Microscopic Life in Freshwater Tanks

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soul-hugger
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Microscopic Life in Freshwater Tanks

Post by soul-hugger » Sun Dec 14, 2008 4:58 pm

Hello...

I was cleaning my plants last night when I noticed some white, stringy things clinging to the side of the stem of an Amazon Sword. They are very small...only a fraction of a millimetre thick and perhaps nearly half a millimetre or more tall. At first I thought they were algae, but then as I was examining closer, I was absolutely amazed to see them opening and closing!! They are attatched to the stem with a thin wiry leg and at the top, there are several wiry projections whorling out like you see on marine animals such as urchins and anemones, though these are much, much smaller. It made me wonder what other kinds of microscopic life inhabit our aquariums without us ever seeing or knowing about them. It also made me wonder how or why, would they be there all of a sudden when they weren't before, or if I just didn't notice. Does anyone know what these things may be, and what their presence means??? I would love to hear any answers on the subject, or just talk about microscopic plant and animals you have found in your tanks.
Just when you think fishkeeping couldn't get any more fascinating....

soul-hugger

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Bully
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Post by Bully » Sun Dec 14, 2008 5:05 pm

Sound like Hydra to me, though usually seen in a green colour :)

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bslindgren
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Post by bslindgren » Sun Dec 14, 2008 7:36 pm

You'd be amazed at the life in a fish tank. I teach invertebrate zoology, and habitually collect material from the filters to allow students to look at the diversity of organisms in labs. There are rotifers, nematodes and lots and lots of protozoans (protozoans are single-celled, but many are larger than multicellular rotifers!) living there, among other things. Most of these are critical for filter functioning and the overall health of the tank. What you are describing could be rotifers - some attach by stalks, but these are hard to see. Hydras are either brown or green. There are so many different possibilities, that without a detailed description it is pretty hard to say what you have.
Why does my aquarium always seem too small?

Diana
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Post by Diana » Mon Dec 15, 2008 11:54 am

Sounds like Hydra to me, too.

All that microscopic life is a good way to feed fish fry.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

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soul-hugger
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Post by soul-hugger » Mon Dec 15, 2008 12:27 pm

Thanks for the replies!! I would absolutely love to look at some of this stuff under a microscope. When I was a kid the microscope was my absolute favourite "toy," though it wasn't used like a toy. I know there is a living world that isn't visible to the naked eye, so I suppose I shouldn't have been so surprised to see it in the aquarium. You can live an entire lifetime in wonder and never see it all! BSlindgren, it must be fascinating to teach such a subject, and it would be great to sit in on one of your classes. Another comment, off the topic, I am originally from BC, and I my best friend moved to Prince George when we were teenagers. I have never been there, but even seeing the name brings back memories. I am now in Saskatchewan.

I am definitely going to keep an eye on these little creatures, and if I have the chance, I may even invest in a microscope. I'm wondering....is there a way to gauge the health of your aquarium by the creatures present in it?

If these are indeed Hydra, do you think they may be white because they aren't getting enough light? They are on the underside of a stem, where I'm sure they don't get much. I was doing a little reading last night, and read that they can also become real pests, but I must admit I find them interesting, and coupled with my reluctance to use chemicals unless it is entirely necessary, I am not in a hurry to get rid of them.

I love this hobby!

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andre
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Post by andre » Mon Dec 15, 2008 5:40 pm

Diana wrote:Sounds like Hydra to me, too.

All that microscopic life is a good way to feed fish fry.
Hydra may actually prey on fry. In some tanks may be a problem. They are amazing animals. They are capable to regenerate themselves (hence the name Hydra) and it's the only known animal that doesn't age and basically is biologically immortal.

I believe that some Gouramis feed on them.

Diana
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Post by Diana » Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:38 pm

That is very true. Hydra, specifically are not good in a fry tank. My comment was directed more toward all the other critters listed above.

Health of a tank can be gauged by the plants and animals that live there.

