catch from under water.

Many a smaller dart frog does enjoy them

Yellow tiny insects hopping on water surface?

Yellow tiny insects hopping on water surface?

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