How do I get rid of fleas in my aquarium? 

Owning an aquarium is a great experience providing an aesthetically pleasing nature to your home. But it demands your care and attention for you have to provide proper maintenance if you want it to thrive. It is a haven for your fish, plants, and invertebrates, but sometimes it can be home to some unwanted inhabitants.

Out of many, fleas come as one of them which might be a trouble sometimes. The presence of water fleas is a common occurrence in an aquarium and you will face it more than once in your journey of owning an aquarium. 

If your tank is infested by fleas, then this article is the answer for you. In this article, we present you a guide to get rid of the pesky little fleas from your aquarium. So stick around to make your aquarium flea-free.

What do water fleas look like? 

Water Fleas do not have a appealing appearance and not amusing at all. Water Fleas also known as Daphnia can grow to a size of about 5mm long and are accompanied by an antennae. They have one eye and have a transparent body. Therefore you can see all of their inner body parts. Also they have four to six pairs of limbs. 

How do I get rid of fleas in my aquarium? 

If you experience a burst of water flea population in your aquarium, then you don’t have to trouble yourself too much. There are several ways by which you can get rid of fleas in your aquarium and all of them are easy and effective. Let’s see what they are: 

Let your fish do the work 

The easiest way to get rid of fleas is to get rid of them by allowing your fish to eat them. As fleas serve as food for most fish species and therefore they are reduced in their population or even wiped out. What you have to do is feed them a bit less so your fish can pay attention to the fleas for munching on. 

Add Blanched Zucchini to your aquarium 

Next to letting your fish eat them, the easiest is to use a blanched zucchini. As fleas love to feed on blanched zucchini, you can add a blanched zucchini to your tank and leave it there for hours. As you leave it there, the fleas will get attached to the zucchini and when you remove the zucchini from your aquarium, you remove the fleas with it. 

Clean or change your filters 

Sometimes, fleas can find shelter within the filters of your aquarium. These water fleas can reproduce in the filters and checking and cleaning your filters can help with removing fleas in your aquarium. 

Raise Nitrate and Ammonia level 

If the population of water fleas becomes uncontrollable and too much, then you have to bring out the big guns. You can increase the ammonia and nitrate levels of your tank to the point where it becomes toxic for them.

But as you know ammonia is toxic to fish as well, you need to remove the fish and move them to another tank if you wish to do this method. Increasing ammonia and nitrate levels is effective and they can get rid of fleas completely. Then all you have to do is bring the levels to the optimum levels and add your fishes back to the aquarium. 

Use Biological cleaners 

You can go to your nearest aquarium store and get yourself a Biological cleaner. Biological cleaners are effective against fleas and can wipe them away. You only need to use them in proper quantities as advised in the packets or bottles. Just add them to your aquarium and watch the fleas wither away.  

Are water fleas bad for my aquarium? 

Water Fleas sound hazardous and invasive for your aquarium, but are their presence really bad for your aquarium? Well, they might seem to be troublemakers, but they are not harmful to your inhabitants and hence water fleas are not bad for your aquarium. Water Fleas do not pose a threat to your aquarium and they can even serve as food for some fish species. 

But they begin to become troublesome if you ignore their presence and do not keep it under control. They can easily and quickly overpopulate if the living conditions become comfortable for them and might fill your aquarium in no time. 

However, if the population in your tank is controlled, it can prove to be beneficial for your tank. As these water fleas or Daphnia feed bacteria, algae, fungi, and organic matter, they can keep your tank clean. For they get their nutrition through them, they can get rid of these in your aquarium and keep it clean. 

Therefore, water fleas are not bad for your aquarium. But this is until you take measures to control their population.

Where do water fleas come from in aquarium? 

Water Fleas find their way into your aquarium through various ways. Mostly, they are attached to plants, fishes, rocks, and many more things that you can add to your aquarium. Therefore, once you add a flea-infected fish or plant to your aquarium, they can live in your aquarium and reproduce. You cannot even know if fleas are present as they can be overlooked because of their tiny size.

Conclusion 

Maintaining the enchanting world of an aquarium requires vigilance, dedication, and a deep understanding of the delicate balance that exists within its aquatic realm. As you’ve delved into the strategies for getting rid of fleas in your aquarium, you’ve embarked on a journey toward preserving the harmony and health of this underwater paradise.

Remember, the approach you choose should be tailored to the unique characteristics of your aquarium and its inhabitants. Whether you opt for natural remedies, manual removal, or introducing compatible predators, the key lies in striking the right balance.