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Please help me identify this little creature that has infested my tank! There are literally thousands of them. I did the best I could to get a few decent pictures of them so please check them out.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14731417@N00/?saved=1

ummmmmmmmmmm i hope there not zebra muscles if they are they have been know to grow in the pipes and might bust them and thats not good. i cant tell for 100% sure what they are tho.....

Looks like Daphnia to me.

This article seems to be fairly comprehensive if you're interested in some further reading.

G_T

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

While they could be zebra muscles I would think they would grow larger than they do. Also they have incredible maneuverability... as in, they swim fast. They always stay close to the surface they are swimming above whether it be the substrate or the driftwood.

I don't know that they are daphnia, again because I would think they'd grow larger. From the article you linked to me though I believe they might be! The 'legs' shown in one of those graphics looks practically identical to the strange crablike legs my creature has. Also they may just be a species of daphnia that stay smaller.

Thanks for your help!

Hi,
First of all, I seriously doubt that they are the "zebras."

http://www.adrian.edu/chemistry/th/Somelinks/Spages/mrehkopf/mrehkopf.php
The free swimming larva are called Veligers and look
like this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veliger

Unless you are drawing water by the bucketful from an
infected lake, pond, or stream, this critter in any form
is not going to make it through the water treatment process.
You would have to bring it into the tank on untreated
driftwood, or rocks from a contaminated body of water.

Chances are you have daphnia which is an outstanding
live food for your fish, especially the babies.

Frank

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

If they are daphnia, that is a good thing. All I am left wondering is how they got there?!

If you have not added, untreated DW, rocks or plants it has come through your water supply.
Several years ago when we ran a bath the bottom was covered in small snails. Thank goodness it only happened a few times. I think it was caused by the supply company cleaning the pipes. It was never a worry as I have always had Clown Loaches.

Can you add one or more of the Loaches to clean them up?

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info
Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

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