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Hi All,
(mods if I posted this in the wrong place feel free to move it).

Remember about a month ago I posted about a Leech in my aquarium?
Well I have been keeping an eye out for it, and until last night, nothing. However, last night I was watching the fish for about 2 hours, curled up in a blankey by the tank, and I notice something moving in a weird way in the gravel and sure enough, theres a leech!!!
After catching said leech, and taking pictures of it, I look back in the tank and realize something amazing:
In the piles of snails (yes piles) there are also leeches!!!
MY god, there must be hundreds of them in my 10g tank, I have no idea about my 25g.
I took some gravel from my 25g to my 10g.
Now obviously this leech must not be a fish eater??
All the fish in the 10g tank are very small (6 guppies and 5 cory hasbrosus and lots of fry).
By watching the leeches last night, and where their "colonies" seemed to be located, it appears they either eat detritus, or snails! I also noticed a LOT of empty snail shells. I know these pond snails dont live long, but there are far more shells than usual.
I have pictures I am attaching of the leech I caught last night. There was also a tiny tiny young one in the gravel I scooped up as well.
They are obviously reproducing.
Heres pics maybe someone can ID the creepy suckers for me.
If they are fish eaters I will take efforts against them, but so far no injuries/wounds/red spots/clinged on leeches on any of the fish in either my 10g or 25g tanks!
OH PS, I killed the leech by adding salt to the water in the container until it died. Took quite a bit too- I dont think this would work to kill the ones in the aquarium. I heard Metriphonate works on leeches, however how would my C. Hasbrosus and Guppies/fry react to this medication? I know it is very harmful on loaches. If these little creeps are harmless, I may let them live. I havent decided yet.





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You are lucky you found it, you must have been wondering for so long where it was. I know this might sound crazy, but it kind of looks like live bloodworms to me...have you ever fed your fish live blood worms and one of them just could have survived?

but arn't bloodworms a larvae stage and would change into something before they reproduce.

I think it's just a worm. If you fed them recently, they wouldn't have had time to metamorphisis.

If the worms aren't huring anything, and they don't seem to be, then I would just let them live in your tank. Worms make up a large portion of the animal diversity in nearly all natural aquatic habitats, so as long as the worm is not predatory or parasitic towards fish, it might be best to leave it in there.

It probably fills a niche in aquaria similar to the earthworm on land.

---

I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

does your lfs sell a type or live food called black worms and would you have happened to feed your fish with'em cuase a few black worms escaped last time i fed 'em and now and then i see them rigling through the gravel
but the fish 'll eat 'em sooner or later

Declan

No, actually, I have never ever fed my fish live food any type within the past 2 years.

When I did a clean on the tanks tonight, also, many many dozens of "empty" snail shells.
I have heard some types of leeches actually feed on snails.
This could be a very good thing for me considering the snail population!

They are kinda neat looking.


Come Play Yahtzee With Me!
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As long as they are not bothering you or your fish i would not worry about it. Just keep a close watch to make sure all your fishies are happy and ok.