Lists For Freshwater Insects/bugs Found In Tanks

[Orbit887]

Well in the last 24hrs in my planted 10g tank I've lost 3 out of the 4 ottos. No sign of any problems, all water stats are fine, no gasping at the surface, no red gills. Tonight I'd been watching the tank, the last 2 ottos seemed all fine, half an hour later one was on the floor of the tank, nearly motionless and hardly breathing, with the amano shrimp getting cloer to it to start snacking.

I can't work out what's wrong with them, but about 2 weeks ago I did spot a couple of bugs/insects in the tank. One was extremely thin, and about 1cm long, looked just like a small thread, but moved by compressing the middle of the body, bending round and then releasing to propel it's self along. The other type of insect was round, slightly oval shaped, black, bout 3-5mm in diameter, looked if anything a bit like a common tick u find in forests.

10gal fw tank,
quite heavily planted,
occupants: 1 x otto + 1 x amano shrimp
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrite: 15
ph: 8 (tap water is 8.2)


Has anyone got any links to any databases of freshwater insects/bugs in the aquarium? I've tried to google for it, but have had very limited success. Just now know a lot of insects they're not!

Thanks

 

[Don Trinko]

Sorry , I can't answer your question but..... I used to get strange insects when I fed live tubiflex. For that reason I am reluctant to feed any live foods. Don T.

 

[Orbit887]

Haven't fed anything live into this tank at all. All that's gone in are flakes and waffers, and not many of either of those.

I'm guessing they must've come in with the plants.

 

[Orbit887]

Sorry to bump this, but someone must have some links to freshwater insects/bugs out there please!

 

[archamfr]

try the fish emergencies forum.. u should get a better response there

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

How long have you had the oto's and is there a fresh supply of algae in the tank (if not, do you feed them anything?)?
The worm like critter could have been a leach...
Do your oto's look nice and plump like the one in this pic;

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/image.php?image_id=1505

Or skinnier?

 

[three-fingers]

Try here.

Though the otos are probably just dyeing because they can be very sensitive in the first month or two.

They are apparently sometimes collected in rivers using poison to weaken them, and after that will have been put through tonnes of stress shipping, and received no food until they reached your tank (though did you actually see them eating the algae wafers?).

It doesn't help that you have such a high pH for a fish that come from soft acidic water, and while by no means that doesn't mean you shouldent be able to keep them, It's not going to be very easy for a fish that is so sensitive in the beginning.

Btw, when you said nitrite I'm assuming you mean nitrate, otherwise that's your problem .

 

[Orbit887]

Thanks you the replies!

How long have you had the oto's and is there a fresh supply of algae in the tank (if not, do you feed them anything?)?
The worm like critter could have been a leach...
Do your oto's look nice and plump like the one in this pic;

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/image.php?image_id=1505

Or skinnier?

I've had the otos for about 5-6 weeks now, so was hoping that they'd be climatised to the water conditions.

They'd been happily eating on the algae in the tank, and I'd also dropped in an algae waffer at least once a week, but the shrimpwas the only thing I ever saw eating on that. I'd say that the oto in that picture is slightly plumper than some of the otos I had, but a couple of the otos I had were plumper than the others, I'd just assumed this was a male/female split of the group.

Try here.

Though the otos are probably just dyeing because they can be very sensitive in the first month or two.

They are apparently sometimes collected in rivers using poison to weaken them, and after that will have been put through tonnes of stress shipping, and received no food until they reached your tank (though did you actually see them eating the algae wafers?).

It doesn't help that you have such a high pH for a fish that come from soft acidic water, and while by no means that doesn't mean you shouldent be able to keep them, It's not going to be very easy for a fish that is so sensitive in the beginning.

Btw, when you said nitrite I'm assuming you mean nitrate, otherwise that's your problem .

It's quite possible that the high ph might've been a factor. I'd hoped that since they'd come from a lfs with similar conditions, and had been in there for a few months, that they might have been more tollerant of the higher ph.

I'd just thought it was very strange that they seemed to be totally fine one minute, with no signs of distress, then suddenly died!

I'm in the office at the moment, so i'll have an in depth look at those links when I get home, hopefully will be able to determine if the little uninvited creatures in the tank are to blame!

And yes three-fingers, I did mean nitrate not nitrite

 

[Benauld]

One was extremely thin, and about 1cm long, looked just like a small thread, but moved by compressing the middle of the body, bending round and then releasing to propel it's self along.

I can't be certain but from the description of that movement, it brings to mind a leech.

They can be tiny:

http/www.pbase.com/plbh/image/57896825

And move like this:

http/www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/leeches.htm