wrigglies in tank

I have a tank that is exclusively for mollies, except for 2 striped talking
cat fish.

The fish all seem well and healthy but I've noticed these little wrigglies
in the tank.

It's impossible to take a photo as they are only a maximum of 2mm long so
I've done my best to do a drawing. their colour is white and they seem to
stick mainly to the glass or rocks, they're not really free swimming. They
look a little like octopus or squid but have lots of long thin hair like
"strings" for want of a better word at their back end. (At least I assume
it's their back end).

The fish don't seem remotely interested in them,, either as food or anything
else.

The fish are mainly fed on flake and frozen but once a week or so they get
live bloodworm, occasionally brine shrimp and very very occasionally
daphnia.

Can anyone give me an idea what they could be so maybe I could look them up
to check and see if they're likely to harm the fish.

My little drawing is he
http://www.sunrise1.plus.com/wrigglies.htm

"Sandi" wrote in message
...
I have a tank that is exclusively for mollies, except for 2 striped
talking cat fish.

The fish all seem well and healthy but I've noticed these little
wrigglies in the tank.

It's impossible to take a photo as they are only a maximum of 2mm long
so I've done my best to do a drawing. their colour is white and they
seem to stick mainly to the glass or rocks, they're not really free
swimming. They look a little like octopus or squid but have lots of
long thin hair like "strings" for want of a better word at their back
end. (At least I assume it's their back end).

The fish don't seem remotely interested in them,, either as food or
anything else.

The fish are mainly fed on flake and frozen but once a week or so they
get live bloodworm, occasionally brine shrimp and very very
occasionally daphnia.

Can anyone give me an idea what they could be so maybe I could look
them up to check and see if they're likely to harm the fish.

My little drawing is he
http://www.sunrise1.plus.com/wrigglies.htm



Wrigglies are usually some member of nemotodia, like planaria. From your
picture, I would research the Coelenterata phylum, particularly Hydra
(americana, vulgaris etc) or Chlorohydra (viridissima..). Drop one of
your gouramis in there for a week ;~), they usually like em.
--
www.NetMax.tk

...
I have a tank that is exclusively for mollies, except for 2 striped
talking cat fish.

The fish all seem well and healthy but I've noticed these little
wrigglies in the tank.

It's impossible to take a photo as they are only a maximum of 2mm long so
I've done my best to do a drawing. their colour is white and they seem to
stick mainly to the glass or rocks, they're not really free swimming.
They look a little like octopus or squid but have lots of long thin hair
like "strings" for want of a better word at their back end. (At least I
assume it's their back end).

The fish don't seem remotely interested in them,, either as food or
anything else.

The fish are mainly fed on flake and frozen but once a week or so they
get live bloodworm, occasionally brine shrimp and very very occasionally
daphnia.

Can anyone give me an idea what they could be so maybe I could look them
up to check and see if they're likely to harm the fish.

My little drawing is he
http://www.sunrise1.plus.com/wrigglies.htm



Wrigglies are usually some member of nemotodia, like planaria. From your
picture, I would research the Coelenterata phylum, particularly Hydra
(americana, vulgaris etc) or Chlorohydra (viridissima..). Drop one of
your gouramis in there for a week ;~), they usually like em.
--
www.NetMax.tk

Mmm - there isn't anything that's EXACTLY the same in those but Hydra
vulgaris is the closest.
Tend to be of the mind that "if it ain't broke etc etc" but will leaving
them to sort themselves out harm the fish?
Not keen on swapping gouramis over - mollies are in salted water and my
gouramis aren't used to that.

"Sandi" wrote in message
...
...
I have a tank that is exclusively for mollies, except for 2 striped
talking cat fish.

The fish all seem well and healthy but I've noticed these little
wrigglies in the tank.

It's impossible to take a photo as they are only a maximum of 2mm
long so
I've done my best to do a drawing. their colour is white and they
seem to
stick mainly to the glass or rocks, they're not really free swimming.
They look a little like octopus or squid but have lots of long thin
hair
like "strings" for want of a better word at their back end. (At least
I
assume it's their back end).

The fish don't seem remotely interested in them,, either as food or
anything else.

The fish are mainly fed on flake and frozen but once a week or so
they
get live bloodworm, occasionally brine shrimp and very very
occasionally
daphnia.

Can anyone give me an idea what they could be so maybe I could look
them
up to check and see if they're likely to harm the fish.

My little drawing is he
http://www.sunrise1.plus.com/wrigglies.htm



Wrigglies are usually some member of nemotodia, like planaria. From
your
picture, I would research the Coelenterata phylum, particularly Hydra
(americana, vulgaris etc) or Chlorohydra (viridissima..). Drop one of
your gouramis in there for a week ;~), they usually like em.
--
www.NetMax.tk

Mmm - there isn't anything that's EXACTLY the same in those but Hydra
vulgaris is the closest.
Tend to be of the mind that "if it ain't broke etc etc" but will
leaving
them to sort themselves out harm the fish?
Not keen on swapping gouramis over - mollies are in salted water and my
gouramis aren't used to that.


