Ants started to be spotted in my newly setup planted tank

[bluetbk]

hi everyone,

Recently, i had found out that there are ants on the water surface of my tank. It is kind of irritating as i keep seeing them crawling around and even spotted some of them "swimming" at the water surface.

Does anyone here does encounter this problem? How does you guys solve this problem. It is kind of bad to see one and kill one.

[route]

do you have fishes in there ? fishes love an ant snack.
try those "powder" ant poison found in supermarkets, but first you have to find the root of the problem, any dead fish or spilled fish food around the floor area thats causing the ants to come ?

[bluetbk]

i checked around for any spilled fish food but there is non. Same goes for the fishes. I even go count every single one of them. All are still healthy, non is missing. I ask my mother, she said it is those water ants. Anyway, i tried some ants powder at it's pathway, hopefully that will stop the ants from "drinking water" from my tank.

[hanna]

Don't laugh but I guess they are thirsty... :P

I used to have an open teapot of water on my table and ants seem to be visiting it to drink. After removing it, the ants disappeared. But that happened earlier this year during the "hot" period.

That's my silly guess... ants drinking from your tank?

[feide]

you mean your fishes don't feed on the ants which landed on the surface? my balck neon tetras gulp down flying ants like nobody business... maybe you can consider to stock some to clear the ants

[rav]

There are times when "flying ants" land into the tank.
I've encountered those type of "drinking" ants. Solution is to get to the root of the problem by finding the nest and getting rid of it.

[beetroot]

haha, may need to agree with hanna, had the same issue too. sometimes during hot spells - find ants in my cup of water, guess they drink then commit suicide

also had some ants visiting my shrimps (mini) tanks when i once moved them to a spot in my living room. so i had to move the tanks away to another spot. guess rav is right, need to find root of the ant problem.

[hanna]

haha, may need to agree with hanna, had the same issue too. sometimes during hot spells - find ants in my cup of water, guess they drink then commit suicide

also had some ants visiting my shrimps (mini) tanks when i once moved them to a spot in my living room. so i had to move the tanks away to another spot. guess rav is right, need to find root of the ant problem.

I just don't understand why the ants need to come to my
table to drink?! Can't they go next door where there's a toilet?

Guess you guys are right. The best is to locate their nest or at least the ant trail and lay poison nearby.

[yyylarry]

hmmm i would have to guess all living creatures need air, food and water to survive?

In my room, there is no water except for the fish tank thus the ant naturally source for water there?
Just a case of thirsty ants?

[leechaorui]

I encountered this problem before. Spotted some ants around my tank. Finally realised that it was because of the fish food. When the fish rushed for the food, some of the food got spill out and this attracted the ants.

Your case could be a different problem but you may try to check if it was spill food. Cheers.

[bluetbk]

hihi,
thanks for all the replies. hmmm i still cannot slove the ants problem. i gave up.


I had checked everywhere, around the tank for any spilled food, for any dead fishes. All is negative.

I am wondering does CO2 supply will make the water "smell" sweeter? Else i think they are just some thristy ants that had not been drinking for months.

[beetroot]

i did a little test again - moved my shrimp tanks to the place where i think would attract visitor ants... and yes, they came again.. to drink! definitely a case of ants deprived of water.

very positive it is not a case of spilled food for me.

[Rokerites]

Convert your tank into one that holds archer fish, and the ant will live to regret coming down for a drink....that is if they are able to stay alive

[beetroot]

haha... cannot for me... that is sacrificing my babies...
Other fish lovers can consider

[Verminator]

Convert your tank into one that holds archer fish, and the ant will live to regret coming down for a drink....that is if that are able to stay alive

Haha, you ever seen a fully grown Archer Fish (Toxotes Kaculatrix) OMG - for such a fish they get pretty darn big haha. Easily saw one 6-7 inches long at a shop the other day. They say 10" isnt uncommon either =D WOW. Truely funky fish. Although they have a bad habbit of jumping for food - which inevtiably means they end up on the floor occasionally if uncovered.

[Joseph*]

Haha, you ever seen a fully grown Archer Fish (Toxotes Kaculatrix) OMG - for such a fish they get pretty darn big haha. Easily saw one 6-7 inches long at a shop the other day. They say 10" isnt uncommon either =D WOW. Truely funky fish. Although they have a bad habbit of jumping for food - which inevtiably means they end up on the floor occasionally if uncovered.

ooohh... nasty.