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What are these?

N

newtank

Seedling
Joined
10 Dec 2009
Messages
3
I have nearly finished my fishless cycle but have a query before I am ready to add fish. Some plant leaves have brown algae which I am fine with as I understand it is common with new set ups. There are worms or similar on some of the leaves gathering the algae into a tunnel around their body, stretching out about 75mm as they gather. They are about 0.5 mm wide and vary in length. I must admit they have cleared a lot of the algae but I am worried they could be harmful to fish. Does any one know what they are?
There is also bogwood with some of them on.
 
sure they're not snails? pest snails can be brought in on plants, and will eat algae.
 
hmm, if they are worms im sure fish will eat them. if the cant be ID'd then you could by one cheap fish, like a white cloud and they will probably eat them. (should be alright as you are near the end of the cycle)
but dont forget W/C's.
 
They are not snails. They look like worm casts on the leaves, and every now and then the worm comes out of the end and gathers some more algae and returns into the tunnel. I have found a couple of very small snails. Will all snail eggs have hatched by a certain time?

Thanks for your help
 
Hi all,
Sounds like they may be chironomid (midge) larvae. The other possibility is some of the smaller annelid worms, but the transparent case sounds very midge like. Fish will definitely eat them. I collect blood-worms (from rain water and leaf filled buckets in the garden), and they live in very similar tunnels. If you don't finish rinsing the blood worms and leave them for any length of time, they will reform the tunnels by gumming together the remaining leaf fragments.
cheers Darrel
 
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