zozo
Member
I have a few and they work a treat to catch Planaria with some frozen bloodworm in it... Also, a small piece of raw chicken liver lured them in by the dozens overnight. I guess those bloodsucking leaches would love this too.
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What are these?
- Thread starter LondonDragon
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I have a few and they work a treat to catch Planaria with some frozen bloodworm in it... Also, a small piece of raw chicken liver lured them in by the dozens overnight. I guess those bloodsucking leaches would love this too.
Hi Paulo
What about removing the snails/shrimp and adding loaches or a Betta...these are reported to eat leeches?
What about removing the snails/shrimp and adding loaches or a Betta...these are reported to eat leeches?
LondonDragon
Member
Which loaches eat them? tanks are not that big for loaches, Betta might eat the shrimp too and getting them out would be a pain, specially in the 60cm. would have to setup a quarantine tank of some sort as well!
Hi all,
<"http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/dt_gallery/helobdella-stagnalis/">
Helobdella stagnalis apparently only feeds on snails (which may account for why traps don't work very well). Helobdella europea <"https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/Lauterbornia_2004_52_0153-0162.pdf"> apparently eats most things (Carrion, Snails, Asellus, Lumbriculus) that come its way and would definitely be attracted to liver etc.
cheers Darrel
Was that where you found the leeches? I pick off one or two most weeks.
Because they show parental care you need to remove any larger ones fairly carefully or all the juvenile leeches will escape from under the body. <"The Evolution of Parental Care in Freshwater Leeches">. This was how I was able to pin mine down to <"Helobdella spp">.
<"http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/dt_gallery/helobdella-stagnalis/">
These ones aren't blood sucking, I assume other types of leeches would be more attracted, but often I've just caught Planaria when I've trapped, although I know there are leeches in the tank.
Helobdella stagnalis apparently only feeds on snails (which may account for why traps don't work very well). Helobdella europea <"https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/Lauterbornia_2004_52_0153-0162.pdf"> apparently eats most things (Carrion, Snails, Asellus, Lumbriculus) that come its way and would definitely be attracted to liver etc.
cheers Darrel
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Introduce Leech-Eating Fish
- Yoyo Loach: These are active fish that love to eat leeches. They are also known to eat snails and other small aquatic pests.
- Clown Loach: These fish are colorful and playful. They are also great for controlling leech populations in your tank.
- Botia Loach: Also known as the “polka-dot loach,” this fish is a popular addition to many aquariums. They are natural predators of leeches and other pests.
- Betta Fish: These fish are beautiful and easy to care for. They have a taste for leeches and can help keep your tank free of pests.
Hi all,
One problem with leeches is that they are easy to identify as a group, but really difficult to get any further with ID.
cheers Darrel
Possibly not a Helobdella spp. , possibly Alboglossiphonia heteroclita <"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00006660">. This would also show parental care and feed largely on invertebrates (and preferentially Oligochaete worms).
One problem with leeches is that they are easy to identify as a group, but really difficult to get any further with ID.
cheers Darrel
zozo
Member
Didn't know that, what a lovely leech then... 🙂 Do they feed only on living snails? I've used snails in the past to catch Planaria, by putting a small crushed ramshorn in the trap.
Hi all,
cheers Darrel
Marcel, I don't know. There seems to be a bit of a dearth of scientific research on non-blood sucking Leeches generally.Possibly Assassin snails (Clea helena) may eat them? I still haven't found a definitive answer.
cheers Darrel
zozo
Member
Confusing is in my language the complete genus of leeches is commonly named "Bloodsuckers" (Bloedzuiger) and the Helobdella stagnalis is named the Two-Eyed Bloodsucker.
I didn't know any better than bloodsuckers all are suckers for blood... Obviously, they are not all living up to their name, learned something new again... 😘
👍
LondonDragon
Member
I don't mind them eating the snails, I have hundreds of them, could also explain why my Ramshorn over the last 2-3 months have crawled up the glass, they didnt do this before.
I just don't want them eating my shrimp 😉 I am going leech hunting anyway! Yesterday I took out around 20 of them by the end of the day!
I just don't want them eating my shrimp 😉 I am going leech hunting anyway! Yesterday I took out around 20 of them by the end of the day!
Hi all,
cheers Darrel
"Number of eyes" is how you tell the different genera of leeches within the Glossiphoniidae <"Glossiphoniidae Genus Key - Macro-Invertebrate Lab"> and one pair for Helobdella spp.
cheers Darrel
If you lean towards stripping down the tanks, could you not sort of quarantine the plants in an easily cleaned container (maybe something transparent), and use a few weeks to get all the ones that might be small initially and/or hiding? Using traps and visual inspection coupled with time and transfering them from container to container? (You could bleach the old one and then repeat the process, that sort of thing)
I guess it depends on how much effort you would want to spend on saving existing plants vs buying new ones, this decision is different from person to person.
LondonDragon
Member
One of the tanks was setup in 2011 and just has shrimp and snails and very heavy planted, the Anubias has healthy leaves that are a decade old, to be honest I rather not mess up this ecosystem that only has one water change a year! So first i will try and see if I can catch them all Pokemon style! plan B would be to replace the substrate and like you say, dip and quarantine the plants and then bring them back bit by bit! But means I will need quite a large container for all of it.
LondonDragon
Member
Have not spotted any leeches this evening in the 30cm cube where I took the majority from. I did remove a further 5 from the 60cm aquarium! Traps arrive tomorrow see if that catches anything else!
LondonDragon
Member
Got the traps today and set them up a couple of hours ago with this food in them:
Amazon product ASIN B00176GU32
Saw a video that said it worked pretty well. Just turned on the lights and in the 60cm where I setup the two long glass traps and there are already a few leeches in each one of them! So seems to be working 🙂
Going to leave it for 24 hours and see how it goes 🙂 I will take some photos/video later!
Amazon product ASIN B00176GU32
Saw a video that said it worked pretty well. Just turned on the lights and in the 60cm where I setup the two long glass traps and there are already a few leeches in each one of them! So seems to be working 🙂
Going to leave it for 24 hours and see how it goes 🙂 I will take some photos/video later!
LondonDragon
Member
This is stuff of nightmares!! :/
I have not spotted another one in the 30cm cube! do these lay eggs? or they carry the young?
I have not spotted another one in the 30cm cube! do these lay eggs? or they carry the young?
Ugghhgcbbfvbjnzhhzb
I commend your restraint in not just burning the whole house down 🤢
LondonDragon
Member
I have been itching all over since Saturday! lol going to catch them all!
If anyone is interested in some, PM me your address and I will post some over FOC!! lol
They are not as bad looking as the rat tailed maggots I found in a pond once
