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Jan 11, 2006 16:54:13 GMT
Post by section8angel on Jan 11, 2006 16:54:13 GMT
But why only hatch now? I've had the snails in the tanks these things were in for months and nothing like this has shown up before. Lol I'm not meaning to shoot down your theories. I doubt there even is a right one. It's probably some random thing that happens for no known reason and makes no sense. Kinda like Peter Andre
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Grrrr
Jan 11, 2006 17:01:11 GMT
Post by sonicsnail on Jan 11, 2006 17:01:11 GMT
Maybe the conditions where right for the eggs to hatch, or maybe they have a certain time to when they hatch? Like x amount of days, weeks.
LOL @ Peter Andre
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Grrrr
Jan 11, 2006 17:05:12 GMT
Post by section8angel on Jan 11, 2006 17:05:12 GMT
Well they're fecking slow then aint they!! Lol. But, that still leaves where did they come from in the first place. Snails don't "make" mites/bugs do they? Or do they.. eww lol. I've obviously been outside so could they have come from there somehow and then got into the snail tanks from me? Hmm. But, why haven't I had anything like this before? Did a mother bug just see me one day and go "she looks like a cool person so must have snails, I'll lay my devil spawn on her!!" I could add Jordan and Jodie Marsh to that too, so Peter isn't a lonely un-needed thing rofl.
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Grrrr
Jan 11, 2006 17:11:05 GMT
Post by Paul on Jan 11, 2006 17:11:05 GMT
Well, my research on those grindal worms reckoned that they often get infested with mites etc. So there is a good chance that they come in with other things. Flies may well transport them. My worms probably came with fruit flies as they would both occupy the same things. I suppose once you get them it is difficult to get rid of them completely. It only takes you to miss one egg capsule somehow and it all starts again. The population explodes because they have such cushy conditions with no predators.
There are a few places on my tank that are almost impossible to clean, the bits where two pieces of glass are sealed together but leave a bit unsealed but too small to get anything down.
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Grrrr
Jan 11, 2006 17:11:32 GMT
Post by sonicsnail on Jan 11, 2006 17:11:32 GMT
Are they in the moss, they could have come from there?
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Jan 11, 2006 17:16:13 GMT
Post by section8angel on Jan 11, 2006 17:16:13 GMT
Well my moss is all from the same bag, washed loads of times in boiling water and has been in there months and months (washed obviously when needed)
So again... they're fecking slow if it's that lol. And the fulica tanks had the same moss... but no bugs. Only gnats. Rarr lol. That's why I thought they were baby gnats, they like it really wet which the fulica tanks aren't but the others are, but Paul said they don't usually go on the snails, and as I didn't see them really close up I don't know if they look like the pics on the internet.
I still have no idea why they were only a few things and snails and not all over.
I'm going to steralize all the stuff later anyway, and then I'll put it all back in. But I'm only going to put a tiny amount of moss in.
And then I shall be keeping everything crossed.
Yours sounds simple Paul lol Why can't mine be?!
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Grrrr
Jan 11, 2006 17:21:36 GMT
Post by sonicsnail on Jan 11, 2006 17:21:36 GMT
I can't suggest anything else lol. Lets hope that you get rid of them for good!
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Grrrr
Jan 11, 2006 17:26:52 GMT
Post by section8angel on Jan 11, 2006 17:26:52 GMT
Lol well thanks for all you have suggested. It's typical of me and my animals to be difficult It's been 2 and a half days since I did the other tanks, and 3 and a half since I did the one I saw them in first and I haven't seen anything, gnats or bugs. So fingers crossed. Oops ok a lie, I saw ONE gnat in the rodatzi tank the other day lol. But haven't seen it since. They're still peeing me off by going on my monitor and tv though Thanks for your help too Paul (and everyone else). If I do see anymore I'll try and get some pics then maybe we can sort out this mystery lol.
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Grrrr
Jan 11, 2006 17:37:00 GMT
Post by sonicsnail on Jan 11, 2006 17:37:00 GMT
Got it! You said that they are on your tv. That suggests that they are in your room. Which could mean that when you clean them out, you only get rid of the ones in the tank, not in the room. I found that once. I clean all my tanks outside. When lots of flies appeared once I noticed them in the room here and there. I further discovered that simply leaving the flies in the room means that they will find a way back in to the tank. Sometimes when you think all the flies have disappeared, there could be the odd one about, then they breed and more flies appear, “as from nowhere”.
The flies could carry the mites?!?!?!?!?!?!
The flies could carry the mites?!?!?!?!?!?!
