[APD] re: OK maybe there are aphids

[nickplummer at att_net]

> OK, maybe they are aphids . . .  but what can I do about them? 
> aphids, mites what ever, they eat my floaters
> Any help?  . . .


It is important to know which they are.  Small green insects or tiny arachnids that can only be seen clearly with a 30X magnifier?  You may wish to check out some horticultural books or websites that describe pests.   Aphids probably won't be affected by the high humidity that would be deleterious to mites.   Many insecticides will not affect mites.  Some insecticides can make mites worse, because they kill natural predators of the mites.  Both should be killed by prolonged submersion of the plants.

If it were my tank, I would remove _all_ floating plants.  Keep the tank free of floating plants for a month or two, and then reintroduce carefully quarantined plants that you are sure are free of pests.

If you do have aphids, not mites, an alternative might be to use Enstar.  Enstar is an insect growth regulator, and AFAIK, it doesn't do squat for mites.  According to this chemical profile, it is nontoxic to fish:  
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/insect-mite/fenitrothion-methylpara/kinoprene/insect-prof-kinoprene.html

or

http://tinyurl.com/2v79c

Caveats:  I have never tried Enstar in an aquarium, so use at your own risk.  Enstar is expensive.

Hope this helps.

Nick
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