Random "bugs" in my tank... and a little help needed.

I won't lie. I've had scorpions for at least 5 years now. The first 2 regular Emperors died within a few months. They came from pet stores. Now I have a Red Claw Emperor and I've had him for about 3 years. I got him from a local kid that breeds scorpions, tarantulas, and random reptiles. I got him when he was about a year and a half old.

I either use reptile bark or EcoEarth (those blocks you throw in a bucket and wait to expand) for substrate. I don't use real plants, just a fake one to look at. He has a shallow dish for a pool, a water dish, and a cave to hide in.

The past 2 weeks, I have noticed little gnat looking things flying around the tank. I also saw a couple small, black things run across the top of his cave. And... I also saw small, white things floating in his pool. I have never seen this before and this is the first time I've encountered a problem. I cleaned out his tank using a 5:1 bleach solution last Tuesday the 21st. The next day I went on vacation for a week. I had already fed him 4 crickets 2 days prior.

I came home from vacation and it looks like someone in my house fed him again. Appreciated... but I don't know how much, when, etc. I now see the little gnat things again, but nothing else. My scorpion doesn't have anything I notice on him... no white/red spots to signify some sort of mite. But I could be wrong.

What can I do to solve this problem? I'm at wit's end, really.

Here are some pictures. These are from about 3 years ago when I got him. His tank is much more saturated now, don't worry.

Flies, during summertime can be a nuisance. We have some in our tanks and the majority of them are harmless. You can try putting fine mesh over any air vent if you want to keep them out.

The white bugs in the water dish are most likely to be cleaner mites. In small numbers they help to clean the enclosure but can be an irritant to the scorpion in large numbers. But as long as you make sure that husks and left over cricket are taken out they aren't a problem.

First off, don't use the bark chips. They're pretty much worthless as a substrate.

The floaty things sound like springtails. They're harmless and eat detritus.

The flies may be fungus gnats breeding in your soil (or in houseplants elsewhere in your home). They may arise if you're keeping the substrate too wet (not a definitive answer, just a possibility).

Not sure on the "black thing." Any more description you can offer, or a photo?

The gist of all of this is, when you keep invertebrates, other inverts will take up residence with it. The vast majority of them are nothing to worry or panic about.

Thanks both of you. I was just wondering WHY they appear suddenly when they were never there before... and if they were harmful at all. My scorpion seems unaffected seeing as how he is either sitting in the sunlight or in his cave. Perhaps its the humidity build-up in my house? Or the fact that the tank is pretty warm compared to the fact that my bedroom has the AC on?

To Mordax:
I don't really use bark chips anymore. I just have a bag that I will use in case I run out of that Eco-Earth or peat moss.

As far as keeping the substrate wet... how wet is too wet? Should I just let the moss go in naturally and spray it down? Or should I keep a bit of water on the bottom of the tank? I have heard several opinions and if these gnats are due to over-saturation, I'd really like to avoid it.

I never really measure humidity -- I go by a very simple method. If the substrate looks dark where I see it in cross-section against the tank, then it's fine. If it looks light-colored and dry, I dump some water in.

As to why stuff suddenly appears, sometimes eggs of various critters can go a long time before the ideal conditions for hatching come along (brought in by substrate, tank decor, prey, etc.). Other times one might happen across a suitable habitat, lay some eggs, and continue on its way.

Those gnats could also be phorid flies which pop up whenever pieces of dead prey are left behind. Just make sure you clean up after your scorp when you feed him. :p