Little white specs in tank?

[FroFro]

I just noticed my ten gallon tank I've been running has these VERY tiny, small white things that seem to dart in order to move. I tried taking a photo but they are so small my camera can't focus on them. I read a few other forum posts after googling that they be copepods but I'm not sure. The only change I've mad was a recent addition of an amazon sword I bought at petsmart. I'd find it difficult to believe they came from it, however, because I only buy the plants in the tubes and have NEVER had any "hitchhikers" from these plants before.

 

[Colin_T]

if they are small white and Y shaped, they are cyclops or copepods, and are relatively harmless altho some people say the males become gill parasites on fish but I never had that issue.

 

[NickAu]

if they are small white and Y shaped, they are cyclops or copepods,

Fish food? Im sure my Bumblebee Gobys would love them.

 

[FroFro]

if they are small white and Y shaped, they are cyclops or copepods, and are relatively harmless altho some people say the males become gill parasites on fish but I never had that issue.

They are Y shaped. How do I get rid of them?

 

[Colin_T]

just leave them, the fish will eat them and when their numbers stabilise you won't notice them.

 

[FroFro]

I

just leave them, the fish will eat them and when their numbers stabilise you won't notice them.

I want then gone. I only have one betta which is not not enough to eat them. I don't plan on add g anything else until the parasites are gone

 

[Colin_T]

You can try praziquantel, it treats tapeworm and gill flukes and might kill them, otherwise malachite green or copper but praziquantel is safer. If you scoop the fish out and move him into another tank, you can use salt or copper or malachite green and then flush the tank out afterwards.

 

[NickAu]

Colin

Please stop recommending the use of copper in members tanks without warning them of the dangers.

 

[Baccus]

Although copepods and the like may be annoying (if you focus on them instead of the other tank inhabitants) they are actually a sign of a nice healthy tank. They are not really a parasite and are filling a niche eating excess food and some floating algea/ diatoms. Although you said you did not wish to add anything else to the tank, to cut down on the available food sources of the copepods/ cyclops you could add a non-pest species of snail or do more frequent water changes. I am surprised your fighter is not scoffing them down but if you cut back on its feeding it may turn its attention to a free, valuable natural food source.