Leech in my tank?

[Allan]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/txPcZGjhc9YS6m2D9

 

 

 is this really a leech in my tank? Should I do anything about it? It got away before I could grab it with tweezers. 
 

Tank has Kuhli loaches, Pygmy Cory and pest snails. 

[Anjum]

Dang, yeah that's what it looks like. I've never seen it, didn't even know that was a thing. But I googled "freshwater aquarium leeches" & a bunch of stuff came up. Great, now I have a new thing to have nightmares about 😳

 

[BeeD]

Maybe the loaches will get it. 

[mountaintoppufferkeeper]

I've see them in batches of blackworms before In my tanks anything with a mouth big enough to fit it sees a leech as a nice meal 

[Allan]

I wonder how it got in. It’s not like it came from the algae wafers.

[Mary W.]

That looks like an Asian Freshwater Leech (Barbronia weberi).  I recently had an infestation of these in my planted tank, I believe they came in as eggs or tiny wormlets I didn't appreciate, with an order of plants.  I never saw them harm my fish (corys and tetras), but read that they will kill shrimp - fortunately none in this tank.  Here's a picture of one of mine.

[Allan]

Did you do anything to get rid of them? 

[Mary W.]

Tore down the tank and started fresh, after trying for three months to eradicate them (tank maintenance, filter cleaning, planaria/leech traps, levamisole (in Expel-P), and praziquantel (in Prazipro)).  I was worried they would get into my other tank where I have shrimp, and also they set up housekeeping in my HOB filter which was definitely gross.  

It's possible your loaches will eat them - I never saw my corys (pygmy and false Julii) go after them.  Someone more experienced than me recommended a gourami but I never tried that.

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/19/2022 at 11:11 AM, Mary W. said:

Tore down the tank and started fresh, after trying for three months to eradicate them (tank maintenance, filter cleaning, planaria/leech traps, levamisole (in Expel-P), and praziquantel (in Prazipro)).  I was worried they would get into my other tank where I have shrimp, and also they set up housekeeping in my HOB filter which was definitely gross.  

have you tried the "stronger" dewormer that is often recommended for worms if you can't ID them?  Panacur-C I think is the name.  The actual medication is fenbendazole.

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea be sure to check out the video in the OP.  EEEEESH.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/19/2022 at 10:00 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea be sure to check out the video in the OP.  EEEEESH

*skin crawls*

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/19/2022 at 9:43 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

*skin crawls*

Yeah... I had the same reaction when I saw that "what's this" thread and it was a snail clutch.  Eyes got all big and the camera zoomed in and I got lightheaded.  😂

Some things in our tanks are just little aliens.

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/20/2022 at 12:46 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

Yeah... I had the same reaction when I saw that "what's this" thread and it was a snail clutch.  Eyes got all big and the camera zoomed in and I got lightheaded.  😂

Some things in our tanks are just little aliens.

 

🤣 I’ve pulled >30 clutches out so far. It’s a daily or every-other-day thing for me. Seems they love to lay them behind the outflow but I know their tactics and do the ol’ perimeter sweep. @TeeJay just hatched a clutch; I think he may hatch another.

[modified lung]

I found a big fat bright red leech in one of my tanks once. Probably came with some blackworms. Never saw another one.

[Mary W.]

Re fenbendazole, did consider it but never tried it.  What info I could find was mixed on whether it would be effective against leeches in the environment.  It kills intestinal worms by paralyzing them and allowing them to be excreted.  I also read somewhere that it can harm corydoras - Who knows, but anyway I was leery and didn't try it.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

@nabokovfan87 first link, OP

[Allan]

I think the loaches must’ve eaten the leaches. Haven’t seen any in a long time. 

[Allan]

Dead fish in the tank this morning.  When I removed it there was a leech attached and another one broke off and went into the substrate.  So, the loaches haven't eliminated them.  

 

Considering treating the tank with copper.  The leeches are really gross and I'm not enjoying this tank because I'm thinking about my fish getting slowly killed by leeches.

 

I'm really surprised the only 2 solutions were do nothing, or completely break the tank down.

