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unwanted creatures living in gravel

Discussion in 'Fish Diseases & Cures' started by BooDog, Feb 24, 2010.

  1. BooDog

    BooDog Thread Starter New Member

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    I have hundreds of extremely small, white bugs living in my 10g freshwater gravel tank, and I can't figure out what they are.

    I don't think it's ich or other parasites, because my fish are completely healthy right now with no discoloration, and their moods have not changed. I also checked my water, and it is normal.

    I've had them for a few weeks. My ghost shrimp would snack on them, keeping their population down, but these little bugs have now populated.

    Any ideas?

    10g tank
    3 guppys
    1 Pleco
    1 african dwarf frog
    4 ghost shrimp
     
    BooDog, Feb 24, 2010
    #1
  2. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    copepods (Unless they look like worms, then planaria )
     
    MOD_Dawn, Feb 24, 2010
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  3. WhiteGloveAquatics

    WhiteGloveAquatics New Member

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    some are small round shaped, means you are feeding too much, they wont infect the fish infact they are food to the fish. you can suck the gravel really well to rid alot but cutting back on feeding and letting the fish feed on them, they will be gone in no time.
     
    WhiteGloveAquatics, Feb 24, 2010
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  4. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    Planaria is usually the result of overfeeding as well. I used to have them in my Angel tank but it seems they have disappeared. I knew I overfed but that was to insure the cories got some food.
     
    Anthony, Feb 24, 2010
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  5. WhiteGloveAquatics

    WhiteGloveAquatics New Member

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    Its also with the average grade of flakes as well, since using kens foods I can overfeed and all I get is cloudy water, but I also have to overfeed to get the food down to the corydoras and "kuhli's"
     
    WhiteGloveAquatics, Feb 24, 2010
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  6. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    What about average grade flake food ?
     
    Anthony, Feb 24, 2010
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  7. WhiteGloveAquatics

    WhiteGloveAquatics New Member

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    the planeria is more prodominant, it is less refined then some premium foods.

    I feed my MTS tank junk flake and my other tanks with kens, I have planeria and pods in the MTS tank but not the others. From what I can see right now, the store bought flake shows these life forms where my special flakes do not
     
    WhiteGloveAquatics, Feb 24, 2010
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  8. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    Oh I've been using Wardley Advanced Tropical. Seems to be a nice food.
     
    Anthony, Feb 24, 2010
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  9. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    I feed like crazy and have never gotten either (copepods or planaria) in my tank.
    *knock on wood*

    @ Anthony...I use the wardley too (along with lots of other things)...but mainly wardleys for the endlers (downstairs 10g)
     
    MOD_Dawn, Feb 25, 2010
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  10. WhiteGloveAquatics

    WhiteGloveAquatics New Member

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    I used tetramin for that tank and thats the food that did that, I am on kens now and it gets cloudy but no bugs
     
    WhiteGloveAquatics, Feb 25, 2010
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