Aquarium Pests FAQ page 2

I have a 45 gallon tank w/ two Tiger Oscars and 4 snails. I noticed a lot of small white creatures swimming around today. The water has an odor to it that I can not get rid of. I change about 15% of the water and vacuum every third month. I have a Fluval canister filter and a Penguin power filter I change every three months. What could these white things be?

The smell and the "white creatures" are related. This is a clear case of an over-fed tank. This is a common problem in Oscar tanks and other tanks with larger carnivores. The white critters are either copepods (microscopic crustaceans) or small worms, probably of the Tubifaria family. They could also be planarians (flat worms). They are most likely scavengers, and are nothing to worry about. What is cause for worry is why they are there. These animals will only populate tanks in large numbers when there is something for them to eat, so over-feeding is definitely the problem. Larger fish like Oscars tend to be sloppy eaters and if you're feeding live fish as food, the problem is compounded. The odor is from the decay of uneaten food. Refer to our FAQ on feeding to learn how to feed properly. The object is to get all the food inside the fish. To solve your problem, do a 50% water change and vacuum the gravel thoroughly. Increase your regular water changes to 25 to 40% thereafter. Control the feeding. If food particles are leftover when you feed, you are over-feeding. Cartridges in the Penguin should be changed every two weeks. The carbon in the Fluval should be changed monthly. Carbon will remove the odor, so change the carbon and cartridges when you do that first big water change.

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I have a 30 gallon community tank and recently have had a problem with snails. I used Snail-a-cide and it seemed to help(even though I had to go with quite a bit larger of a dose than what they said to use) but now I have little whiteish things growing on the glass and all over my coral rocks. What are they?

Those "whitish things could be a lot of things. We're not sure from your description. Typically, the use of Snail-a-Cide (by Aquatronics) requires two dosages, in order to kill the snails that hatch out of eggs, as the eggs are unaffected by the treatment. Baby snails are usually not white, but the white objects may be the decayed shells of snails. We would suggets simply scrubbing them off and waiting to see if they re-appear. By the way, you did say you had "coral rocks" and this is a freshwater tank we assume, so those white things could also be calcium deposits from the rocks you have. Coral in any form is usually not a good idea in freshwater aquaria. Snails really do no harm to an aquarium while they're alive, though they will destroy live plants. They simply breed in such large numbers that they create a nusiance and are unsightly. If a lot of dead snails are let in a tank however, they'll rot and pollute the tank, and their leftover shells will release a lot of calcium into the water which will make the water hard and alkaline.

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I have a healthy 75G Tank with live rock. I noticed on the bottom white worm like creatures attached to the bottom about 1 inch long, 1/32 inch thick, moving on their own(Filter feeding?). Any idea what they are and are they good or bad? Can you recommend something to get rid of these critters?

Those are most likely Turbellarian flatworms, and they tend to populate tanks that are very rich in nutrients from the tank being over-fed or over-stocked with fish. They live in the substrate. The best solution is to do a good water change and vacuum the substrate thoroughly. Then cut back on your fish feeding.

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Can you see the ich parasite in your tank? I have some little white bugs on the bottom of my tank.

You can see Ich on fish, but that is where you will see it. Ich (already discussed in other FAQ) looks like small grains of salt adhered to the fins or body of the fish.

What you have are probably copepods, and they are harmless scavangers (also discussed in other FAQ). Their presence usually indicate that you are over-feeding.

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I have a 30 gal tank. One scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp and one tomato clown fish. I have copepods in my tank and would like to know how to get rid of them. I have heard that I could add some fish to eat these critters. What kind of fish would be compatible with what I have?

You never will get rid of them, and as they do no harm, why would you want to? They feed on organics and algae in the tank and their population will undergo cyclic changes. They are beneficial and many critters eat them including your fish and shrimp.

As for what fish you should try, any small fish that will not grow large will work such as Gobies, Blennies, Pseudochromis and Basslets. Don't try another clownfish as the Tomato clown will try to kill it.

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I have a 200 gallon tank with 5 Oscars and 2 algae eaters. I have noticed little red worms in the gravel. I clean my tank once a week and change at least 95% of the water. Are these harmful to my fish?

These are called nematodes, and are very common in oscar tanks. They typically are introduced with feeder fish, but may have found their way in with the oscars themselves (which were probably being fed goldfish at some point before you purchased them). The adult worms you are seeing are generally harmless, but large numbers of them can be unsightly and may put additional strain on your tank's filtration and oxygen supply. Antiparasitic treatments, such as copper medications, should clear them out. Just be prepared to do a large water change after the treatment and vacuum out as many of the dead worms as possible.

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I have a 20 gallon freshwater tank with 2 Platys and a ‘Chinese Algae Eater’. The other day I noticed small almost transparent “beetles” roaming around on the gravel. They are about the size of a pin head. What do you think they are? Should I be afraid of these guys? If so, how do I control them? Thanks.

Your "beetles" are most likely some kind of zooplankton, such as a species of copepod or euphausiid shrimp. My expertise is not in freshwater plankters, and without a dissecting scope and ID book, actual identification is impossible. The good news is that they are most likely harmless--in fact, as a food item, they are great. You can try to siphon them out with a water change, but they will most likely recolonize very quickly.

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I have a 100 ga fresh water tank. It has an infestation of extremly small bugs. About the size of a period made with a sharp pencil. Details cannot be seen with the naked eye. 40X microscope required to see that it looks oval in shape. Propulsion is accomplished with oar-like projections from one end. Looks like a hard shell, but is a little translucent. Backlighting reveals the gut and other internals. They are found both at the water surface, and in the gravel. Seem harmless so far as they have been in the tank for at least 4 months. They must number in the millions! Any ideas?

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I have a 55 gal reef aquarium and have been tring to get rid of all of the undesirables. After the lights in the aquarium go off, I have seen clearish worm looking creatures coming out of the holes of the live rock They are long, no legs, and are clearish, whiteish, and maybe even a little yellowish. What are your ideas?

There are many types of worms found in reef tanks. Fortunately, almost all of them are harmless. Even brsitleworms in small numbers will do little or no harm, and ridding a tank of worms is almost impossible. There will always be a few. From your description, this could be one of many possibilities, but we would advise you not to worry about it.

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I have found a few snails in my 20 gallon planted tank. I already have two Blue Rams, a few guppies, and an eel of some type. I see that you suggest getting at least five clown loaches to correct this (before it gets worse?) but I think if I put that many in there it would be a tight squeeze. Any suggestions?

Clown loaches, as well as other Botia species, are very effective controls for snails in freshwater tanks. However, five would certainly be too much for a 20 gallon tank (especially considering the size these fish can reach). You can try three small clowns in your tank (they usually don't do well in groups less than this), but they will eventually outgrow your tank. Skunk Botias, a close relative, stay smaller and might be a better choice for your tank.

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