 

 

Edited July 3, 2023 by Allan

[Guppysnail]

Fenbendazole should do the trick. It blocks their ability to absorb nutrients and blocks the ability to use nutrients for energy from my understanding and they starve out. Other dewormers paralyze. Fenben kills. I use .1 gram per 10 gallons redone at 24 hours and 48 hours. I buy panacur -c dog dewormer and use a gram scale. I disolve the powder in a little bottle and dump it in. I make fresh each 24 hours for a total of 3 treatments. Usually does the job. 
On the 4th day I vac well to remove dead worms etc so their decomposition does not foul the water. 
Remove snails before treatment. It is shrimp safe but not snail safe. 
 

[Allan]

Just added the third treatment, it appears to be safe for pest snails.

[Guppysnail]

On 7/18/2023 at 3:42 PM, Allan said:

Just added the third treatment, it appears to be safe for pest snails.

Keep an eye on the snails. They are larger so it takes longer to affect them. It binds to what they use to convert food to energy and they essentially starve. Anytime i reintroduce a snail too soon without enough water changes and vacuuming and wiping off the walls they perish slowly. Watch your ammonia levels. 

[Anjum]

On 7/18/2023 at 2:36 PM, Guppysnail said:

Keep an eye on the snails. They are larger so it takes longer to affect them. It binds to what they use to convert food to energy and they essentially starve. Anytime i reintroduce a snail too soon without enough water changes and vacuuming and wiping off the walls they perish slowly. Watch your ammonia levels. 

Huh, I wonder if this is what's wrong with one of my tanks. I have a 20 long I bought used. I asked the seller if they had used any medications in it & they said no. But I've never had snails thrive in that tank, where they thrive in all my others. It's not for lack of food, that tank has livebearers & I feed heavily. Plus it's got lots of algae. I cleaned the tank pretty well when I got it, bleach & hot water. It's been up about a year now & lately it seems like the snails have been surviving longer. Could past medications stick around that much in the silicone or something?  

ETA: The HOB came with the tank too. I put all new filter media in it, but couldn't clean it as thoroughly as the tank. Maybe that's another source of contamination??

Edited July 18, 2023 by Anjum
ETA

[Guppysnail]

On 7/18/2023 at 5:57 PM, Anjum said:

Huh, I wonder if this is what's wrong with one of my tanks. I have a 20 long I bought used. I asked the seller if they had used any medications in it & they said no. But I've never had snails thrive in that tank, where they thrive in all my others. It's not for lack of food, that tank has livebearers & I feed heavily. Plus it's got lots of algae. I cleaned the tank pretty well when I got it, bleach & hot water. It's been up about a year now & lately it seems like the snails have been surviving longer. Could past medications stick around that much in the silicone or something?  

ETA: The HOB came with the tank too. I put all new filter media in it, but couldn't clean it as thoroughly as the tank. Maybe that's another source of contamination??

For it to get into the silicone I would guess copper but I think a lot of things get into silicone. 

[Sarina]

@Guppysnail This is incorrect. Silicone is very chemically resistant, which is why it makes such a great sealant and why it is used so often in automotive applications. Silicone forms what is referred to as siloxane bonds, which are incredibly strong chains of silicon and oxygen. These bonds are hard to break and very non-reactive, and will only stick to other siloxane bonds. Glass is also made out of siloxane bonds, which is why it can be glued with silicone and why the two materials appear totally different, but share certain chemical properties such as high heat and corrosion resistance. Copper does not absorb into silicone. It may, however, absorb into the more porous plastic of the filter in this situation. 

@Anjum There is a product called Cuprisorb that is made to absorb copper, and it's reusable. If it turns out your tank does have elevated copper levels, Cuprisorb should help. It's unlikely that the tank itself is the culprit, but the filter certainly could be. 

[Guppysnail]

On 7/18/2023 at 6:43 PM, Sarina said:

This is incorrect. Silicone is very chemically resistant, which is why it makes such a great sealant and why it is used so often in automotive applications

Thank you so much for this solid information. I always heard the silicone absorbed the copper. I appreciate you giving me the real deal info 🤗

[Sarina]

@Guppysnail happy to help! I think people believe that soft=porous, but with silicone that is far from the truth. I've done a lot of composites and materials science work in the past and if I had actually finished college I would have ended up with a minor in materials science. If you ever have questions about certain materials, let me know!