This is just for people who may worry about just what this is crawling around on the glass and substrates of their new vivariums. These are just a part of what may happen, and all are harmless or beneficial--just a part of what a healthy biologically recycling live habitat encounters. The photos include: Isopods on glass with a Nemertean. The fat, many legged isopods in this reticulatus tank are probably baby sow bugs. The Retics are too small to eat them, so they only prosper here. Larger frogs will lap up the babies, so one can't establish them. They eat detritus and recycle wastes. they do no damage to the plants, although some old garden books considered them root-eating pests. If they do eat a root or two, it's unnoticeable. The worm like thing is a Nemertean, of a terrestrial species. This group of worms are usually marine worms, called ribbon worms, and from what I gather, this is one of the terrestrial types. They will crawl on glass, and the most noticeable thing about them will be their pinpoint like heads that weave around tryiing to decide where to go next. They are not a parasite, nor a danger to the frogs. I suspect they are feeding on algae. Inconspicuous in this same photo is a tiny snail that feeds on algae. I've never identified it, but it has a flat sprial shell. It occurs in all of my tanks. Cannibalistic tadpoles such as those of imitators will tear one to pieces and eat it if it gets into the water in their brome axils. I've never seen plant damage or egg eating from these little guys. I have no idea of their specie, but they probably get imported on plants we purchase. Some snails will certainly do some plant damage, but these are usually larger and can be plucked off as you find them.

The other photo is one of a creature that has freaked out many people new to the hobby, because superficially, it looks so much like a centipede, or has been mistaken for a wireworm. This is a millipede--two legs out of each segment. It also eats detritus and helps with the recycling of a living environment. The populations come and go. I've seen larger dart frogs try to eat them and then immediately spit them out. They must not taste good. Their populations will come and go. They are mostly likely to be seen in newer tanks.

I didn't take any photos of slugs, although they do occur in tanks and do a bit of leaf damage on the plants. There have been many discussions about how to get rid of them, but after trying beer baiting, which is more fun than effective, picking them off neurotically, and such, I finally discovered that I could put up with a few holes in the leaves and leaving them alone was the best way to keep them from taking over in large numbers. They eventually balance out with everything else, and their populations decline to a reasonable, if still present, level.

Some have recommended concentrated CO2, via dry ice, in a sealed tank for getting rid of pests. It unfortunately gets rid of everything else, benefical or not, that breathes oxygen, so one is essentially starting over again with the same problems to occur again.

I recommend having patience and just watching the bugs and various fungi without interference other than normal misting, wiping off glass for visibility, trimming back overly-enthusiastic plants, and other maintenance of a relatively mild sort.












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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

Dendrobates: auratus blue, auratus Ancon Hill, tinctorius azureus, leucomelas. Phyllobates: vittatus, terribilis, lugubris. Epipedobates: anthonyi tricolor pasaje. Ranitomeya fantastica, imitator, reticulata. Adelphobates castaneoticus, galactonotus. Oophagia pumilio Bastimentos. (updated systematic nomenclature)

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