Bugs. Yuck.

[wontonflip]

Anyone have problems with bugs getting into the tank? The drawback of having a waaaaay open sump in a sump room is the amount of bugs that keep getting into the tank. Whilei doing my water change today, I found maybe 4 or 5 ladybugs, and one huge beetle. Nothing in the DT...just the sump. How bad is this for the water's chemistry?

:spider:

 

[Smitty]

It may not be bad at all, and if they get into the DT, then that's free food for the fish...but I don't think it would be an issue, unless the bug has been contaminated by a pesticide you may have put down.

 

[wontonflip]

I don't use pesticides anyway (kids, ferret, and dogs in the house). I figured it was free fish food :) But wasn't sure if it was ok in a closed system. Thye actually stay in the sump room. I don't see bugs in the dt (unless the fish eat them before I see them)

 

[Smitty]

You should be ok then since you don't use poisons...I've seen a few dead bugs in my skimmer cup lately also.

 

[dcantucson]

Bugs get into my tank at night, but then just flow over the sides.

 

[wontonflip]

Does your skimmer end up skimming them? The beetle I found was huge...size of a quarter. I doubt it would have ended up in the skimmer. The ladybugs I found were in the fuge.

 

[yote]

I'm having a bad problem with ladybugs myself.
To the point of skimming them out of the sump every night with my net.
But I've not noticed them causing any other problems.

 

[VAreef]

Can you just draped a piece of screen over the sump maybe to keep em out of the sump?

 

[wontonflip]

Can you just draped a piece of screen over the sump maybe to keep em out of the sump?

I could probably put a stiff screen over the area, but it's no big deal now that everyone's said it shouldn't cause a problem :) I had already envisioned putting some type of canopy over it, but thought I'd ask here first before going through the trouble.

 

[puttycat]

Me too, asian lady bugs, box elders, and some other misc bugs. I have my glass/screen door propped open, they seem to like the heat when the glass is closed. They don't last long in the salt water, die pretty quick.

theres probably no way of stopping from getting in. Bugs can get thru the smallest of holes

 

[Bifferwine]

Weird. We don't really get bugs out here in AZ. At least, not ones that fly around and end up in tanks.

 

[dcantucson]

Bugs get into my tank at night, but then just flow over the sides.

Ah. I do.:bounce:

You must be in a better part of town. :)

 

[Bifferwine]

Ah. I do.:bounce:

You must be in a better part of town. :)

Yes, I am in the part of town where people don't need to live in bomb shelters to get by!! ;)

 

[yote]

Ah. I do.:bounce:

You must be in a better part of town. :)

Yes, I am in the part of town where people don't need to live in bomb shelters to get by!! ;)

Is she sayin that you live in the BAD part of town?

 

[dcantucson]

I think that is in fact what she is saying. :grumble:

She obviously doesn't realize I actual have feelings and am of the sensitive type. :mrgreen:

 

[sen5241b]

I'm getting stink bugs in my tank and if they stay in there too long the corals start looking bad. I've heard others in the DC area say they are having the same problem. I just pulled one out last night.

 

[wontonflip]

Oh wow...I think I did pull one of those out at my last water change.