What are these specks in my aquarium?

Question

I've had a 20 gallon, fresh water aquarium for over a year. A few weeks ago I brought in a new live plant for my fish. Last week I noticed these tiny black, or possibly white (they''re that small, i cant tell what color they are) specs swimming around the surface. I have a microscope so I tried to look at them closer but I couldn't get one. I googled it and decided it was daphnia. However, I changed the filter today and hours later I went back to look at the old filter and these tiny specks were crawling in it. Some were bigger and it looks as if they have antenna and are longer than they are round. What on earth are they? Are they harmful to my fish?

Update:

No, I've had snails (in a different tank) before. These things... they swim. They don't crawl on the glass and their swimming isn't a glide, its like a push, stop, push stop kind of motion.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

feed  a lot less and the fish might eat them. No food for a couple days at least and they'll disappear. 
a lot of bug like things will overpopulate overfed tanks. 
usually live critters in the tank are harmless and often beneficial

note: might be mosquito larvae.

seth · Answer

I think daphnia is something a fish use as a feeding e

luki · Answer

they are harmless and beneficial since they eat those leftover foods and breaking up those fish poo.
They could be daphnias, Copepods cyclops or seed shrimps.

Anonymous · Answer

Snails?

Anonymous · Answer

something bad. try to get rid of them

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What are these specks in my aquarium?

5 Answers