Strange white things

"NetMax" wrote in message
news

"Grimley_Feindish" wrote in message
...
I'm in the process of getting a 33gal tank cycling. I added a couple of
plants from a local shop and have since noticed small white 'things'
swimming around. They're between half and one mm long, look to have two
parts to their body and swim really quickly for their size. They spend
most
of their time on the underside of the surface tension. Any body any
idea on
what they might be and whether they will be harmful to fish when I get
some?

PH 6.8
GH 11
KH 3
Nitrite between 0.8 - 1.6 mg/l
Amonia 0.4 mg/l
Not cycled yet

Thanks for your time
--
Alan

Without fish to eat them, a fishless cycling tank develops all sorts of
aquatic bugs, like whiteworms (research planaria and nemotodia) and
inchworms (at least they move that way ;~). Most are harmless. You
might get some aerial critters if some are larvae stage (midge fly,
mosquito etc). I would consider them cheap entertainment until the fish
can be introduced.

You have an unusual water parameter mixture. Is it natural?

NetMax

It was shop bought spring water (PH 6.5 - 89p for 5 litres - bit of a
bargain) mixed with a little treated tap water. I have a fair bit of bog
wood in the tank which might account for the softness and PH as my tap water
is pretty hard and typically ph 7.5 - 8. I've just had a closer look at the
things, there seem to be several types or they're just at different stages
of growth. Some of the 'bigger' ones have a sort of short forked tail and
swim in short bursts.

I like the idea of cheap entertainment, if only I could see them without
pressing my nose up against the glass