Anyone Got Lists/links To Fw Bugs/insects?

[Orbit887]

I've already posted this in the Tropical Chat section, but didn't get the answers I was after!

Basically I've seen a couple of different bugs/insects in my 10g tank and have had a sudden loss of 3 fish in the tank, which may or may not be related to the bugs I've seen in the tank, would like to be able to id them to deduce if they're to blame!

First thing I saw was a slightly oval shapped creature, about 3-5mm diameter, looked very similar to common ticks you find in woodland and forest (like the one who bit me last year!). Small legs coming out of the oval shapped being, think there were 8 legs, kinda hard to count though! It was also dark coloured over the majority of it's body.

The second thing I saw, is starting to sound more and more like possibly being a leech. It was v thin, probably less than 1mm thickness, and was about 8-10mm long. I saw it in the middle of open water, near plants and was vertical. It moved by bending the middle part of its body, looking bit like a hinge, and then released the part it had bent round.

I've lost 3 or of the 4 otos in the tank in a very short space of time. They've been acting fine, no signs of distress or any problems or red gills, and then all of a sudden I'll find them dead or very close to death, in one instance only 30mins after I'd seen them happily swimming around the tank!

Original link is: http/www.fishforums.net/Lists-For-Freshw...ks-t197526.html

Stats are:
10gal fw tank,
quite heavily planted,
occupants: 1 x otto + 1 x amano shrimp
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 10
ph: 8 (tap water is 8.2)


What I'm really after are links to databases or identification sites that I'd be able to see if it's the bugs in the tank to blame, and if I need to take some action clearing out the tank, or if it was just the sensitivity of the otos.

Thanks.

 

[WILDER]

Sounds like fish louse to me.
http/www.fishpalace.org/Disease.html#Argulus

 

[Orbit887]

Sounds like fish louse to me.
http/www.fishpalace.org/Disease.html#Argulus

Wow thanks for that link Wilder - that's going straight into the favorites!

Yeah from reading the descriptions of it it does sound like one of them might be fish louse, but the pics all look slightly different. The thing in my tank wasn't flat, was round, the oval shape was comparable to a 'lady-bug' type of shell. I'll keep hunting on to see if I can work it out though!

That link also sent me to a page http/www.badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article1.html which gave me my answer to what I hope that other thing might well be! Not actually leeches, but possibly just Nematodes

Thanks again for the link

 

[WILDER]

This is a good site on parasites.
http/edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_FA041

 

[Orbit887]

This is a good site on parasites.
http/edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_FA041

You just keep coming up with the goods!

Thanks again, from that site I'm now quite sure it wasn't a fish louse that I spotted. Starting to think it may've just been some bug that's usually air/land bound that must've arrived with the plants.

 

[WILDER]

Bugs can come in on fish live plants, and live foods.
So the bug resembles a lady bird.

 

[Orbit887]

Well, the shell was lady-bug like, but the actual bug just looked more like a 'tick', like the type you find in bracken woodlands and forests. Round dark, large looking shell, with about 8-10 little legs coming out quite evenly underneath it around the sides. OH yeah, also had a small head on the front, cant remember seeing and pincers or grabbers though.

edit - should also say there's not been any live food put in. Did get the oto's and a couple of plants in there at the same time from a lfs I really don't like using. Makes me suspicious.

 

[WILDER]

Thats good then if you can see no hooks.
I will do some searching for you.
Check the fish over for sores or pierce marks that a sign if these parasites are attaching themselves to a fish.

 

[WILDER]

Could it be a small beetle.
http/www.fish-disease.net/diseases.htm

 

[WILDER]

Is it possible to load a pic up of the parasite.

 

[Orbit887]

Could it be a small beetle.
http/www.fish-disease.net/diseases.htm

Hmm, that sounds worryingly familiar, fish dieing for no reason. I've had a check over the fish when they've died, not seen any puncture marks, it's possible that I missed them though if they were tiny. Would an oto's defensive tough back not be able to stop their pincers?

I've had a check over the remaining oto as best I can. He looks totally fine, can tsee any sores or anything sticking out of him where it shouldn't. There are however a LOT more nematodes than I remember. Quite a few at the surface trying to break through, and lots in the water. Also looks like I'm on the very brink of a nasty algae outbreak....

I'll try and grab my housemate's camera when he gets back home, and just hope it shows itself again quickly. Not seen it for a couple of days, but it's quite heavily planted in there, so loads of hiding places

 

[WILDER]

If you lost fish and water quality good sounds like the parasites are killing them, some cause bacterial infections as in there hooks or suckers they carry nasty bacteria, and some suck the fish dry of blood.
Any fish gone thin.

Can you remove your plants and sterlise them.
There a med but its lethal in the wrong hands you only add abit it will get rid of parasites out of the plants.

http/www.fishdoc.co.uk/treatments/potass...ermanganate.htm

 

[Orbit887]

Didn't see any of the fish getting thinner at all, all looked healthy until found dead, then they were slightly pale, but I just put that down to the fact they were dead.

The remaining oto still looks healthy. The amano shrimp in the tank has had no problems at all or any signs of illness or effect, he's got great colours on him and doing well eating in the tank.

 

[WILDER]

Ok, so there no signs of any fish flicking and rubbing them like something irratating them.
Hard to say whats going off.

 

[WILDER]

Just read your other thread the worm thing could be anchor worm but they usally have forked tails to internal parasites.
This is a good med dosn't alter your water stats it a one treatment that kills most parasites, but if the parasites are egg laying it a 4 weeks course.
http/www.flubenol.co.uk/