Little black bug in my tank

[MegCasey]

Hello,

I was cleaning out the food dish in my tank a few minutes ago when I noticed a tiny bug crawling off of it. It's definitely not a mite -it's black and has a very, very thin "I" shaped body.

I have two moulters right now, so I don't want to do a deep clean for fear of disturbing them. I'm going to check the tank tomorrow for more of the little things but wanted to see if anyone else has had this type of insect in their tank before first - I haven't come across anyone online yet who has.

If I find more of these things tomorrow, should I try and get them out as soon as I can or leave them be?

[CrabbyJo]

First you need to identify what kind of insect it is to determine if it is dangerous to your hermit crabs. Here is an article with descriptions, some have links to pictures, to help you determine what kind of pests you've got. Guide to pests in the Crabitat

Then you can go on from there. Let us know!

[MegCasey]

Hm. The bug in my tank didn't seem to match any descriptions in the link you posted (good reference though, thank you for sharing), and since I haven't found any more as of yet, I'll just assume it was a stray insect that got into the tank somehow. I'll keep an eye out for any more.

[CrabbyJo]

Glad to hear it, sometimes those little guys are gonna sneak in I suppose.

[MegCasey]

Woop - there was another one in the food bowl today, same size, shape, and color as the last one. Anybody know of any more references out there on different bug species that can get into tanks? I still haven't been able to identify if these are harmful or not. (Normally I would just do a deep clean and be done with it, but I have two molters and I don't want to disturb them...)

UPD: After finding two more in the food bowl this morning, I've been scouring the web trying to identify these things.They may possibly be thrips, which thank goodness stick to a vegetarian diet, but I'm not sure. Gonna try to take a photo of the next ones I find and send them to some bug sites, hopefully someone out there can tell me what they are.

[ladybug15057]

Have you checked your food closely?

[MegCasey]

Do you mean for bites from the bugs, or do you suspect the bugs are coming from the food? The food, especially the leafy type, tends to show a nibble here and there from the insects but that's it. I get their food from my school's cafeteria, which offers fresh fruits, veggies, and meats daily - so I doubt they'd be coming from there. (I'd buy them organically grown food if I could, but I lack the money and transportation to do so...Ah, being a college student).

My guess is the insects got into the dorm while looking for someplace warm, and then proceeded make their way into the tank once they realized it was nice n' cozy and contained food...Since I've only found them in the food bowl and they seem to like veggies best, I'm hoping these thing won't bother my crabs too much. I'm still gonna do a deep clean as soon as my moulters are finished up though.

[ladybug15057]

Yepper I mean from the food. Not to gross you out, but larvae and mites do seem to live on fruits and veggies. Why it is recommended to always wash them prior to eating, but not all wash off that easily either. And it is said everybody eats at least 5# of insects in their lifetime. Unknowingly of course. (I try not to think of it)
Have you considered putting a fine line of vaseline on the outside of your tanks bottom? If the creepy crawlers are coming from outside of the tank they should become stuck in the vaseline, or you will see streaks of it showing they are getting in from the outside.

[CrabbyJo]

Also, if you do manage to get a picture of one, go ahead and post it here too, you never know who might have first hand experience with them. And maybe we can help you figure them out!

[MegCasey]

Bleh! I never really thought about the food thing. I guess I had trusted that the fruit and veggies from my school were rinsed first, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if I found out otherwise...Just another reason for me to avoid eating there all together!

Good idea about the Vaseline. I'd heard something about doing something similar with some sort of gel used to keep ants out of a tank. I'll give it a try when I have the chance!