Gnats

[drew]

ok, so I have a 75gl tank with 4 8 to 10 inch axies in it.. i have been seeing little larvae worms and didnt worry at all , i have had worms in tanks before. yesterday i noticed what looks to be adult Fungus gnats dead on the inside of the hoods, they fit the tank pretty snug so not much gets out or in, i learned the hard way with my kitty .. ok, so has anyone has a gnat problem ? and is there any cure all ? I put about a half cup of rock salt in the whole 75gl tank to try to kill some of the larvae but im not so sure that will have any effect.. all i can think is we have had fresh grown produce in the house over the summer and they have laid egg's in my tank ? nothing big, just woundering if anyone had any suggestions,.
~ drew ~

 

[joan]

I've had a gnat problem in the past. The best way I found is to kill as many of the adults as possible. Smoosh 'em with your fingers. You'll have to do this when the worms morph too.

I doubt the salt will have any effects. I never really found any way to prevent them either, other than moving across the state, lol.

 

[edward]

These often get established in tanks where there is an excess of organic material in the water or detritus on the bottom of the tank (gnat food and tube construction material). To control them you need to go after both the adults and the larva. The larva can be removed by wiping down the tank and siphoning off the loose larva and detrital material while the adults can be trapped at the lights.
These are a harmless species and many people find the little tubes unappealing.

Ed

 

[joan]

Ed, what about the free-living 'glass worms'? I never found a good way to get rid of these, other than sucking them up when I saw them.