Omg Help, Weird Things In My Tank

[*Kristy*]

Okay i was doing a water change just a few minutes ago and i started seeing these white wiggly things so I sucked them up into my trashcan (haha thats what i use). So now that i finished taking out the water, i looked into my trashcan to see if they came to the top for air. AND THEY DID! they are white, about 1/2 inch long, 3 legs on each side towards the front of their body and their tails seem to spilt into two. they have big dark eyes. i have only guppies in my tank and an unknown sucker fish of some kind. they are sticking to the side of the trashcan with their legs near the top of the water line.

does anybody know what these things are? can they harm my fish? im sure i probably didnt get them all if there are babies in there...what should i do???

 

[WILDER]

Take a look at fish louse to see if it matches up.
http/www.2cah.com/pandora/Disease.html#Argulus

 

[*Kristy*]

no they only have six legs, 3 on each side
they are much longer as well...with a tail that splits in two

think shrimp like
long skiny
legs out to the side, could probably crawl on rocks, tail split into

 

[WILDER]

Have you been feeding any live foods.

 

[*Kristy*]

no only fish flakes

 

[WILDER]

Added any live plants or fish lately.
I would do a search on the parasite.

There many type of fish louse some have eight feather legs.

 

[*Kristy*]

a month ago 2 females were added and one plant...ill keep looking

thanks

 

[WILDER]

No12 on the list as you will need a crustaceon med by the sounds of it.
http/www.aquatics-online.co.uk/listsecti...tp=100&rets=239

Argulus is a crustacean or branchiurian aprasite most commonly encountered in ponds, but they are also found in aquaria. They are easily detected when they strike. They are greenish disc shaped organisms with suckers and small legs. They even have a pair of eye spots on the anterior end. They spend their time darting around in the water away from, and also directly on the fish. They lay their eggs in tubular structures on the glass and ornaments.

 

[*Kristy*]

okay im looking at a ton of pictures, these things i have look nothing like these louse things. i wonder if i can get a picture...ill try

 

[Bloo]

Yep I agree - we need photos before you put any medication or treatment in your tank.

 

[*Kristy*]

okay here are the pictures

in this last pic u can see their tail splits, but i noticed it splits in 3, not 2

 

[*Kristy*]

okay they do look like them, but these things have tails and dragonfly nymphs do not have tails, or so i just read anyways
but now i found a pic that does have a tail...goodness...where the heck did i get these things from???

 

[Bloo]

Nope, I'm pretty sure that's a Damselfly Nymph (similar, but not the same).

 

[*Kristy*]

Nope, that's a Damselfly Nymph

yea thats it!!! now what???

 

[Bloo]

yea thats it!!! now what???

Just remove them I've had a couple in my tank before once too - haven't seen them since.