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Jan 11, 2006 17:52:18 GMT
Post by section8angel on Jan 11, 2006 17:52:18 GMT
I have said loads of times they're in my room Lol. They came from my plants because I over water and the gnats love really damp soil. I can't get rid of them in my room, they just wont go even with the plants staying dry. And they did keep going into the snail tanks even after I'd cleaned them.... That's why I covered the snails with the chiffon lol, and apart from the fulica tank, and -one- in the panthera & reti tank, they have slowley dissapeared from the tanks in the weeks after me covering them. But, yes they could have still carried the other things in lol. But... sorry yes another but lol. I've had these gnats for AGES and they've been in the snail tanks before, but I've never had these bug things. Although... when I had the gnats before I only had the fulicas, which leads me back to thinking they are gnat babies or something of the sort as the fulica tank has always been drier, so it wouldn't have been wet enough to lay eggs in there. Ok that's it! No more thinking for me lol. I've had enough! My brain is gone
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Jan 11, 2006 18:01:08 GMT
Post by sonicsnail on Jan 11, 2006 18:01:08 GMT
Ok that's it! No more thinking for me lol. I've had enough! My brain is gone Yep, me too lol! Oh well, the mystery still remains...
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Jan 11, 2006 18:05:13 GMT
Post by Paul on Jan 11, 2006 18:05:13 GMT
The flies could carry the mites?!?!?!?!?!?! Not sure about mites but it is possible with nematodes etc, they will infest insects which could then die in your tank. I just think in my case fruit flies will be sharing food with these worms. It is possible for an egg case to be laid onto a much larger fly or it picks some up by accident. It sounds a bit far-fetched but I had a earlier problem with fruit flies, my coir was bought compressed and they've not been outside, nor has anything in the tanks. And when you consider that birds can often spread fish because they get eggs stuck to the legs during hops to another lake. Bugs have got all this stuff down to a fine art, spider mites for one. There are mites small enough to infest flies but whether they would ever be seen in our tanks is anyone's guess. I reckon if you left a tub of food out somewhere, they'd be all manner of things in it eventually.
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Grrrr
Jan 11, 2006 18:13:37 GMT
Post by Paul on Jan 11, 2006 18:13:37 GMT
I rang a company who supplies Hypoaspis miles predatory mites yesterday. They can be kept alive quite easily if you know what you are doing and I quizzed them about it. I also asked them if they would consider selling smaller packets, instead of 10000 for £10 (the cheapest I could find incidentally). They said they would look into it seeing as they are missing out on the reptile (and snail ) market which is huge. These things would solve gnat problems. I have no need to buy them at the moment but for a tenner I may be able to establish a colony. This'd mean that I could supply people with small amounts. They breed until there is no food. Critically they can survive on leaf-litter and detritus when there are no enemies about. Which means keeping them alive for months and months is viable without mixing them with soil from outside that then means you can't find them and could be introducing anything. And as they can deal with grubs like fungus gnat larvae I'm wondering if they'll even kill off these worms, perhaps as hatchlings.
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Jan 11, 2006 18:21:08 GMT
Post by section8angel on Jan 11, 2006 18:21:08 GMT
I reckon if you left a tub of food out somewhere, they'd be all manner of things in it eventually. Yeah, a yellow labrador called Barney Lol. SOLVE GNAT PROBLEMS?! I LOVE IT!! lol. Shame they can't solve the problems in my room though. I aint letting anything lose in it! lol Although, I could put all my plants into the spare tub I have (saved for tiger snails) and let them lose on them in there? That would work wouldn't it? No more gnats... oh that would be so great lol. ;D They have died off a lot since I covered the snail tanks, there haven't been as many around, but they're still here >=/
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Jan 11, 2006 18:41:13 GMT
Post by sonicsnail on Jan 11, 2006 18:41:13 GMT
but they're still here >=/ They're still there...and waiting...and they could be watching you right now lol. ROFL evil flies! Sorry lol..
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Jan 11, 2006 18:43:31 GMT
Post by section8angel on Jan 11, 2006 18:43:31 GMT
Rofl. They are!! I posted all that on the other page about there not being any in the rodatzi tank at all, and then I looked round and one was in there!!
There haven't been any in it since. I know they're doing it to p**s me off! Lol
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Jan 13, 2006 18:08:24 GMT
Post by section8angel on Jan 13, 2006 18:08:24 GMT
Fingers crossed, still clear. I've put cuttlefish back in now (that fun tunnel is "fun" but it smushes into the nice clean matting ) Will be putting the rest of the decor back in tomorrow when it's dried out properly, and then I might think about some moss.
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Jan 13, 2006 19:01:25 GMT
Post by sonicsnail on Jan 13, 2006 19:01:25 GMT
Lol, smushes... Glad to here it's all going well.
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