Hello All,
As you have possibly read elsewhere on here, I have recently waged a long, but successful battle against a mammoth bacterial bloom and the attendant white growths, slime and stench in my "soon to be" shrimpery. (Sounds like a sewer doesn't it?). However, within 24 hrs. of returning bogwood, a Java Moss coconut and a small piece of Bacopa to the tank, I now have an invasion of both planaria and hydra. The bogwood and coconut had been stored for some time in the w/c bucket in dechlorinated water, whilst the Bacopa was allowed to float in the 125L. I have tried to photograph both, but my macro photographic ability is somewhat lacking, so here is a description:
Planaria
These are white and up to about 5mm. long, and are both on the glass and elsewhere. They have a "head", which is slightly larger than the body. They seem to glide effortlessly across the glass. I did have several short outbreaks of something similar whilst fishless cycling the 125L, but they soon disappeared. I never saw any on a surface, just wriggling in the water after switching the filter back on following a water change. At the time, I was convinced that they were living in the filter. Since adding fish, I have not seen them.
Hydra
These are also white, are attached to the glass, and each has a number of tentacles waving in the flow. I have never seen these in the 125L, but they can't have come from anywhere else.
I have looked at a number of photographs on the web of both, and I am sure that's what I have.
The only other visible living things in the tank are the inevitable "hitch-hiking" snails and the above plants.
From what I have read, both of these organisms could be bad news for baby shrimps, so I need to eliminate them before stocking. However I am likely to transfer more, when I move plants from the 125L. As I understand it, both these invaders are carnivorous, so perhaps if I just left the tank "empty" for a while, they would starve to death? But, on the other hand, they must have been living on something in the 125L ..... snails?
I have read about some chemical treatments, including fenbendazole (I think?).
Would transferring a few fish temporally from the 125l solve the problem? ...... but they presumably aren't eating them in there. Perhaps fish food is tastier?
As always, I look forward to your advice and expertise,
Skittler