Until sorted, fry, fish eggs and micro-organisms might be at risk (not
that you have too much to worry about with livebearers and their large
fry). I would reduce the feeding (entirely for 4-5 days) to see if that
doesn't put things in order. This might interrupt the creature's food
supply, and draw their attention to the Mollies.
--
www.NetMax.tk

Sandi wrote,
Mmm - there isn't anything that's EXACTLY the same in those but Hydra
vulgaris is the closest.
Tend to be of the mind that "if it ain't broke etc etc" but will leaving
them to sort themselves out harm the fish?

Hydra (freshwater anemones) can be killed by any copper treatment.
Aquarisol medication works well. Or, let an air supply run through a
copper pot scrub pad, or place it in the tank so a power filter return
flows through it. A medication called Fluke-Tabs (1 cap. per 20 gals.)
will also kill Hydra. Hydra's population growth is fast, and they grow
fast (up to an inch tall), at which size can harm or kill smaller fish.
Cause - your overfeeding and not doing enough weekly maintenance (20%
weekly water changes (at least) with a good gravel
vac)...................... Frank

"Frank" wrote in message
oups.com...
Sandi wrote,
Mmm - there isn't anything that's EXACTLY the same in those but Hydra
vulgaris is the closest.
Tend to be of the mind that "if it ain't broke etc etc" but will leaving
them to sort themselves out harm the fish?

Hydra (freshwater anemones) can be killed by any copper treatment.
Aquarisol medication works well. Or, let an air supply run through a
copper pot scrub pad, or place it in the tank so a power filter return
flows through it. A medication called Fluke-Tabs (1 cap. per 20 gals.)
will also kill Hydra. Hydra's population growth is fast, and they grow
fast (up to an inch tall), at which size can harm or kill smaller fish.
Cause - your overfeeding and not doing enough weekly maintenance (20%
weekly water changes (at least) with a good gravel
vac)...................... Frank

Thank you I'll start treatment as soon as I can find what the UK equivalent
is. Can't seem to find anywhere in the UK that stocks Aquarisol or
Fluke-Tabs. I thought tank was pretty safe from most parasites with it being
relatively heavily salted.

"Frank" wrote in message
oups.com...
Sandi wrote,
Mmm - there isn't anything that's EXACTLY the same in those but Hydra
vulgaris is the closest.
Tend to be of the mind that "if it ain't broke etc etc" but will leaving
them to sort themselves out harm the fish?

Hydra (freshwater anemones) can be killed by any copper treatment.
Aquarisol medication works well. Or, let an air supply run through a
copper pot scrub pad, or place it in the tank so a power filter return
flows through it. A medication called Fluke-Tabs (1 cap. per 20 gals.)
will also kill Hydra. Hydra's population growth is fast, and they grow
fast (up to an inch tall), at which size can harm or kill smaller fish.
Cause - your overfeeding and not doing enough weekly maintenance (20%
weekly water changes (at least) with a good gravel
vac)...................... Frank


Would Seachem Cupramine Copper Aquarium medication do the same job do you
think? Bit worried about my fish - this tank is exclusively home bred so a
bit of a favourite.

"Frank" wrote in message
oups.com...
Sandi wrote,
Mmm - there isn't anything that's EXACTLY the same in those but Hydra
vulgaris is the closest.
Tend to be of the mind that "if it ain't broke etc etc" but will leaving
them to sort themselves out harm the fish?

Hydra (freshwater anemones) can be killed by any copper treatment.
Aquarisol medication works well. Or, let an air supply run through a
copper pot scrub pad, or place it in the tank so a power filter return
flows through it. A medication called Fluke-Tabs (1 cap. per 20 gals.)
will also kill Hydra. Hydra's population growth is fast, and they grow
fast (up to an inch tall), at which size can harm or kill smaller fish.
Cause - your overfeeding and not doing enough weekly maintenance (20%
weekly water changes (at least) with a good gravel
vac)...................... Frank


Would Seachem Cupramine Copper Aquarium medication do the same job do you
think? Bit worried about my fish - this tank is exclusively home bred so a
bit of a favourite.


Eeee, by 'eck I wish I'd never seen them now.
I found this on googling "eradicate hydra"
on http://home.clara.net/xenotoca/hydra.htm

Editors (Xenotoca) footnote.

Mr Sinclair may have introduced the Hydra into his tanks via the plants but
in fact they are very common in the same water conditions that favour large
populations of live food such as daphnia ect. As any piece will grow into a
complete Hydra and only one is needed for reproduction it is fairly easy to
introduce them into the aquarium in this way.

