Leech

[doubledee]

Last night, I turned the lights on just to check the tank (no fish at present, still cycling) and spotted a 3cm light brown worm like creature scuttling across the front of the tank by the glass. I quickly netted it out. I chucked it in the bath and managed to take some poor pics and a video with my phone but they're not good enough to really distinguish what it was. It was stuck to the bath at one end and wouldn't budge when I poured water on it, so I presume it was a leech of some description as it also moved like one. I stood on it and then poured boiling water on it before running the tap and flushing it away.

I'm obviously concerned that there are more (do they lay eggs?) and that once the fish are in, they'll attach themselves and kill the fish. I did add a couple of varieties of plants (inc twisted vallis) the other day but rinsed them under the tap before planting. I also added a sponge filter from my brother to the external to quicken my cycle. Could it have been living on the sponge or is it more than likely it came in on the plants?

I hope there was only one of the blighters but I must have turned the lights on and off about 6 or 7 times since to see if I could repeat it.

Do you think this thing was a lone visitor or should I prepare to have a battle with a load of them?!

 

[smurfyy_2k3]

some of the pictures would help

 

[WILDER]

Should sterlise plants before you add them to a tank.
There anti crustaceon med by interpet for leeches, but it wipes the bacterial colony out in your tank.
But it dosn't take long to cycle afterwards as the ammonia and nitrite readings are that high.

http/www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Hirudinea/

 

[Teri]

I had something similar once, it was acually giving birth to live babies, not laying eggs, itook it out, and put it in a sandwich bag full of water, and it must have had about 5 or 6 babies before it died, took it into lfs, but they couldn't id it, said the fishes would probably just eat them anyway.
But yeuch, it was a horrible thing!!