Mosquitoes Breeding & Surface Oil

[kkllpp]

Mosquitoes Breeding
I was just wondering what are some of the ways to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in my 5 gallon when I am cycling it?
I was in the process of doing a fishless cycle and one day I saw mosquito larvae and I freaked and ended up getting guppies to help me get rid of the larvae which turned out to be a bad idea because the tank was not cycled at that point in time and they ultimately died. I had a small HOB filter running at maximum flow which agitated only a small portion of the surface of the water so I am assuming that there was still stagnant water for the mosquitoes to breed.
Any tips on how to prevent mosquitoes from breeding when there aren't any fish in the tank?

Surface Oil
Noticed that there was always oil on the surface of my tank probably due to the waste in the tank. Is this harmful to fish and do I need to constantly remove it? If so how?
Would it be better if I got a HOB filter with a surface skimmer?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Ichthys]

A close fitting lid will stop mosquitoes getting in.
Oil can be removed by laying a sheet of newspaper onto the surface and then lifting it off from the middle. You may need to repeat it a couple of times but the first sheet will get most of it.
If there’s oil on the surface you must be adding it, in some way...

 

[Slaphppy7]

Agree with the above, get a close fitting lid...is the tank outdoors?

Many times, that "oily" sheen you see on the surface of tank water is just biofilm, nothing to worry about.

 

[Ichthys]

I would worry about it a little, in that it will prevent gaseous exchange at the surface. A healthy well maintained tank shouldn’t have a surface film at all.

 

[kkllpp]

A close fitting lid will stop mosquitoes getting in.
Oil can be removed by laying a sheet of newspaper onto the surface and then lifting it off from the middle. You may need to repeat it a couple of times but the first sheet will get most of it.
If there’s oil on the surface you must be adding it, in some way...

Just wondering, would this lid need to be custom made? Because currently the lid I have is a piece of glass (came together with the tank) that rests on plastic brackets.
Also since there would need to be a gap to allow for the HOB filter to fit, wouldn't the mosquitoes still be able to get in?

 

[Slaphppy7]

Just wondering, would this lid need to be custom made? Because currently the lid I have is a piece of glass (came together with the tank) that rests on plastic brackets.
Also since there would need to be a gap to allow for the HOB filter to fit, wouldn't the mosquitoes still be able to get in?

Yes, they'll still be able to get in, but once your fish are in the tank, they'll appreciate munching on the larvae....won't affect your cycle, most importantly

 

[Ichthys]

Yeah it’s much easier said than done. After thinking about it, if a mozzy wants in you’d need it almost airtight to stop them.
So... why do you want to stop them? They’re great fish food... or you could even catch the larvae and transfer them to a tub outside...?

 

[kkllpp]

Yeah it’s much easier said than done. After thinking about it, if a mozzy wants in you’d need it almost airtight to stop them.
So... why do you want to stop them? They’re great fish food... or you could even catch the larvae and transfer them to a tub outside...?

Hmm the main issue is that I want to do a fishless cycle which I'm assuming can take up to 6 weeks. During this time frame there won't be any fish in the tank and the mosquitoes can breed multiple times. Catching the larvae could be a possibility but overall I would rather have a solution to prevent the breeding from even happening. Aedes mosquitoes, which can carry dengue fever, are rather prominent in my country so I wouldn't risk having them breed in my tank.

 

[Colin_T]

I would use a white fine mesh fish net and scoop out any mozzie larvae and freeze them in ice cube trays. Just make sure nobody uses them in their drinks. When you eventually get some fish, you can feed the frozen mozzie larvae to the fish.

The only other option is to put a mosquito net over the tank but make sure it doesn't come in contact with the water because it could cause water to wick out of the tank, and then the water level in the tank would drop and you get a puddle on the floor.

 

[kkllpp]

I would use a white fine mesh fish net and scoop out any mozzie larvae and freeze them in ice cube trays. Just make sure nobody uses them in their drinks. When you eventually get some fish, you can feed the frozen mozzie larvae to the fish.

The only other option is to put a mosquito net over the tank but make sure it doesn't come in contact with the water because it could cause water to wick out of the tank, and then the water level in the tank would drop and you get a puddle on the floor.

That's great advice! Thanks a lot!

 

[Slaphppy7]

I was going to suggest just covering the tank with a towel or whatever, you don't need light to cycle.