Mites?

[MollyFishMomma]

I have a 40 gal tank with 3 adult mollies and 4 “teenager” mollies and one bristlenose pleco. I’ve just noticed these “bugs?” Or maybe “mites?” crawling around on the intake and plants. I do 50% water change weekly, haven’t added anything (no new decor, fish, etc.) to the tank in months. Any ideas on what these are and how to get rid of them?

 

[GaryE]

I can't see them well. Could you have a mega hatch of tiny snails?

 

[Archerfish]

I too am not sure what is shown in the images. Have you tested your water parameters? Sometimes water quality issues invite an outbreak. What type and number of fish do you have in the tank? Did you recently add some new substrate or rocks? Is your tank freshwater or brackish water?

 

[MollyFishMomma]

I can't see them well. Could you have a mega hatch of tiny snails?

I don’t think so, though I guess it’s not impossible. I haven’t added anything new to the tank in a long time and only have artificial plants.

 

[MollyFishMomma]

I too am not sure what is shown in the images. Have you tested your water parameters? Sometimes water quality issues invite an outbreak. What type and number of fish do you have in the tank? Did you recently add some new substrate or rocks? Is your tank freshwater or brackish water?

The little dots on the plants and the brown specks on the intake are the “bug” things. I have 3 adult mollies, 4 “teenager” mollies- (3 months old), and 1 bristlenose pleco. Freshwater. I haven’t added anything new in months.

I’m out for the day, but will do water test this evening.

 

[GaryE]

This will probably not help, but the thread is meeting with silence...

You are way south of where I am, which I hope puts you in a warmer climate. I have had insect larvae get into my tanks over the years, in summer, if it's that. There are so many possibilities, and since our ecologies are different, I can't guess at what. My normal is your exotic and vice versa.
No bug that ever hatched in my tanks did any harm. None were the result of bad conditions - I'd argue the opposite. All eventually got eaten, or developed and flew around.

No fish were ever harmed in my gathering this possibly useless info.