In the livebearer tank Hydra are not normally a threat to the fry but are a
real danger to egglayer fry.

I personally have had success with Red Ramshorn Snails, which should not
attack plants as they mainly browse on the micro-organisms thriving on the
leaves. The only difference being that I have snails permanently in my tanks
and just stopped feeding when the Hydra appeared so they never reached the
proportions referred to in the article.

Use of Aluminium plates or even cooking foil plate to replace the copper
ones will work for the electrical cure without the copper deposit problem Mr
Sinclair encountered.

Again I am not a chemist but white vinegar has had a further distillation
process and may have different properties to normal malt vinegar. I would
try normal vinegar in the standard solution first as even if it turns the
water brownish being acid a water change will be required to return the
water to the alkaline conditions our livebearers prefer.

The Heat treatment always works but both fish and plants should be removed.
The plants should be washed in a weak solution of Potassium permanganate
(available at any chemists) and rinsed under a running tap prior to being
replaced into the aquarium.

So now I don't know what to do! All I have in the tank are mollies - and its
salted! Maybe they'll be ok.

On Mon, 9 Jan 2006 18:53:54 -0000, "Sandi" wrote:



"Frank" wrote in message
oups.com...
Sandi wrote,
Mmm - there isn't anything that's EXACTLY the same in those but Hydra
vulgaris is the closest.
Tend to be of the mind that "if it ain't broke etc etc" but will leaving
them to sort themselves out harm the fish?

Hydra (freshwater anemones) can be killed by any copper treatment.
Aquarisol medication works well. Or, let an air supply run through a
copper pot scrub pad, or place it in the tank so a power filter return
flows through it. A medication called Fluke-Tabs (1 cap. per 20 gals.)
will also kill Hydra. Hydra's population growth is fast, and they grow
fast (up to an inch tall), at which size can harm or kill smaller fish.
Cause - your overfeeding and not doing enough weekly maintenance (20%
weekly water changes (at least) with a good gravel
vac)...................... Frank


Would Seachem Cupramine Copper Aquarium medication do the same job do you
think? Bit worried about my fish - this tank is exclusively home bred so a
bit of a favourite.


Eeee, by 'eck I wish I'd never seen them now.
I found this on googling "eradicate hydra"
on http://home.clara.net/xenotoca/hydra.htm

Editors (Xenotoca) footnote.

Mr Sinclair may have introduced the Hydra into his tanks via the plants but
in fact they are very common in the same water conditions that favour large
populations of live food such as daphnia ect. As any piece will grow into a
complete Hydra and only one is needed for reproduction it is fairly easy to
introduce them into the aquarium in this way.

In the livebearer tank Hydra are not normally a threat to the fry but are a
real danger to egglayer fry.

I personally have had success with Red Ramshorn Snails, which should not
attack plants as they mainly browse on the micro-organisms thriving on the
leaves. The only difference being that I have snails permanently in my tanks
and just stopped feeding when the Hydra appeared so they never reached the
proportions referred to in the article.

Use of Aluminium plates or even cooking foil plate to replace the copper
ones will work for the electrical cure without the copper deposit problem Mr
Sinclair encountered.

Again I am not a chemist but white vinegar has had a further distillation
process and may have different properties to normal malt vinegar. I would
try normal vinegar in the standard solution first as even if it turns the
water brownish being acid a water change will be required to return the
water to the alkaline conditions our livebearers prefer.

The Heat treatment always works but both fish and plants should be removed.
The plants should be washed in a weak solution of Potassium permanganate
(available at any chemists) and rinsed under a running tap prior to being
replaced into the aquarium.

So now I don't know what to do! All I have in the tank are mollies - and its
salted! Maybe they'll be ok.



I'd stop worrying about them. The few times I've had them they went
away by themselves. I suggested to someone recently, dedicate
yourself to getting a good photo of them, they disappear when you want
them.

Sandi wrote,
Thank you I'll start treatment as soon as I can find what the UK equivalent is.

Any copper based medication would work.

I thought tank was pretty safe from most parasites with it being
relatively heavily salted.

The salt would have to be at parasite treatment levels (2 tablespoons
per 10 gal.) or even a little more (3 tablespoons per 10 gals.), which
is a little to much for a lot of fish species and most plants...
Some 35 years ago it was common to use a 6 volt battery and copper
wires for electrodes. That would be about the fastest way - 2 to 6
hours, depending on the tank size. What that site you posted;
http://nome.clara.net/xenotoca/hydra.htm didn't say, was that there
would be a fine stream of bubbles comming from the (-) wire, which is
hydrogen and highly flammable. Be sure to remove the aquarium hood so
there is no chance of a build-up of hydrogen;-) ............... Frank