Tiny white worms in my T’s water dish

Everchosen

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 24, 2019
Messages
12
Hi Guys

Two weeks ago I have noticed some tiny little maggots in my E. Murinus enclosure. I clean the water dish everyday but next they they are there again. I dont see anything in the substrate to be fair. My other T’s are fine. Can someome tell me what it might be? I read that it might be some fruit flies larves, since they like humid and warm places which is perfect description of many enclosures. Is there any way how to get rid of them? Attaching a picture as well. Thank you for your help
 

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Liquifin

Laxow Legacy LLC
Arachnosupporter
Joined
May 30, 2017
Messages
2,158
Springtails, so nothing to worry about. They are beneficial to an enclosure as the cleaner crew.
 

Nightstalker47

Arachnoking
Joined
Jul 2, 2016
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2,611
If you feed crickets, its possible that they are hatchlings...female crickets will lay eggs in moist sub if they aren't taken by the spider right away. Once they hatch, they all end up drowning in the water dish, seen this many times.
 

Everchosen

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 24, 2019
Messages
12
Thanks you guys for the replies, you helped me a lot. Yes I feed my T’s with mainyl crickets but never let them run around. They get ekther eaten right away or I will take them out of the enclosure.
 

The Grym Reaper

Arachnoreaper
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Jul 19, 2016
Messages
4,830
They're springtails, back when I had a H. laoticus I found them in her water dish so I started a colony of them (just fill a tub with moist substrate, sprinkle a little fish food or oatmeal on the substrate and then add the springtails) so that I could add them to any tarantula enclosures that would support them (which is basically any that aren't the very definition of "bone dry") because they feed on decaying organic matter which means they are basically free clean up crew.

Springtails.JPG
 

MikeyD

Arachnosquire
Joined
Feb 3, 2017
Messages
136
Quite a few springtail species raft together like that when they breed in standing water. If you have a healthy population of them in an enclosure you’ll see this often.
 

The Grym Reaper

Arachnoreaper
Joined
Jul 19, 2016
Messages
4,830
You must have eagle eyes, I cant discern what those are for certain from that distance in the OP's photo.
I'm actually short-sighted and wear glasses :rofl:

Springtails tend to cluster on the surface of the water in the centre of water dishes (like in the OP's pic and the pic below), anything else (poop/soil nematodes/etc.) tends to sink to the bottom.

 
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