Help!

[Mza36]

Problem
i was feeding my fish today with a new batch of bloodworms i bought at the lfs. i usually chop some up in my hand and drop them in for my small emp tets and guppies but this time i noticed a flat leech!!! i think it is a leech because it was kind of oval like other people in the forum said. i tried ti get it out but by the time i could grab my plant grabber tool, he had gone under the soil. after about a minute i was freakin out and scooped a fat net full of gravel approximately where the creature was. i went through the gravel but i couldnt find the s.o.b.

My stocK
i keep a few otocinclus, emp tets, guppies, japonica shrimps, ghost shrimps, bamboo shrimps, and MTS.

Questions
what are the potential threats of this leech to my stock?
do these leeches reproduce asexually and will they start multiplying?
what are my chances of witnessing him above gravel (day,night etc) so i can eradicate?

PLZ HELP AHHHHH!!

I know its my fault for not being more careful with food supply but plz help!!

 

[Haych]

dont beat yourself up, i would never think to check live food, i usually just open the bag and pour in.

someone will be able to help, sorry i cant though (just thought you shouldnt blame youself)

 

[three-fingers]

If it was quite small (less than an inch), the tetras, ghost shrimp and Amano shrimp will probably just eat it when they find it anyway.

Even if they don't, it may not be dangerous, it could just be a snail (or other invertebrate) eating leech.

Given that the ponds/tanks used for raising live foods are meant to be free of fish (so they aren't eaten, and so that live foods cant pass on fish disease), the chances of it being harmful to the fish are very small.

You need more than one leech for it to reproduce, unless it's already mated.

 

[Mza36]

wow thanks for the responses. i do feel a little better now.

the leech was def smaller than one inch and i am almost positive it is the only leech in the tank. however, i found at least one more leech in the bloodworms last night so i can only pray that little guy didnt reproduce or something.

i thought i read somewhere that some leeches are heramphroditic and that scared me! i thought they were going to infest my tank.

i hope he gets eaten before he can eat my baby and adult trumpet snails though.

thanks again for responses.

any others are welcome

 

[three-fingers]

Leeches are hermaphroditic, but that just means that there's no males and females, any two leeches can mate with each other .

 

[Mza36]

.... i just checked the bloodworms and found a leech in it (there seem to be about 4 w/ the bw) and saw that he had some little leeches on him. i just hope that the rogue leech that got in wasnt prego!!

i just saw on the web that some people keep leeches as pets and feed them liver (and some along with their own blood supply on occasion..!)
i think i am going to try putting some liver in my tank and staking the scene out. i dont know if the leech is as three-fingers says and might only prey on smaller organisms so i dont know if this method would lure him but i want to see if i can by placing some liver in the tank. now i need some liver lol. but i am seriously considering it and would like to know if anyone knows how the liver will effect my water. i imagine at the least it acts like a decaying fish body

but then again maybe its not even worth it for one leech. im gonna just wait it out for now but i am curious on peoples thoughts on this method which i think parallels the cucumber method(granted that liver most probably will effect water quality more than a slice of cucumber will) to remove some snails.