Small Aphid Type Things On My Frogbit......

[mattlee]

i have quite a bit of floating frogbit in my main tank and have noticed quite a few really small bugs on top of the leaves...
i removed the plants and washed them but the bugs are back! they probably came on the plants and multiplied and i think they might be eating the leaves too. i flicked a few in the water for my angels to munch on but then panicked thinking will they be ok as live food.......?

 

[mattlee]

can anyone help or advise..............?

 

[Nick16]

have a look at copepods.

 

[three-fingers]

They are springtails, most likely Sminthurides aquaticus . Completely harmless and natural.

I have loads of them my tank too, here's a close up from my tank, the green bit on he top right is duckweed:

 

[mattlee]

do they eat the plants?
are they ok as live food?

 

[Mr Bliss]

Haha he looks really cute in that closeup!

They eat decaying matter, biofilms that form on the water surface, and microscopic fungi that may grow on the glass and seams at the water level. I know guppies love to eat them, but that's all the experience I have of the little critters.