Critters in the Java Moss

[tyella]

Hello all,
I was rearranging my plants tonight. I pulled out my java moss like a chunk of sod and put it on a plate. An hour later I put the java moss back in my tank, leaving a pool of brown detritus rich water in the plate. I start looking at this water and OMFG! (F is for freaking, by the way ).

There were LOTS of little amphipods (I assume) and something rather large that I would call a "scud" as a flyfisher (isopod?). I also saw what I would think was a mayfly nymph, but was subtley different. It had bigger eyes and head, like a praying mantis, but had 3 fibers/gills at the tail. Finally I saw a leech that was about an inch long, when extended. My wife shivered for a half an hour after seeing that.

Is this normal? (not the shivering, but the presence of freaky varmints in the tank)

I guess I should be rinsing my aquisitions, huh?

 

[Swimfins]

I don't think having things like leeches is good thing. A leech might attatch to your fish and bloodsuck. Umm, crawlies in general are not a good thing I'd say, unless they're essential harmless like snails or copepods.

I'd definitely start watching for pests and parasites that can harm the plants and fish. You might want to clean out the tank and gravel vac and see if there's anymore.

Yesssssss I had to edit the typos

 

[tyella]

Thanks Swimfins,
I might ditch the java moss and hornwort, as they both seem to restrict water flow, collect/create debris and hide the little critters. I like the vertical of the hornwort and the low, flat aspect of the java moss, though. I guess I should look into other plants?

I should have rinsed my plant first......

 

[spinjector]

Did that critter with the "praying mantis head" have big pincers on his mouthparts? If so, it might be a dragonfly larva, and those buggers are nasty! They are carnivorous and are known to catch and eat small fish. Where did you get these plants that they come so conveniently pre-poulated with their own ecosystems...???

 

[Kissofthegorami]

Yea thats not normal... lol. Unless you added plants that you found out in the wild, I would SERIOUSLY reconsider wherever u bought your plants from. The leech and larvae can be dangerous to your fish and who knows what parasites and diseases may also have hitched a ride. Larger carnivorous fish should take care of most of the critters.

 

[tyella]

Did that critter with the "praying mantis head" have big pincers on his mouthparts? If so, it might be a dragonfly larva, and those buggers are nasty! They are carnivorous and are known to catch and eat small fish. Where did you get these plants that they come so conveniently pre-poulated with their own ecosystems...???

I'm looking through my freshwater inverts book (by J. Reese Voshell, Jr.) and it was apparantly a damselfly larva. Pretty strange. It seems damselfies (from the book) cut slits in plant tissues to lay their eggs. The larval stage can be quite lengthy, apparently, lasting (an extreme) up to 6 years, but more typically like several months.

I also found that most leeches feed on inverts, and only a few are bloodsuckers. All leeches consume the fluids of other organisms. If the leech "swallows" an invert whole, it uses only the fluids. Some will feed on snails .

The plants all came from the same LFS. I like this store and the guys know what they're doing. I have heard one worker lament the lack of selection their plant supplier exhibits. I should inform him of the exciting variety of the selection!

The more I think about it, the less freaked out I am. Would a loach help clean things up? I need somebody to swim into the java moss, which requires that this be a very agile fish, perhaps a Yo-Yo?

 

[OrionGirl]

None of those critters are harmful, unless you have fry in the tank. I wouldn't worry at all. Look at it this way--in a natural environment, the presence and healthy of micro fauna such as these indicates the health of the entire system. No micro fauna, and it's a good bet that the macro fauna (ie fish and aquatic system dependents) will be struggling or absent.

 

[tyella]

Thanks OrionGirl!
I'm less freaked out now. I find myself actually looking for the little bugs now! I think I understand why my cories are so excited all the time also. They may be finding yummies in the muck.

HOWEVER, I don't think I'll mouth siphon anymore !

 

[Bmeasure]

HOWEVER, I don't think I'll mouth siphon anymore !

That just might be a great idea! :idea: I can't immagine having that crud in my mouth :sick:

 

[jonathan03]

I would seriously think of trying to get these creatures out of your tank. If they grow to full adulthood somehow, they will be flying around in your house. Dragonflies can give some nasty bites when they are full grown.

What proabably happened is that someone who sold the plants to your lfs kept them outside in a pond. Sometimes the lfs takes in plants from people for store credit. Ponds are a really good way to grow plants fast, but you just found the bad part about it.