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I had a three inch leech on my leg a couple years ago and the wound wouldnt stop bleeding, i hate thoes things.

That's because in the case of the blood-feeders, they have anticoagulants in the saliva. Indeed research on the nature of these anticoagulants is considered of medical importance in the development of new drugs for management of certain heart and arterial diseases.

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Dojo loaches can help keep leech populations in control. I'm afraid that if you saw one, there may be others. I've heard tiretrack eels will also each leeches and worms. But, they're actually a brackish species.

Hey Johnny,

if you dont want to get leeches you shouldnt put your leg in the tank.]]

Na i got this one from a lake, i was wading in the mud.

the picture i posted was of planarians a flatworm (Phylum Platyhelminthes)

Yes, Inko that is interesting and amazingly hasn't affected my stomach

I really don't know what kind they are, but I guess I can put my rear in gear and find my camera today and go about doing one of those wonderfully deep gravel vacs (3 times in a week? what the heck, why not?) and try to get some better pictures. Either way I don't want them in the tank, even if they aren't going to affect the fish or myself...they are just yucky and gross me out, and it takes a lot to gross me out most of the time But, if I can I'll try and take some decent pictures, though I don't know what I'll put them in for a good picture

Oh and to answer the question about feeding? I haven't ever given this tank live food...the only live food any of my fish have had are small insects (when I can catch them) and crickets for the cichlids...this tank is prepared flakes, freeze dried tubifex worms, freeze dried brine shrimp, algae wafers, and defrosted frozen blood worms, I think that is all they get other than my fingers and armsOh and fresh veggies, but they are washed and "nuked" for a bit to soften...yes, I think that is all I feed them:%)though I could be wrong...heidi




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Is it possible,
That we are each others soul mates
and when there is a man
they are just there for added enjoyment?"--SITC
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Did you ever feed any live aquatic worms, suck as blackworms, tubifex, etc??

Most of those worms are raised in farms in outdoor pools or ponds, where leeches also are found.

They're quite frequent in my blackworms I feed my fish, luckily my fish greedily eat the leeches too.

Edit: hehe you got me curious so i got some interesting info;
"Leeches can be collected by either using a small dip net, or gently with forceps. Many of the leeches you find are probably non-bloodsucking varieties. Most leeches, in fact, feed on small invertebrates such as snails, worms, and insect larvae. There are other leeches that have been found to eat fish & amphibian eggs, and feed on decaying matter at the bottom of their water source. Some of the bloodsucking leeches attach themselves to an organism such as fish and frogs for food. "
"Avoid placing leeches in chlorinated water. Leeches are sensitive to substances such as chlorine, copper, and other chemicals. Water from the collection site, spring water, or dechlorinated tap water is suitable for maintaining an environment for the leeches. Do not used distilled water alone since its extreme purity can be harmful to the leeches' metabolic balance. Keep the water clean and cool. Once the water shows signs of becoming dirty, it should be cleaned. Do not change the water all at once. When changing the water change only 25%-50%. Sudden temperature changes could harm the leeches. In addition, keep leeches out of direct sunlight or artificial light sources because they too can harm the leeches. "
"Food requirements are different for each type of leech. Leeches do not eat often. They can thrive for months on a single meal. A few live water snails a week would make a great meal. Some of the larger bloodsucking leeches will require a meal from a turtle or frog every month or two. Other bloodsucking leeches can be given earthworms, frog eggs, insect larvae, or even raw ground meat every six-months. "
Sorry it was long! I took the interesting parts (IMO They're interesting )
http://www.accessexcellence.org/LC/SS/leechlove.html

Last edited by inkodinkomalinko at 20-Jun-2005 13:19

ARGH!!! I hate it when I make a post and totally erase the stupid thing]:|Ok let me do this again

FRY, not to be ugly, because your idea is a really good oneif i wasn't a total chicken, and already grossed out by the whole thought of having the leeches in the tank, but are you insane? *shudder* the thoughts of them merely being in the tank has freaked me out entirely, sorry. As for wouldn't it kill a fish after one feeding? I'm sure it would, but so far I haven't had any unusual deaths that can't be explained. And I have yet to see one of these nasty things attached to a fish *shudder*

