Water fleas??????

[drboeing]

My wife just noticed what looks like very small insects on the top of the water of my aquarium. They are very very small and seem to jump on the water. Any ideas as to what they are and how to get rid of them

[JD]

Water spiders?

[drboeing]

I do not know, they are so small I could barely see them. You have to look real close to see them

[Fishnut]

perhaps some kind of mite?

If you increase the surface agitation, they'll go away.  They're feeding off of that film that develops on the surface of water that isn't agitated.

[bergenm]

They are called springtails - quite common if you have surface plants.

[drboeing]

flea spotting wifey here...  We can increase the surface agitation, but do the critters bring any badness with them?

Weve had this tank running for at least 2 years now, with surface vegetation and the occasional log-ornament that insists on popping to the surface, Im suprised were only just seeing them now.  But am more concerned about harm to the fish, or harm to the fish keepers, probably a stretch, but if they jump onto us they'll just die, right?  Are they a cyclical thing?  How do they start?