What the heck is in my tank?

[KribensisLover1]

Hello

This is a new tank with only 5 small peppered Cories. I have SO MANY snails and eggs. I just got a ton off the front inside acrylic 20 minutes ago and already the eggs are back and all over the back too. I already asked on here what to do and it’s hard with acrylic bc it so easily scratches. I’m loosening the eggs with my finger and then dragging them up the acrylic to the top and trying to get out with a soft cloth.

See pic that shows all the eggs.

BUT HELP! What are THE WHITE THIN HAIR LIKE THINGS SWIMMING? I’m TERRIFIED and my hands were just in the tank. I CANNOT get a pic but I saw a tiny white hair size thing that looked like a piece of hair swimming. Like maybe 1/2” but SO thin. What do I do? Stop feeing daily? I do three small toothpicks dipped into a bug bites spirulina bottle for the 5 small peppered cories every day. And I’ll do blood worms once a week and some tiny algae wafers once a week.
Should I feed every other day there are so many snails? I think they’re detritus worms.

I need these snail eggs OUT they have gotten to be soooo many tbats all you see and the worms are bugging me out. Now I don’t want to removve the snail eggs by hand bc the worms! Also are the eggs on the substrate snails or the worms??!

 

[TClare]

I really can’t see properly in the photos but are you sure they are snail eggs not Corydoras eggs?

What kind of snails do you have?

 

[CWL7211]

If you want all the snails out I heard if you put something like lettuce or cucumber in the tank the snails will swarm it and you can just take them out with the veggie and do what you want with them. I’m not too sure though
Maybe you can get the snail eggs with turkey baster or something?
And detritus worms are harmless, but if there’s a whole bunch it’s definitely a problem. They just eat decaying matter and left over food, not something to worry about! If it’s a bunch of them you might be over feeding but it’s okay if it’s a small population I do believe

 

[ruud]

I forgot the possible names of this worm, but tiny, very thin worms swimming frantically in the water is a very common sight in healthy tanks, unless....there are plenty of fish around.

Healthy tanks have a rich microfauna up to tiny worms and crustaceans (copepods, daphnia, etc). If you don't have these, you either have a dead, unhealthy tank or you have fish.

 

[Dechi]

Wear gloves to work on the tank.

 

[KribensisLover1]

Wear gloves to work on the tank.

Wear gloves to work on the tank.

Ugh I ALWAYS did and do except for when I do the snail eggs bc they are so hard to remove and it’s acrylic so even gloves scratch it. But also the gloves won’t scrape them off. They’re stuck so tightly!!

I forgot the possible names of this worm, but tiny, very thin worms swimming frantically in the water is a very common sight in healthy tanks, unless....there are plenty of fish around.

Healthy tanks have a rich microfauna up to tiny worms and crustaceans (copepods, daphnia, etc). If you don't have these, you either have a dead, unhealthy tank or you have fish.

Ohhhh yes oo that is great news. But YUCK. YUCK.

If you want all the snails out I heard if you put something like lettuce or cucumber in the tank the snails will swarm it and you can just take them out with the veggie and do what you want with them. I’m not too sure though
Maybe you can get the snail eggs with turkey baster or something?
And detritus worms are harmless, but if there’s a whole bunch it’s definitely a problem. They just eat decaying matter and left over food, not something to worry about! If it’s a bunch of them you might be over feeding but it’s okay if it’s a small population I do believe

ty!! I only saw one and then I looked for a long time and couldn’t see another. But maybe I should do two dips of food bc there is so much to sift though I imagine.

I really can’t see properly in the photos but are you sure they are snail eggs not Corydoras eggs?

What kind of snails do you have?

Wow I don’t know!! And they’re brown and spirals like circles you can barely see them actually. I had MTS before in a black rank and it was awful. That’s all you would see. This isn’t bad. The only part I hate is the snail eggs on the front glass.

The eggs on the tank floor look a little different but many of the eggs I remove from the front glass get knocked on the tank floor by accident so I figured they were on the tank floor bc of that. But I’ve never seen Cory eggs!! There are SO SO many that I figured it had to be snails. What should I do if they are Cories? To help them make it? These are the eggs and then the brown small snail on the leaf in the pic that also shows eggs os a smaller or younger version of the last picture.

 

[TClare]

Those do look like snail eggs now I can see them better. Corydoras eggs are sort of spherical and clear usually I think (if fertilized). You should be able to find pictures online

 

[KribensisLover1]

Those do look like snail eggs now I can see them better. Corydoras eggs are sort of spherical and clear usually I think (if fertilized). You should be able to find pictures online

Oh shoot I was pumped!!

 

[TClare]

Oh shoot I was pumped!!

Maybe one day!

 

[bgarthe]

Those thread thin wiggly white worms may very well be harmless detritus worms that live in the substrate coming out to swim occasionally that are harmless to fish. Pic or vid would help if possible.

 

[chromedome52]

You have two different kinds of snails, and a lot of the spots I see are not eggs but baby snails recently hatched.

The snail with a spiral shell is a ramshorn, and they can be quite prolific. The pointy snail is a pond snail, and they can also be prolific. You need a snail eater. Funny thing is, one of the most efficient is another type of snail, the Assassin Snail.

 

[KribensisLover1]

You have two different kinds of snails, and a lot of the spots I see are not eggs but baby snails recently hatched.

The snail with a spiral shell is a ramshorn, and they can be quite prolific. The pointy snail is a pond snail, and they can also be prolific. You need a snail eater. Funny thing is, one of the most efficient is another type of snail, the Assassin Snail.

I had one in that tank with my MTS and they did nothing. But I can try again. This situation is wayyyyy different bc you can’t see them (besides the eggs or rather newly hatched babies). Now will the assassin snails leave empty shells?

Those thread thin wiggly white worms may very well be harmless detritus worms that live in the substrate coming out to swim occasionally that are harmless to fish. Pic or vid would help if possible.

Yes I saw one and haven’t seen another since but I will do my best. I believe they are detritus worms.

Maybe one day!

I got them VERY VERY small and they’re only now starting to get to be not as tiny so they likely aren’t ready but I can’t even tell snail eggs from snail babies from Cory eggs lol.