Megil, first what is that a picture of? I apologize for the picture quality, but I have yet to find my digital camera]:|:#(I know it is somewhere in all of my school stuff, but have been trying to clean house and ended up shoving most of the stuff in the closet out of the way and don't want to pull it back outthat or it's in the truckdon't ask The "things" seem to attach to the baggy and would stretch and then reattach at another location...they are just really nasty looking things, and I don't think any picture would surfice how nasty they are when I'm trying not to freak out holding the ziplock bag, and trying to take a picture I do believe that I have found one side of me that is girly-girl

The guy who identified them as being leeches is one of the "GooRoos" (sp?) in the Houston area, so I'll trust his opinion on the fact that they are leeches. He was able to see them close up without me freaking out taking a picture My neighbor as well got to see them upclose and wants me to try and catch as many as I can for him so he can keep them and let them get big and fat so he can go fishing with them in the spring And he says they are leeches, not that we could all be wrong, because we could be:%)

Well, I'm thinking tomorrow is the day of coppering them to death, assuming [link=the 55 gallon tank holds]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/General%20Freshwater/60790.html?200506200815" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link] I'm thinking to just move one of the canister filters to the 55 since it is seeded and the 55 isn't cycled and doing mini water changes 1-2 times a day to help with the water quality...As I have to get my babies out of the tank before treating the tank (well, I don't have too, but I would rather)

I'll let ya'll know what happens, heidi




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Is it possible,
That we are each others soul mates
and when there is a man
they are just there for added enjoyment?"--SITC
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

hmm that first pic doesn't look very leech like to me. The way the anterior ends appears (i'm assuming the thing is moving away from the glass) seems to have a more angled edge to it, almost making it look like a triangle and as such seems to me more like a planaria than a leech if that is at all the case. and can't really tell from the second pic but it looks like it has eye spots :88) which is also not a leech characteristic.

as such
picture source=http://www.dpo.uab.edu/~acnnnghm/BY255L/BY255LImages/BY255LImages-Platyhelminthes/Planaria-01.jpg


Last edited by Megil Tel'Zeke at 19-Jun-2005 20:02[/font]

Last edited by Megil Tel'Zeke at 19-Jun-2005 20:06

huston, that second one really looks fat! was it your blood it sucked?

SP, seems like the bugger is of the snail-eating one. also, wouldn't it empty a fish if it's blood-sucking afterall?
if so, then i'd think fish would die already (after a week, right?)

i just thought of a crazy idea that might catch it, if it's blood sucking: get your hand in the tank during the night.
your lovely warm hand should make it go ballistic, then you can pull your hand out and catch eat.
just remember, the wound will bleed like hell, and you won't feel a thing (anesthetics in their saliva), so watch carefully!

i know, it's disgusting and annoying, but as a last resort it just might work.

The other one I found and didn't realize what it was (OK I was just hoping it wasn't another type) They are roundish, opaque white, almost clearish though...hadn't ever seen the stupid things stretch out till I took it to the lfs and Dan looked at it and it immediately stretched out horribly nasty like...so other than the fact that they are leeches, No I don't know what kind, but I do know that they are gonna have to go...the 55 gallon is resealed, and I'll be "testing the waters" tonight to see if it will hold and then i'll finish moving everyone...heidi



houston attached this image:


"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

OK Megil if you really want to see themheck anyone else

This one is like the first one I saw in the tank, and the most obvious when I'm doing deep gravel vacs...They are a brownish, redish yucky color. can shrink up to 1/8th an inch and stretch to 3 inches there about...he's really nasty looking honestly...




houston attached this image:


"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

sure i wouldn't mind seeing a few pics of the leeches.

Well Cali my stupid leeches are not eating the snails, so it has developed a double problem]:|

I have finally resealed the stupid 55 gallon tank, because as hard as I try I can not keep all the fish happy in the 20, 29, and spare 10 that I have...and am doing water changes daily at 20-30% in order to keep the ammonia level down, so Now I'm waiting for the 55 to finish curing (?) so I can test it with water tomorrow evening (not a whole lot I'm not stupid, and don't want to clean it up again]:|) and once I'm sure it will hold I'm going to transfer everyone to the 55 gallon and then treat the 125 with this copper based medication that gets rid of parasites...

