What to do ageinst plant lice in a fish tank?

J

Janneline

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 13, 2015
16
0
1
Germany
For one or two years now there live plant lice in my tanks on the water surface respeclively on the plants above the surface.
And I don't know how to get rid of them!
First I hoped, some fish will eat them, but they don't.
Then I trimmed all the plants to beneath the surface, so the lice would loose hold. But somewow they survived, and to my annoyance some lice saved themselves into other nearby tanks!
They are producing a kind of "grease" on the water surface and I really hate this little monsters.

Does anybody have an idee how to get rid of this lice?
 
Yuki Rihwa

Yuki Rihwa

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Jan 22, 2015
2,596
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Asia
The other option is get an Eheim Surface Skimmer then your tank surface will be crystal clear.
 
P

predatorkeeper87

Potamotrygon
MFK Member
Sep 8, 2014
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I'm just spitballin' here but I would have to guess any med or treatment that is designed for external parasites would probably have a decent effect on the lice too. I'd try bringing you salinity up to like 3ppm or so. If that doesn't work use something like ParaGuard.
 
P

Pomatomus

Piranha
MFK Member
Jul 7, 2009
1,691
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Sarasota, FL
predatorkeeper87 said:
I'm just spitballin' here but I would have to guess any med or treatment that is designed for external parasites would probably have a decent effect on the lice too. I'd try bringing you salinity up to like 3ppm or so. If that doesn't work use something like ParaGuard.
Click to expand...
+1. Wow that took the words right out of my mouth! The other possibility that comes to mind would be a potassium permanganate dip. Or perhaps a different dip.

But what are these? By plant lice do you mean aphids? They seem to live on the plant where it emerges from the surface. Could you sink your plants below the surface and drown/starve them out? Are they on potted plants in the house? If so, you may have to get more creative with your solution.
 
J

Janneline

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 13, 2015
16
0
1
Germany
Thank you all fot your answers.

Yuki Rihwa said:
The other option is get an Eheim Surface Skimmer then your tank surface will be crystal clear.
Click to expand...
I guess, it would not work, because the animals do not swim on the surface, they stick in the emers parts of the plants.

predatorkeeper87 said:
I'm just spitballin' here but I would have to guess any med or treatment that is designed for external parasites would probably have a decent effect on the lice too. I'd try bringing you salinity up to like 3ppm or so. If that doesn't work use something like ParaGuard.
Click to expand...
I do not dare to try a treatment for external parasites. The treatment I use for outdoor-plants contains "thiacloprid", which ist claimed to be very malicious for water organisms (according to the producer-data).
With salt I tried it already, it did not work.
 
P

predatorkeeper87

Potamotrygon
MFK Member
Sep 8, 2014
4,293
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pennsylvania
Janneline said:
Thank you all fot your answers.


I guess, it would not work, because the animals do not swim on the surface, they stick in the emers parts of the plants.


I do not dare to try a treatment for external parasites. The treatment I use for outdoor-plants contains "thiacloprid", which ist claimed to be very malicious for water organisms (according to the producer-data).
With salt I tried it already, it did not work.
Click to expand...
....right so use ParaGuard which is designed for aquarium use. I'd bet money that'd kill them, or at the very least slow them way down. Don't ever use an insecticide in your aquarium...that would be insane.
When I say external parasites I mean external parasites on FISH, not outside. Examples being ich or anchor worm. Malachite green (ingredient in paraguard) is deadly to this organisms and I bet it would have some effect on those insects.
Also with the salt you have to use enough to raise your salinity to a noxious level for parasites.
 
J

Janneline

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 13, 2015
16
0
1
Germany
Oh, sorry, I misunderstood you completely ;) !

Okay, I could try some medicine against external parasites. Unfortunally, ParaGuard is not available in Germany. It contains aldehyde as I can see. It seems there is no similar medicine on the german market.
Some time ago I treatet the tank with "Panacur" (containing Fenbendazol), a treatment against worms for dogs, I used it successfully against planarians.
But the lice did not care about it.
With salt the tank got 3 grams/liter for almost a week. It did not work either.

I might just try a medicine against ich, containing malachite green, and I will report in a few days!
 
mark.

mark.

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 17, 2006
58
0
6
n/a
what kind of fish do you have,there must be some that will eat them
 
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