little help????

wolfie2nd · #1 06-22-2010, 11:24 AM

Well I've had my viv setup now for a little over 3 years now, and this past week when I was doing my monthly cleaning to get the water stains off the glass I noticed a whole bunch of little bugs about the size of a pin head they are a bit on the shiny side kinda like almost reflective looking... what might they be and how might I get rid of em without ripping the whole viv apart. I hope their not mites. Any help would be great thanks in advance, Doug

froggsong · #2 06-22-2010, 12:43 PM

Ok, they're shiny, but what color? Do they look like tiny beetles (that would be more iridescent than reflective though)? Did they look spidery (indicating mites)? Even if they are mites, if you can ID them, they may turn out to be a type that's ok. There are some that can be a helpful part of the cleanup crew, while others are definitely not. Are you able to get a picture at all? Maybe with a macro setting?

wolfie2nd · #3 06-22-2010, 02:53 PM

I would say that they are iridesecent and super small little bigger than a pin head. Picture was no good. I don't know that to do

froggsong · #4 06-22-2010, 05:00 PM

Are the round, oblong, triangular? You should be able to tell that much... What color are they? Black, white? I know they are shiny and iridescent, but there must be an underlying color...

RecycledAgain · #5 06-22-2010, 11:08 PM

I'm also curious what kind of Viv is or better yet what does the enclosure house?
(Dry or damp)

Dan

wolfie2nd · #6 06-23-2010, 06:53 AM

It's pretty damp its damp enough to keep bamboo. I keep green tree frogs, but I maintain proper heat and humidity levels to keep my little buddies happy.
The base color of these little bugs is like a black, and the more I look the the more I see.

froggsong · #7 06-23-2010, 11:15 AM

You can remove the ones that you see. Get some tape and just stick it to them and pull them out. Either get rid of it outside, or throw it in the microwave for a few seconds before putting in your trashcan. That should cut the population down considerably while you get an ID to see if you need to CO2 the tank.

wolfie2nd · #8 06-23-2010, 11:36 AM

I was going to take the froggers out an Co2 the tank but I can't get dry ice anywhere close

froggsong · #9 06-23-2010, 12:23 PM

It's certainly easiest to use dry ice (because you can see it), but you can also use canned CO2 or mix vinegar with baking soda to make CO2. If you make CO2 with vinegar, you can mix it in a bottle or ziplock bag, have a tube coming from the bottle or bag, and use the tube to direct the CO2 where you want it initially. You'll have to keep pumping it in for a while, but you should be able to get it to work.