I noticed that there are white thread like creatures on the sides of my aquarium. My area was under a boil advisory when I did my water exchange a few days ago. I also added a store bought lilly bulb (as in a plant bulb...) two days ago.
Is there a way to get rid of them? I have no fish to worry about at this present time, just the plant bulb.
Could they have come from my water? I mean, I was under a boil advisory...
2007-03-27 06:36:39 · 4 answers · asked by roadkilltoad 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
What you are seeing is most likely learve from a small winged insect, like a gnat. With no fish in the tank if it is a parasite it will die off within a short time. While it's entirely possible it came from your water, it's more likely they came in with the plant, probably as eggs laid by a parent fly or midge.
If this is the case they will die / hatch within a few days so watch the house carefully for an attack of small flying bugs.
It's also possible you have planeria, though those look more worm-like than thread like to most people.
If you are really wanting to treat the tank and be sure you kill all of whatever they are, I would suggest you first remove the plant and wash it well with clear clean water. Then place it in a seperate container while you treat the tank. Many parasite medications use copper as an active ingredient which is hard on many plants. Also remove the carbon from your filter before treatment. Then just treat the tank with a commonly available parasite medication like Clout for a few days, this should resolve the problem. Be sure to do several very generous water changes after the treatment to remove medication residue. Also replace the carbon (using fresh at least 24 hours before returning your plants tot he tank.
MM
2007-03-27 06:43:02 · answer #1 · answered by magicman116 7 · 8⤊ 3⤋
They are most likely planeria, which is a type of flatworm. They are NOT caused by the water, they are caused by feeding too much usually. They are harmless to the fish, and some fish may actually eat them. They are harmless to you as well, so don't worry about getting one on you or anything. They're kind of gross to look at, but like I said, they're completely harmless. Try to feed a little less for a while and see if they go away. Also, if you have a gravel vacuum, vacuum your gravel. This will get out any bits of food that are lodged between the gravel and hopefully help you vacuum up some of them.
They are not a parasite, and putting marine salt in a freshwater aquarium is not a good idea. Marine salt isn't just salt, it contains many minerals and things to mimic the saltwater environment for saltwater fish. Aquarium salt is sold which is good for some fish, but without knowing what kinds of fish you have, I wouldn't recommend it as it can be harmful to some fish. Like I said, these are NOT a parasite. I've seen these before, and adding salt didn't seem to do a thing. Using a gravel vacuum and not feeding so much did help though.
At this point, it is not necessary to go out and buy any chemicals or water treatments. Since this isn't a parasite, adding chemicals would not be a good course of action. Any time you add chemicals to a tank, it should be done with caution and only when necessary. Many medications can kill the healthy bacteria in your tank, causing it go through a "mini cycle" which isn't good for your fish.
To make you feel a little better, this is a relatively common problem in fish tanks. Many people just don't look closely enough to notice them, or there aren't enough of them to be a problem. Be very careful about overfeeding though. This is the first sign that you are, and be thankful it's a harmless warning. Ammonia levels will skyrocket with excess food and nutrients, and that is something that will harm your fish. Good luck :)
2007-03-27 13:41:41 · answer #2 · answered by TD311 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I don't know where you got them, but your local pet store (and if all else fails, a vet) will have tablets you can dissolve in the water to kill the parasites. One of them is called Flubenazole, but you'll want to check with the rep at the pet store or with the vet to be sure that's exactly what you want.
2007-03-27 13:50:36 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
try putting a little sea salt (NOT table salt or iodized salt) into your tank. salt seems to help my fish when they're sick with parasites.
hope that helps
2007-03-27 13:41:06 · answer #4 · answered by sirch 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