Parasites

[Wildiana]

I'm noticing some clear hair like objects in my tank, is this a parasite? what is a parasite and what should i be looking for?

water levels are fine, but i do see a thin cloud in my tank, hardly can't see it unless your looking very close.

my shark is "kissing" himself in the corner of the tank (bottom) and at times he leans agains the glass.

i read something about internal and external parasites.

any info will be great

 

[the_dougie]

maybe the water is just dirty, and those hair like objects could be many things. i would change my water and see what happens from there.

 

[OrionGirl]

There are a number of different parasites that can occur in the aquarium. Most of them won't be seen off of the fish--they are obligate feeders, and generally can't survive away from the host. A few, such as ich, have a free-swimming stage, but are very tiny and not visible to the naked eye.

Thin hair-like--was it moving on it's own? I know in my tanks, actual hair is always a possibility--several furry pets, and my own hair seems to get everywhere. Also, there are hair algaes that can look similar to a hair--they will have one end attached to something, usually.

Shark? What kind of shark, and in what size tank?