Question About Something In The Shrimp Tank.

[Juggler75]

My daughter's red cherry shrimp tank is 12x8x7 and been set up for a couple of months with some ornaments covered in moss. There are 10 cherrys in there that seem to be berrying well but not seeing much in way of young (have only seen 2 that were about 5mm in size and starting to colour up). I have covered the internal filter intake with some tights wrapped with elastic band so sure they aren't diassapearing in there. The thing is on the side of the glass there seems to be planaria and some other creatures that I'm not sure of. At first I thought they were hydras but seem to be in colonys and only 0-1mm in size. Any idea what these might be? Too small for my photography skills. Are they dangerous to shrimp?

Thanks for help

 

[fishyfeet]

the other thing as probably hydra, which are flatworms, both hydra and planaria occur mainly in shrimp tanks due to overfeeding its the left over food that feeds them, shrimps eat next to nothing and its a common occurance. You might like to add something like a few apple snails to your shrimp tank which eat some hydra and planaria, and more importantly they clean up the tank, as to getting rid of most of it, it seem that Fenbendazole is the stuff which is in dog wormers and safe guard, i think protozan might work but not sure about the shrimp with that stuff. di

 

[Juggler75]

Thanks, I thought so. In a larger tank there is a couple of pregnant female endlers. Will these be safe to add as a biological alternative to chemicals? Thinking of using this tank as birthing tank but not sure if it's too small. I also have some assassin snails in there, would these be as useful as apple snails?

 

[Caprichoso]

Thanks, I thought so. In a larger tank there is a couple of pregnant female endlers. Will these be safe to add as a biological alternative to chemicals? Thinking of using this tank as birthing tank but not sure if it's too small. I also have some assassin snails in there, would these be as useful as apple snails?

The endlers may eat the planaria but they will also eat shrimplets and possibly peck at the adult shrimp. The hydra can kill shrimp and fry fish so you definitely will want to get rid of those. Spixi snails eat hydra if you want to go the natural way. Also, there is a natural extract of Betel nut you can use to kill planaria, (safe for shrimp) and it's called "No Planaria" and you can buy it online. As mentioned as well, gravel vac and cutting down on feeding will help.

 

[Juggler75]

Thanks for info, managed to get some photos off phone for a bit more clarification.

The first shows the size of the tank (12x7x7xinches about 4-5 gallons or 20l). The 2nd gives some context to the size of the suspect organisms (one on glass underneath the elastic band)., I'd estimate what I think might be hydra are about the size of a 'hair' on a piece of moss. I don't think tank is big enough for apple snail of any great size and since I don't have another tank to put it in if/when it outgrows this one bit reluctant to get one. Just trying to be sure before dosing whith chems.

Edited to insert pictures

 

[three-fingers]

Can't make out the 2nd picture but since you mention "colonies" make sure it's not just some Carchesium sp.. See this pic here: the white things on the plants behind the tadpoles are Carchesium.

Hydra don't live in colonies. Carchesium are harmless filter feeders, much smaller than hydra.

Also, I think your idea of adding endlers to eat Hydra is great, I have a few Hydra regularly popping up in my shrimp tank, but I also have lots of fish that eat them and hundreds of cherry shrimp (the adults also eat Hydra). I think it's very unlikely you'll get a problem with pest Hydra in a shrimp tank, or any tank with fish big enough to eat them, and also IME they are a bigger threat to baby fish than baby shrimp anyway.

 

[Juggler75]

Thanks, will not add chems and see what happens.