Mychala Posted September 24, 2020 Share Posted September 24, 2020 Ok I took a sponge filter out of my outside pond to set up a quarantine tank for possible new fish and found little worms with what looks like a claw machine grabber on one end. It's the best description ive got... and the pond has green water so its hard to see but there are multiple to the right of the °C on the old sticker therm. SAFE OR NOT? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDukeAnumber1 Posted September 24, 2020 Share Posted September 24, 2020 Can't see anything from the picture but try googling... cyclops crustacean, daphnia, detritus worms, planaria, see if what you have looks anything like those. There are many different types and kinds of tiny critters that can live in an aquarium that are beneficial or simply benign. GL identifying it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickS77 Posted September 24, 2020 Share Posted September 24, 2020 Sounds like Hydra to me. There are a few threads about hydra on the forum already. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shkote Posted September 24, 2020 Share Posted September 24, 2020 Worm with claw machine grabber on the end only makes me think of hydra. Actually that is a pretty perfect way to describe hydra that I would have never thought of doing myself. 😆 Google hydra and see if those are the claw machine grabber worms that you see. If so, I don't think there's really any harm in having them in your tank unless you're raising shrimp or fry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mychala Posted September 24, 2020 Author Share Posted September 24, 2020 Definitely not cyclops or daphnia. They don't look like detritus worms ive seen in my other tanks and don't have the triangle shaped head like planaria. They are lime a little pinkish colored worm with a little grabber on one side and they aren't free swimming in the water. Is it OK to use a sponge filter thats been in an outside pond for a quarantine tank? I'm hoping this is just good fish food Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mychala Posted September 24, 2020 Author Share Posted September 24, 2020 @MickS77 I've never had hydra and only seen them in pictures attached to things. These are laying on the glass bottom wiggling around...do hydra do this too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RovingGinger Posted September 25, 2020 Share Posted September 25, 2020 5 hours ago, Mychala said: @MickS77 I've never had hydra and only seen them in pictures attached to things. These are laying on the glass bottom wiggling around...do hydra do this too? Yup. They will stick to plants, glass, rocks, pretty much anything. There are few things more satisfying than watching a honey gourami pull them off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mychala Posted September 25, 2020 Author Share Posted September 25, 2020 @RovingGinger they are not upright they are kind of squirming around unattached....Im thinking it must be some kind of larvae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Ellison Posted September 25, 2020 Share Posted September 25, 2020 Can you get a better picture? I'd love to see em Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerseyBundy Posted September 25, 2020 Share Posted September 25, 2020 Nymphs?🤷♂️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriendlyLoach Posted September 25, 2020 Share Posted September 25, 2020 Yeah, I think it is Hydra. They pray of fry. They are safe for most fish, but anything smaller that 1/2 inch will get eaten. The cool thing about them is that they don't age. And so in theory could live forever. They catch their food by giving small electrical shocks into the fish. Any fish under around an inch would be agitated by the stings, but it is only deadly for like tiny fish and fry. My neon tetras peck at them, and I see them jump back from the shock. Then they are fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mychala Posted September 25, 2020 Author Share Posted September 25, 2020 Better lighting this morning. These two got smoothed against the glass a bit by the sponge filter so I could get a better look @Ben Ellison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mychala Posted September 25, 2020 Author Share Posted September 25, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDukeAnumber1 Posted September 25, 2020 Share Posted September 25, 2020 Looks like they could be blood worms (midge fly larva). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mychala Posted September 25, 2020 Author Share Posted September 25, 2020 Thanks! I've never messed with blooodworms. So good fish food then! @TheDukeAnumber1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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