I have 5 tanks I know are infected, but would like to treat all 20+ for possible cross contamination. I will try to contact my vet tomorrow. We also have an aquatic vet here in Austin. I just like to ask fellow oddball fish keepers first. Thanks so much for all the replies. Sincerely, Halena
Leeches, please good people help!
- Thread starter Deanellenfins
- Start date
Sure they are leeches not detritus worms or
Planarian? Both are harmless.
If you truly have leeches adding a little marine salt gets rid of them, but before doing that can you post a picture
(Btw most leeches won't attack fish).
Planarian? Both are harmless.
If you truly have leeches adding a little marine salt gets rid of them, but before doing that can you post a picture
(Btw most leeches won't attack fish).
Update for everyone who was kind enough to offer advice and feel my pain
So after many sleepless nights and cringe worthy water changes I came to the conclusion to tank the non nuclear route. I needed to buy a school of clown loaches anyway so I bought 13 clown loaches and let them go at it in the tank I had found the most leeches in. I also added quite a few corydoras to that tank a week before. I started feeding every three days in all tanks to implore the fish to search for food ( my nemesis). After 10 days I did a gravel vac and found absolutely nothing. Hoping for success I then started pulling apart filters....ugh... So of couse they survived in there and were happily living off of the detritus where they were safe. I dropped all the filter media in the tanks.
The week before I did order Mardel Clout and had done evil experiments and the leeches I caught. It seemed to take about 5 hours to kill one. So my second attempt was to clout 1 tank. Within the 1st hour the leeches on the media began to change to a milky white and I could tell they were moving quite slow if at all. By hour two all my lovely ghost shrimp were snacking on them holding them and eating them even though they were still partially fighting back. I was so sad to see my ghost shrimp who were bravely fighting for my cause because I knew the clout would kill them and all my very helpful snails soon. I waited for the largest and most active leech I could find to give up the ghost. That was exactly at 5 hours. I figured that If I did a 200 percent water change I would have a tiny chance of saving my beloved heroes, my very admirable ghosties. Low and behold it worked. It's been a week and I haven't lost 1 ghost shrimp. I'm not completely sure if any snails were lost but my nerites were fine.
The reason I did not move any shrimp or snails was because I am still not sure was species of leech I had.I didn't want to possibly move them if they were tiny ones on snails. I am convinced that they did not feed on live fish or snails but one creepy crawler I found was a total different shape and color than the very pale almond shaped leeches I found. I do believe it possible at this time that I also had a few brown planaria. I really thought after 4 weeks of quarantining plants I would be safe like I have been for years but this particular batch of plants I ordered (najas grass) was already questionable when I received it and I didn't follow my gut instincts. I definitely learned my lesson. I had ordered from this aquabidder a year before and that when I also received the snails I so love now. Oh well. Even after years doing something you can still learn.
But this is more of a warning for others.
I will continue to treat my tanks once a week for 5 hours for the next 4 week's. Leech eggs can hatch 5 weeks after being laid and No matter how much tearing down and scrubbing and boiling I do, they are know for their resilience. I know not everyone will agree with my methods and I'm not posting this for a debate. I just wanted to update what I did to eradicate the type of leech I had- Sincerely Halena
I will post updates as things progress-
Thanks my fellow fishkeepers for everything.
So after many sleepless nights and cringe worthy water changes I came to the conclusion to tank the non nuclear route. I needed to buy a school of clown loaches anyway so I bought 13 clown loaches and let them go at it in the tank I had found the most leeches in. I also added quite a few corydoras to that tank a week before. I started feeding every three days in all tanks to implore the fish to search for food ( my nemesis). After 10 days I did a gravel vac and found absolutely nothing. Hoping for success I then started pulling apart filters....ugh... So of couse they survived in there and were happily living off of the detritus where they were safe. I dropped all the filter media in the tanks.
The week before I did order Mardel Clout and had done evil experiments and the leeches I caught. It seemed to take about 5 hours to kill one. So my second attempt was to clout 1 tank. Within the 1st hour the leeches on the media began to change to a milky white and I could tell they were moving quite slow if at all. By hour two all my lovely ghost shrimp were snacking on them holding them and eating them even though they were still partially fighting back. I was so sad to see my ghost shrimp who were bravely fighting for my cause because I knew the clout would kill them and all my very helpful snails soon. I waited for the largest and most active leech I could find to give up the ghost. That was exactly at 5 hours. I figured that If I did a 200 percent water change I would have a tiny chance of saving my beloved heroes, my very admirable ghosties. Low and behold it worked. It's been a week and I haven't lost 1 ghost shrimp. I'm not completely sure if any snails were lost but my nerites were fine.
The reason I did not move any shrimp or snails was because I am still not sure was species of leech I had.I didn't want to possibly move them if they were tiny ones on snails. I am convinced that they did not feed on live fish or snails but one creepy crawler I found was a total different shape and color than the very pale almond shaped leeches I found. I do believe it possible at this time that I also had a few brown planaria. I really thought after 4 weeks of quarantining plants I would be safe like I have been for years but this particular batch of plants I ordered (najas grass) was already questionable when I received it and I didn't follow my gut instincts. I definitely learned my lesson. I had ordered from this aquabidder a year before and that when I also received the snails I so love now. Oh well. Even after years doing something you can still learn.
But this is more of a warning for others.
I will continue to treat my tanks once a week for 5 hours for the next 4 week's. Leech eggs can hatch 5 weeks after being laid and No matter how much tearing down and scrubbing and boiling I do, they are know for their resilience. I know not everyone will agree with my methods and I'm not posting this for a debate. I just wanted to update what I did to eradicate the type of leech I had- Sincerely Halena
I will post updates as things progress-
Thanks my fellow fishkeepers for everything.
