mites? in feeder snail tank

[Sara0229]

i noticed tonight some little tan pinhead sized critters in my snail tank. there is a bunch crawling on the cuttle bone. any ideas of what these could be and if they could be harmful? they seem to be mostly on the cuttle bone but they are so small it is hard to see them so it is hard to tell just how many are in there. the 10 gallon tank has both live and fake plants and gravel substrate. any ideas?

[J-P]

cyclops?

[Sara0229]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nlZKMvW ... r_embedded

this is how they scurry around but the only difference between mine and the ones in the video is mine are tan-brown. i can't see any parts on them they are just round and very tiny.

[J-P]

if you can, take a magnifying glass and get a real good look. possibly draw it out if you can't take a photo.

Most of the critters like these you see are harmless and are first noticed in new set ups. Usually it is the "OMG!! WTF?!?!" factor that prompts a post. They will not vanish but over time they will become unnoticed as they get eaten, starve and the waters balance themselves out. Keep in mind that they are part of the food chain that can't be ignored. The are an integral part of the mini ecosystem you have going on in your tank. If you are festooned with them, then there is an imbalance somewhere, but that is easily corrected.