What the &#!! are these things?

[notheidi]

I just brought home two tiny cories and two mickey mouse platys from my LFS. I'm going to add them to my 12-gal. Eclipse tank, which already has two sunset platys.

In the bag with the fish from the LFS, there are a few little gray things swimming around. I can't tell what they are. They're too tiny to describe in detail, but it seems as if they may have lots of feet like shrimp. Are these good or bad critters? Should I call my LFS and warn them? Should I put them in my aquarium, or flush 'em? What the hell are they?!

I also got a bonus (???) in the bag: a tiny snail with a pointy spiral shell. Should I put that in my aquarium?

 

[Sumpin'fishy]

Those critters COULD be baby Ghost Shrimp. This is only a possibility. If this is true, then they could only benefit you, but I would not be willing to add the snail or critters without positive ID

 

[wetmanNY]

A snail is a life decision. It's not like getting married: it's forever. At least it is if it's a Malayan Trumpet Snail you're looking at.... Is the snail's shell tapering just like an ice cream cone? That would be Melania. My personal favorite snail. Not everyone's though.

Baby ghost shrimp is an interesting idea. I don't think this critter (it's an arthropod at least) is dangerous to your fish.

 

[GEV83]

its not fish lice??? They are small and have what looks like many legs.

 

[beviking]

I initially thought Gammarus, but they're usually big enough to I.D.. Could it be an immature one?

wetman, why is Melania your favorite snail?

 

[notheidi]

Thanks to all. I looked up ghost shrimp, fish lice, and gammarus.

From all the photos I saw, they're definitely not fish lice. After seeing photos of mature ghost shrimp, that's what I hoped they were. But it seems that they are gammarus. I found an array of thumbnails of these shrimps, and those look closest to what these tiny guys look like.

 

[O-man21]

brine shrimp maybe?

 

[wetmanNY]

"Mmm, gammarus! arthropod-y!"

--Johnny Bravo.

I like Melania. Small, for my smallish tanks. Never put a hole in a leaf. Great in a filter, turning detritus into Snail and ammonia for plants. Okay in soft calcium-poor water. Pretty little shell (but that's what we all say about our favorite snails). Unobtrusive --until they comes swarming out of the gravel en masse and give you the heebie-jeebies!

I slide a flat-sided Tetra test kit vial up the glass, give 'em a little tickle and they drop right in. I can get dozens in a couple of minutes, including the little ones I can't grip. But I sympathize with anyone who says they multiply too fast.

 

[Bantam]

if they are shrimp why wouldn't the fish have eaten them?

 

[Faramir]

They will eventually.