Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

While doing my daily exam of my pygmies tank I noticed something squirming on a piece of bark. I removed it and upon closer look with a handlens (don't have a microscope) I saw two tiny (1/8"?) nearly transparent larvae AND a similar looking (coloring/lack of) mite. Now, there are a few possibilities in my mind and would like some expert/experienced keepers to comment on these:

1. they are fungus gnat larvae due to high humidity (possibly too much)

2. parasite expelled from a crix

3. parasite expelled from a cham

some things to know:

It was not on a surface piece of bark but down a layer in dark, moist environment

I am moving them to an entirely new enclosure this weekend and will not use anything from existing except for some stones and plants but will thoroughly wash the plants (including roots).

I am rethinking the top substrate from repti-bark to maybe use cocoa-fiber, which I think Morgana from Reptayls.com suggested.

I have been keeping the plants in their pots but will actually plant so water/moisture doesn't collect, thus reduce the the incidence of fungus gnats and other critters.

B/c my chams are so tiny and in a planted tank it is difficult to find their feces and b/c I have only had them a short time it is hard to notice behavioral changes.

I know this is lengthy but wanted to give you as much info as possible and appreciate input, thoughts, ways to determine what I am dealing with, etc.

thanks!
lele

could be a fly larvae, tiny fruit flies can do that in moist tanks on feces of crix remains. Also, it could be an non-parasitic nematode living in the soil--very common in peat.

thanks, eric

I had thought about ff larva, too but these are longer and thinner than the FF larvae that i see in my cultures. I use soil-less soil and sterilize everything else so if it is a nematode it was introduced after (possibly in a plant that's why I will clean the roots when i transfer).

should I just go ahead and make the changes I mentioned and hope for the best? other things I should be on the lookout for? their size does make some things more problematic

thx
lele

>>could be a fly larvae, tiny fruit flies can do that in moist tanks on feces of crix remains. Also, it could be an non-parasitic nematode living in the soil--very common in peat.

I actually had a nightmare situation when I was first trying to hatch out veild eggs wiht no knowledge...The soil I was incubating my eggs in was apparantly contaminated with nematodes. Some of the eggs were covered with little nematodes, and quite a few of them were actually penetrating the eggs! I remember pulling them out, it was disgusting. these eggs survived for 8 months, but all were lost because I kept them too moist. The worm part was horrible though...

>>I actually had a nightmare situation when I was first trying to hatch out veild eggs wiht no knowledge...The soil I was incubating my eggs in was apparantly contaminated with nematodes. Some of the eggs were covered with little nematodes, and quite a few of them were actually penetrating the eggs! I remember pulling them out, it was disgusting. these eggs survived for 8 months, but all were lost because I kept them too moist. The worm part was horrible though...

Lele,

Here's a link to a picture of fungus gnat larvae.

Greg White
Fungus gnat larvae

Hi Greg,

thanks...these were definitely more "curly" like a nematode or "worm." I am hoping it is a soil organism and not a cham parasite. i think changing the tank, drying stuff out and keeping a close eye will help... close eye? I OBSESS about these things!! LOL!

>>Lele,
>>
>>Here's a link to a picture of fungus gnat larvae.
>>
>>Greg White
>>Fungus gnat larvae