Here's hoping I'll be having nomore leeches very soon...even if they were good for killing snails I just can't stand the site of them heidi

ps anyone want to see pictures? I do have some

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

OK, some considerations that might help.

One. If you feel that you have to exterminate the leech, remember that it's like any other invertebrate, far more sensitive to Copper than your fishes. A dose of Copper-based fish medication will probably kill it off fairly quickly.

Two. If you discover (courtesy of some suitable expert) that your leech is a specialist snail predator, and decide to keep it as a snaiol controller, then one on its own will probably not wipe out your snails. It will certainly devour quite a few of them, but the snails will probably be able to reproduce at a sufficient rate to maintain a population even in the face of assiduous predation by your leech. Several of these leeches, on the other hand, would eventually wipe out the snail population. If you use them for that purpose, then you'll end up cultivating snails in a separate aquarium to keep the leeches alive! Which matches the experience of saltwater aquarists who cultivate Berghia nudibranchs to control Aiptasia anemones (these latter creatures can become an unwanted pest in a reef aquarium, and quickly). Once the aiptasia anemones in the target aquarium are exterminated, the problem then is keeping the Berghia alive ... and some saltwater aquarists end up cultivating Aiptasia to keep the Berghia population going, and even harvesting Aiptasia from fellow saltwater aquarists who want rid of the anemones!

Determining the exact identity of this creature, I stress again, is a job for a trained biologist specialising in annelids. Even then, you may not know what it is until it has died, been preserved and subject to dissection analysis by a curator-level museum expert. My entomology colleagues at Liverpool Museum's Department of Invertebrate Zoology are sometimes called upon to identify annelids of one sort or another, and the difficult ones end up being shipped off to the Natural History Museum in London, where the requisite experts are on hand to identify them. Which gives you an idea of the difficulties involved in identification.




Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

No Tryst it is still a problem!!! I can't kill the stupid things, Sneaky Pete, have you managed to get rid of yours? They just won't die I'm thinking get rid of all the gravel, and go bottom lessthen at least I can find the ]:|stupid things...heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Ugh. All I have to say is this: *shudder*

Luckily I have never seen a leech. If I did I would probably hyperventilate and throw up. There are few things that gross me out, leeches are one. Good luck getting rid of them. I would probably do a deep and thorough gravel vac (although in this case I think I would personally get someone ELSE to do it).

EDIT:

Just realized someone has been digging up old threads.....That is really annoying

Last edited by CareBear Overlord at 09-Jun-2005 23:08

That's just freeky, i can't stand them, however if it doesn't harm ur fish i think it would be quite cool to own 1....or maybe not! bah it's up to you hehe

[whiny, whiny, whiny voice]
OH jeeze Sneaky Pete I don't know what to tell you, right now I'm so grossed and freaked out I can't even begin to describe it to you...

And to make matters worse I too have found not 1, but 2of these nasty little things in my tank the other night...I don't care if it is a safe snail-a-vore, I want them gone, what can I add to the tank to get rid of them? These 2 were NASTY!!! They would suction onto the gravel vaccume and not go down till i was literally banging the stupid thing on the wall to get it to go down, and the dang thing just wouldn't go anywhere, but eventually landed in the sink and down the drain, thankfully...

So Sneaky Pete it looks like we are in this together, again incase us figuring out and cussing the stupid canister together wasn't enough huh?

My suggestion if you want to catch him, (i don't i just want them gone) do really really really deep gravel vacs so that you are lifting everything until you hit glass, and watch for the dang thing...Oh Lordy, someone help us, I've got the creepy crawlies like noone's business right now...

heidi

[link=ps my link to this nasty thing]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/General%20Freshwater/60010.html?200505311740" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link]...and cali, usually i can handle the detail today i think i'm gonna be sick...hml

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle