0morrokh

Mystery Critter #1: My 20 gal is infested with all these little tiny white things. They are much smaller than planaria, less than a mm in width/length and approximately circular, with I think a little tiny "tail". They're so tiny you can't even see them until your nose is about touching the glass. They sort of glide and hop around the upper layers of gravel and along the bottom fourth or so of the glass. Dorado (one of my Bettas) loved picking at these when he was in the 20 gal.

Mystery Critter #2: There's also these little worm-looking things that hide in the bottom of the gravel, although very occasionally if I disturb them while siphoning I will see one wriggling through the water. I only see them when I drop the catfish food in near the edge of the aquarium, and they come up to feed on the food. They are a sort of reddish brown color and maybe half an inch long.

I am just curious what these are.

Callum The Cat

0morrokh

No they're not snails...although I've got a ton of those too.

Jim

0morrokh, I may have the same thing. They're very small, less than a cm, and narrower than a pencil lead. I see them now and then but my angelfish eat them as fast as they see them. it doesn't seem like an infestation or anything, so i just leave them be. I always figured they lived in the gravel.

Butterfly

There are many types of planaria or planaria type critters. Usually food that is left in the substrate will cause them to have a population explosion. A good gravel vacuum and water change usually knocks them down to a reasonable population and yes most fish love them.
carol

0morrokh

After gravel vacuums I won't see them (the worms) for a while, but then as soon as I feed my Cories again they are back congregating around the food. Oh well, I don't mind them. Once I get some tetras or possibly Endlers in the tank I'm sure they'll have a feast on the little white things.

COBettaCouple

do you always feed the same food to the corys? what are you feeding them?

cichlid seeker

I had that stuff my cichlid then ate it all and he is fine.

0morrokh

The catfish get Omega One veggie rounds and shrimp pellets. I also occasionally throw in veggies for the Otos. Not much variety I know...I plan to get them some more foods after I get more Cories (so I don't have to throw out so much food...the freeze-dried stuff especially comes in such huge containers.)

COBettaCouple

There is a chance the critters could be coming from tiny eggs in the food, particularly the veggie rounds.. maybe try putting one in a container of tank water and see if any critters pop up.. it may not be exact tank conditions, but it sounds like you have some ongoing source of critters and food is a possible source.

0morrokh

That's an interesting theory. I think I will try that. Although, I'm more inclined to think they came in along with pond snail eggs on the shipment of plants I got like a year ago.

COBettaCouple

yea, live plants seem to bring along hitchhikers too often.

0morrokh

Yup, I learned that the hard way.

Well, yesterday I did an extra-good gravel vacuum with my water change. Both the "worms" and the "dots" (don't you love my scientific terms) are pretty much gone, as far as I can see. But I bet they'll be back in a day or two.

COBettaCouple

lol.. hey, that's scientific enough for me.. it makes more sense than the 'scientific' terms.

0morrokh

0morrokh

Well I have spotted yet another mystery critter! These ones are brownish circles, maybe not quite a mm in diameter, and they hop around on the surface of the water like little fleas or something. Anyone know what these are?

COBettaCouple

whoa - critter central there.. do you have a lot of them? they might be water fleas, but i'm not sure about these water bugs.

0morrokh

No kidding. Currently that tank has a couple plants, a few very fat and happy catfish, and a whole load of algae, snails, and random unidentified "bugs." Not sure why...it should be the cleanest tank I own and has perfect water quality...but whatever, I don't mind all the critters. I figure once I add more fish and plants they'll outcompete all the bugs and algae.

To answer your question, no I don't have a lot of the jumping things, I just saw 2 or 3...and yeah I thought of water fleas but I don't know what they look like or if they actually hop on the surface of the water...