How to Deal With Roaches in the Fish Tank

Have you ever seen roaches hanging out around the filter of your fish tank? It is common with people who have roaches or cockroaches in their homes. They are harmful not only for the people in the family but for the fish tank as well. Thankfully, these bugs can be controlled with the help of different techniques.

If you are also dealing with the same problem, you have reached the right place. Here we are with the information on how to deal with the roaches in the fish tank.

Find the source of roaches

To get rid of cockroaches, first of all, you need to find the source- the possible places from where they are entering. Although they can come from anywhere, keeping an eye on their specific entry points needs to be checked immediately. They could be present in an empty apartment by entering from the kitchen sink and other water drainage areas.

Rarely, they could also enter a house with the guests’ luggage. Since you can’t stop people coming to your home, you must know how to check them around the fish tank. And the good news is controlling roaches is an easy practice when followed with care.

Use bug bombs and baits

Bug bombs, also called insect foggers, are some of the easily available but temporary solutions to get rid of roaches. These bombs and baits consist of specific poison in a mild amount that could kill roaches in the house. However, you need to have precautionary measures while using them.

Firstly, there should be no kids in the house as foggers could irritate their respiratory tract. Secondly, you have to cover the fish tank with a plastic cover. If possible, keep your kids as well as the fish somewhere other than the house during the fogging session.

For an immediate result, you can use sprays as well. Spray all over the drainage, sink areas and around the fish tank. Make sure you don’t spray inside the tank as sprays have toxic chemicals that could harm the fish and alter the water quality.

Lastly, you can also use baits. They are effective not only for the roaches but all other bugs that are trying to enter your fish tank. Also called as insect trapper, baits trap the insects and kill them. It consists of food, visual lures like light, chemical attractants as well as pheromones. Put baits in places where you see the roaches crawling. The next thing you will see is roaches getting attracted to the bait and getting stuck inside. Empty the bait as soon as it gets filled.

Call the pest control team

Although baits are an easy and feasible way of getting rid of roaches, finding their source and eliminating from the root is essential.

Lastly, if the problem of roaches is increasing and getting out of control, call the pest control team before they could do any damage. Pest control teams come with all their gadgets and remove the roaches once and for all.

When roaches are inside the fish tank

You can take the above measures when you see roaches moving around your fish tank. But, what you should do when they enter inside the tank?

Fish tanks make a wonderful hiding place for roaches. Repulsive of light, they search for the places where they can filter out the direct exposure to the light. Filters, aquarium plants, and decorative items provide them an excellent place to veil. Corners of the tank are also one of their favorite hiding spots.

Although fish can eat roaches, it is not safe for them. So, if you see any of them inside the tank, first of all, make efforts to remove manually. Wear your gloves, put your hands inside, and remove them one by one. Collect in one bag and throw it out of the house.

As soon you are done removing all the roaches, clean the tank as you usually do. Change 5% of water and check the water parameters. Clean the interior and exterior of the glass at the same time.

How to prevent roaches from getting into the fish tank

Roaches love the moist spots. You could easily find them wandering in and around the kitchen, bathroom, etc. The easiest way they find to access a house is through pipelines. They can hide anywhere and bring a lot of harmful microorganisms with them.

Since roaches prefer moist places to hide, a fish tank becomes their most preferable place. Another reason why they could enter a fish tank is the presence of leftover food of fish. Sometimes the food also fell outside the tank, which attracts the roaches. The smell of the food draws them towards it, and they make their way straight to the aquarium.

So, what you can do is cleaning all the food that has dropped outside the tank or near it immediately. Later, you should also cover the tank with the lid or fish tank cover so that they do not crawl inside. Keep an eye on the tank regularly, especially the back of the filter, which is the most dwelling place of roaches. As soon as you witness any cockroach, make efforts to remove it.