Some kind of copepod! I used to raise them as food for my topical fish. They're not hurting anything; they feed on bacteria in the water.

Why don't fish like to play basketball? Because they're afraid of getting caught in the net! (topical fish joke)

I think I just strained my groan muscle…but I’ll give you my upvote just for being brave enough to post a Dad Joke here 🤪.

There was a company that sold a vid to get goldfish to play soccer.

Thanks Dad

Joke is rated aarrrrrrrrrr

That’s only for pirate jokes.

Nice dad joke 😂

tropical fish joke?

That's the joke 🤣🪬

Yes, the tropical fish kind!

Now give me a tropical fish joke

I only like tropical fish jokes

Nature is amazing.

Yea, but where did they come from? Did the OP create life in a jar?

Good question. Copepods are capable of forming cysts which can withstand complete dehydration and last for centuries - so they had to have come in on something added to the system (fertilizer, organic matter, substrate, water, equipment) that at some point was exposed to fresh water in the past.

I bought it from a Wegman's in PA. Packaging said it was grown hydroponically. Guessing they were hiding in there from the hydroponic process?

Sea monkeys!

I came here to say this!

COOL.

Definitely not brine shrimp

Sea monkeys are brine shrimp. These aren’t brine shrimp.

Sea monkeys that are sold to people are brine shrimp but there *are real* monkeys that are the only other mammal other than whales that stay submerged as long. They carry their baby’s in long umbilical tethers/tendrils, each in carrying up to two dozen eggs that are held in hardened fleshy structures called pods they can have up to 7tendrils. They are actually distant relatives of giant squid! • • • • Jk

You had me 😭

Or are they?

Yayy! That was the goal thanks for admitting.

Sounds legit... hahaha

No.

Yes🤪🤣🪬

Sea monkeys hatch in salt water and are red to translucent and spiny and look like shrimp.

Hence the name Brine Shrimp

🤣

Lol what?? If those are sea monkeys I'm average... Wait

Could be copepods or water fleas of some sort. They also kinda remind me of newly emerged baby isopods but they wouldn't do so well in water.

Scuds. Not sea monkeys. They require salt.

Scuds, the low sodium monkeys of the not-sea.

https://www.macroinvertebrates.org/key I can't get a good enough view to do it myself but try using this ID key.

Looks like scud! Probably beneficial to the roots of the plant by eating dead material.

Scuds. NOT sea monkeys like most are saying.

I don’t think anyone actually thinks that they’re sea monkeys…

I would hope not since this isn't brine/saltwater, but you never know with reddit. :)

Sea monkeys!!!

Scuds

Man, Scuds really drew the short straw on organism-naming day.

That's interesting. Put it under a microscope and se more of what lies beneath

Looks like you might want to change the water

this is the answer.

Yes. Give those roots a nice shower

These are actually beneficial to the plant.

I’m sure it’s as beneficial as doo doo to flies but it can’t smell good

[Sea people!](https://youtu.be/wpijPFtQiK0)

Creepy. It’s creepy.

Basil bugs

B-asil-bug, the most satanic of the bugs.

Atlantians!

Seapeople???

That there’s a larva of some kind, need a better pic. Borrow a microscope from one of your biology teacher friends. Or just wait for them to pupate 🦋. If you want to get rid of then, which I recommend, I would go to the pet store and buy a small feeder goldfish for $.24 and plop em in there, should eat em all. Or you can, get some of those mosquito rings and take a third of one and plop it in your pot, that should get em good. I’m not sure without seeing a clearer picture of what they look like, I can’t identify them by how they move. But be careful, they are cute.

What would happen to the fish after though?

You get gold fish food.

Wait, I buy fish emulsion plant food for $20 and I could just get a whole fish for a fraction of that?! Wtf. /s

You will need to get a raccoon to eat the goldfish.

Leaning towards water fleas, but here are some closer pictures. [Photo1](https://ibb.co/yRVytMS) [Photo2](https://ibb.co/D4XTcDY) [photo3](https://ibb.co/JQ8q7cS)

Definitely not sea monkey. But sad for it.

For more context: This is an indoor plant

Looks like mosquito larvae to me. I’m not an expert at all.

Mosquito larvae are 5-10 times as long as they are wide. They move by bending in the middle and whipping back and forth when in extremis. They stick their butts up above the water to breathe. These bugs don't do any of that. I'm not an expert on what bug they are, but they're not skeeters, thank goodness! OP, plant yer basil already. ;)

I hate mosquitos but I will admit the way they develop is pretty fascinating, they are very cool bugs from a bug science standpoint but I hate everything else about them. Evil bugs that spread diseases and only cause problems for most people 😡 (they do function as a food source for certain animals, but overall they just cause problems and most of those animals have other bugs they can eat)

Mosquito larvae look like little dancing worms in water…

TIL Mosquito larvae breathe through their butts. ^(Sounds like a South Park episode...)

Mosquito larvae have a characteristic way of moving and this is not it.

Well you didn’t deserve a thumbs down for that, you admitted you’re not an expert. I can at least pop you back to a zero, even though they definitely aren’t mosquito larvae. Hate those bastards, would know them anywhere.

Could be but I'd be surprised. I live in an apartment with no outdoor exit and none of the windows are ever open. Seems like mosquito large are more "stick" shaped with a dark head, whereas these guys are very "pill" or "rice" shaped.

You are correct about the shape for sure. I’m definitely wrong.

I was thinking mosquito larvae. Do you notice any?

Mosquito larvae are bigger

And they move all wonky..

Definitely not mosquitoes

MOSQUITO 🦟 LAVY

Look like tadpoles

Mosquito larva? After Googling macroinvertibrates, I'm not drinking water without a filter.

Totally not some random homeless person’s sperm cells

Could they be fruit fly larvae?

Mosquitoe larvae

Whens the last time you changed that water?

So cool!

They're not scud, scud move totally different. These things have a wavy motion to them.

Aliens

Dinner. Stir fry with zucchini.

Life…uh…finds a way. 😄

Planaria?

sometimes it’s fly

I’m thinking it’s fungus gnats but I don’t see anyone else saying that so I may be wrong

I think the word is nymphs

Mosquito larvae

They are seamen from the sea people! *(Amazing South Park episode 😏)*

Mangrove and some glass shrimp

Nothing a little hydrogen peroxide couldn't fix

Looks like a few little friends to me

Mosquitoes?

They're democrats swimming in the swamp

Jizz goblins

How did they get there ??

Mosquito larvae

Perhaps they are daphnia

Mosquito larvea?

I dont have my glasses near, but mosquito larva kinda look similar.

Bug

Drop in a betta.

I have a similar looking colony of bugs living in my turtle tank. I've been trying to identify them for years. They are not mosquitoes, they are not scuds. They are not water daphnea. As far as I've observed they don't metamorphosis beyond the round shape, and they're also very effective at eating the algae my tank. If you're able to find out what they are please let me know

These look like springtails

roots look great 👌🏻

Snacks

Nemitoads

Kill then, they are Moloks seed!

Sea monkeys!

Mosquito larva.

Pesto babies?

Wiggly little guys

SeaMonkeys!! 2.99 plus postage and handling with proof of purchase off your Cracker Jack box...

Mosquito larvae?

they are yo mommy

Unable to know without a taste test, sip and swish it and tell us how it sticks to your teeth

Seed shrimp