Hi all. First let me apologize for the crustiness of the gif. I had a good one but it was too big for Reddit. Secondly, I rehomed a gecko from a neglectful environment recently and decided to build my first bioactive vivarium for her. I let the tank cycle for about a month before putting her in it last night.
She had these pieces of wood in the old enclosure I had received her in. I treated the wood before putting it in her new tank, but soon after the light turned on I saw these guys running around.
I think they’re wood or grain lice, but I figured to be better safe than sorry and upload my own video/gif just to make sure and to get a second opinion.
I’m worried that if they are wood or grain lice that they’ll explode and outcompete my springtails. Looking at the tank now, I can’t see them anymore. I hadn’t seen these guys before I out the wood in, so I’m pretty certain they weren’t in the substrate or on any plants.
by angrysnort
6 Comments
Those look like springtails to me. There are a bunch of different sizes and types.
springtails or soil mites. leaning toward springtails, natures garbage collectors
https://imgur.com/a/eLwcJ7P
Here’s a link to the original video Reddit wouldn’t let me post! Hopefully a little easier to see.
Looks like springtails you can put your finger or a wooden stick against to them and see if they jump when touched from behind. I’m not sure if lice jump but I know springtails do. Springtails also float in water and jump around on the surface to avoid drowning.
While difficult to tell in the video, I wouldn’t rule out that they may be predatory mites. These move much faster than detrivorous mites, and prey on springtails, other mites, and other bitty critters.
I know everyone else is saying springtails, but something about them is throwing me off. They look a little too short and too shiny, maybe?
Those look like some sort of mite to me, or maybe some globular springtail