Organisms eating Leafs - killing plants.

[Benja]

A few weeks ago I noticed one sword plant in one of my tanks was dying off, interestingly every dead leaf had strange markings on it. The marks were approx 0.5mm x 5mm it was easy to see these dark marks on the dead/nearly transparent leaves. Upon closer inspection I realized that these marks are in fact some type of plant pest. These pests have a barely visible single organ like a tube/tongue that extends/completely retracts(about the same dimensions as a hydra tentacle).
I have not seen these guys move at all apart from them waving this organ around... I assume that's how they acquire nourishment.
It seems they attack plants with broad leaves... I see them on my java fern now too.

Has anyone encountered pests like these before?
I haven't been able to find any reference.

 

[messerchmidt]

remove plants and dunk them in a bleach/water mix

rinse them and put them back in, that is all i can suggest

 

[Tequila]

A few weeks ago I noticed one sword plant in one of my tanks was dying off, interestingly every dead leaf had strange markings on it. The marks were approx 0.5mm x 5mm it was easy to see these dark marks on the dead/nearly transparent leaves. Upon closer inspection I realized that these marks are in fact some type of plant pest. These pests have a barely visible single organ like a tube/tongue that extends/completely retracts(about the same dimensions as a hydra tentacle).
I have not seen these guys move at all apart from them waving this organ around... I assume that's how they acquire nourishment.
It seems they attack plants with broad leaves... I see them on my java fern now too.

Has anyone encountered pests like these before?
I haven't been able to find any reference.

Yeah you could do a bleach/water mix but I would try giving them a copper bath first. Unless you have snails or other inverts that you don't wanna kill. Or you could just remove the plants to another container with the copper bath and leave them in over night then rise and replace them to the tank.

 

[seds]

Sounds darn interesting, never heard of anything like this before. Think they are nematodes or something?

Copper is a toxic metal, I heard it is bad for plants? Maybe in a short term bath it would be fine... but I've never tried it to find it.

 

[Tequila]

Sounds darn interesting, never heard of anything like this before. Think they are nematodes or something?

Copper is a toxic metal, I heard it is bad for plants? Maybe in a short term bath it would be fine... but I've never tried it to find it.

When I said bath I meant a much weaker solution than what one would use to treat a tank full of sick fish. And it's just over night or even for a few hours, just to kill off the pesty things. Yeah it sound like there some type of nematode-ish thingies.