Odd Discovery

[Catfish Jack]

I recently upgraded form a 10 gal tank to a 56 gal. All my fish were moved to the new tank. My older tank had a infestation of snails, coming from a plant i bought at walmart. I decided to let my betta move into this tank, so he will have more space. Today i removed the filter because some complications with my new tank, and now ive made more than a few odd discoveries.

As i was inspecting the tanks snail problem, i noticed what appears to be a small slug crawling around on the glass. im not sure where it came from, but its kinda neat. what also caught my eye were many small specs all over my glass and on the surface of the water. I thought it was dust, by to my amazement, they were all moving. Does anyone know what these two creatures could be? Could they be harmful to my fish?

Thank You.

 

[madgap]

Nope.... I have no idea. But by yur desription, I can honestly say, Ewwww. I don't think I'd be too fond of things moving that I didn't purposely introduce.

 

[Straydum]

i think i had the specs before but i cant be too sure its the same as what you're seeing now. any pictures?

 

[Catfish Jack]

im not really sure if my camera will be able to show these little things. they just look like white specs and they move around in quick little spurts.

i thought they might be water fleas, some type of shrimp, or maybe some type of plankton?

 

[CFC]

They are most likely planarian worms, usually the fish would eat them so you never see them but with no predators they are able to multiply until the food source runs out.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

If the slug thing is brown/grey in colour, its probably a harmless flatworm, if its worm-like and white it is probably planeria (also harmless).

I had some flatworms in one of my tanks a while back, they were thriving under a rock in the tank which was collecting dirt under it, at first i totally freaked out because i though they could be leaches, but after discussing it on the forum it turned out they were just harmless flatworms .

 

[Catfish Jack]

i havent seen much more of the worm. but these small things are everywhwere! every surface is covered by them, and i can even see them swimming through the water.

 

[Spooky76]

I wouldnt have thought they were anything to be too worried about. You could do a water change say 30% daily and see what happens. As said before, without fish they probably keep breeding.

 

[pandacichlid]

I had a snail in my tank when I was cycling it, and it's still there now it came from a plant a bought.

 

[afishdude]

i have these too, my betta fry eat them all the time. i had no idea what they are eather.