Eeeeeek Leech In My Tank

[star4]

I was doing a big gravel vac in my tank tonight and I moved all the decor to vac underneath and when I moved a rock there was a leech under it!! I have no idea how it got there, it was about 1" long streched out. I tried to squish it with the rock I was holding but it escaped. I took every bit of decor out of the tank but couldnt find the little beast anywhere. I vacced all the gravel but it didnt surface again (there is only gravel in 1/2 of the tank, the other half is bare). Will it harm the fish? and how to I catch the blighter?

 

[AdamM]

stick your hand in the tank and see if it leeches you?

 

[erk628]

What kind of fish do you have in there?

 

[Truck]

Leeches are fine, I had one in my tank and I just disposed of it.

 

[star4]

I have angels and gourami in the tank, I searched for a couple of hours for the thing without luck. Been looking again this morning and still cant find it.

 

[chesterscot]

if your worried i used malachite green to get the leeches out my pond
scot

 

[Truck]

I have angels and gourami in the tank, I searched for a couple of hours for the thing without luck. Been looking again this morning and still cant find it.

It will be on the glass somewhere in a corner, once you find it just drop it in a small container and put some copper or formaldehyde in there, if you can't do that then just throw it in a cup with ice cubes.

 

[star4]

Thanks will keep my eyes peeled for it, trouble is finding a 1" creepy crawley in a 300l tank is a bit of a struggle! I think I will take out all the decor again tonight once the kids are out of the way and wait for it to show up.

 

[Truck]

I wouldn't bother stripping the tank, it isn't really of threat to your fish, stick some meat in there like a small bit of bacon and then see if it goes for it.

 

[Jenste]

good luck! my skin is crawling at the very idea of a leech in my tank!

 

[star4]

Thanks truck I didnt think of that will give that a go, if the fish dont eat it first lol.

 

[MrPandaram]

maybe your fish eat it already..

thats why you cant find it..

 

[mmanist]

ewww, thats gross. I would just scoop it in a cup and put it in the freezer. Good luck finding it. I hate leeches.....

 

[didz04]

I never knew leeches ever lived in tropical waters lol.
Do you think you could of got the leech from the fish shop, maybe by buying a plant or fish and it came with it because never heard them stocked in a fish store.
Never seen one in my life except on TV lol Are you from UK?

 

[star4]

Tried a bit of chopped ham and pork tied to some cotton in the hope to pull it up when the blilghter latched on but it didnt show, the pictus thought it was their birthday! as did the angels, but no sign of my unwanted visitor? I cant figure out where it has come from as I have put no new plants etc in for months. I know uk pond leechers are a brown colour but this was pale grey? I have noticed though a few empty mts shells in the tank I dont know if it is feeding on them.