Most small animals (Hydra, Planaria, snails) will thrive and reproduce when there is an excess of fish food in the tank. First line of control is to cut the feeding in half and skip one day per week. This leaves the fish a little hungrier, and they are more likely to hunt their own food once in a while.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

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palaeodave
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Post by palaeodave » Thu Dec 18, 2008 2:32 pm

I think I have springtails living on top of the water lettuce I have floating around my tank. I can't say for sure as they just look like little brown dots that hop around but I reckon that's what they are. Think I'll catch a couple and take them into the lab. No idea how they got in there.
"Science is a lot like sex. Sometimes something useful comes of it, but that’s not the reason we’re doing it" ー R Feynman

starsplitter7
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Post by starsplitter7 » Thu Dec 18, 2008 2:53 pm

Dave, I think you just answered a question for me. I was wondering what the little critter jumping in my tank was. I bet they are springtails.

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chefkeith
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Post by chefkeith » Thu Dec 18, 2008 3:36 pm

They might be daphnia, also known as water fleas. I think my paludarium has plenty of them.

Got a video of my bugs-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUNbJeDHciw

starsplitter7
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Post by starsplitter7 » Thu Dec 18, 2008 5:38 pm

I have little critters jumping on the plants floating at the top of the tank.

I also have little critters swimming on the glass like your video. :)

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palaeodave
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Post by palaeodave » Thu Dec 18, 2008 6:07 pm

Trying to film those critters gives a renewed appreciation for Life in the Undergrowth! Amazing things they did with those tiny lenses.

The things I have stay out of the water. They jump around on top of the furry leaves floating in the tank.

Chefkeith, could you try catching some and getting them under a microscope? You can stick a normal digital camera up to the eyepiece and get half decent micrographs that way. Would be cool to see what those are in detail.
"Science is a lot like sex. Sometimes something useful comes of it, but that’s not the reason we’re doing it" ー R Feynman

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soul-hugger
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Post by soul-hugger » Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:52 am

Hello...

I watched the video, and though those are definitely not the same as the creatures I have in my tank, it was very interesting! The way they move indeed seems very similar to terrestrial fleas. When I lived in BC a friend of mine's house got infested by them from the pets, and boy can they jump! They have a very hard outer shell, and are hard to kill too! :lol:

After having done my second post on this thread, I noticed another creature living on the underside of the floating plants. These ones were round and looked to be many very small white dots clumped together in a circle. They reminded me of amoebas or something.

It is an interesting point to say that an abundance of fish food could cause this flush of life. Strangely enough, I had never given my fish daphnia until recently. I could see where they would be excellent for fry and very small fish, because they get spread all over, but my larger fish and loaches don't seem to care for it as much as some of the larger foods, such as bloodworms or brine shrimp. I assumed after the first feeding of daphnia that the fish were eating them, but when I siphoned the gravel, I found they had basically fallen to the tank floor and begun to grow mouldy. The tank was very newly set up and thus very clean, so I knew right away it was the daphnia I was seeing coming up the siphon tube, and they had grown a sparse white mould on them, making them look like little spiders. I have since curbed my feeding of this frozen food. I only give a tiny amount, mostly on account of my small kuhlis, and then only before I am about to clean and siphon the water. I never saw any of this microscopic life until I fed the daphnia, and then I read that Hydras feed on daphnia, and if you stop giving this to your fish, they may die. (the Hydras, that is!) This is good to know if they were ever to become a pest.

I do have a Honey Gourami in one of my tanks, and I have seen him pecking at the plants, though there are never any holes in the leaves. I figured he was feeding on algae or something, so I'm sure it is true that Gouramis eat them.

I don't have a digital camera or microscope myself, but for those of you who do, I would love to see some pics of the life you find in, on, or around your aquariums!

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chefkeith
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Post by chefkeith » Fri Dec 19, 2008 2:22 am

palaeodave wrote:
Chefkeith, could you try catching some and getting them under a microscope? You can stick a normal digital camera up to the eyepiece and get half decent micrographs that way. Would be cool to see what those are in detail.
I might get a microscope with video soon. I'll take another video of the bugs when and if I get it.

wasserscheu
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Post by wasserscheu » Fri Dec 19, 2008 6:57 am

Oligochaeta (worms) and Cyclops are common in tanks too. Cyclops have a few stages and thus various apperance. Grown up's appear swiming in a jumping way (strokes opf their front hair). Female have two eggbags behind their body.
You may know "Plancton" from TV series "Sponge Head or -Bob" or so, it is a cyclop.

I was once hoping to have fry, but turned out to be Cyclops.

A normal magnifying lense in front of a normal cam (also allows zooming too) can enlarge the pic for easier diagnose. Just focus may need to be done by keeping the right distance manually.
Wolfram

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