creepy crawlers- someone please help!

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pecita25

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Dec 7, 2004
Messages
6
Location
Arlington, TX
(This is the second time i am posting this- here's the updated version.)

I bought an already established 55 gallon tank on ebay that came with more than just fish. It also came with tiny, tiny brown bugs. They are so tiny that they are barely noticeable, but they show up against anything white and I can see them crawling on my white rock. They get on my albino oscar a little bit too, but don't seem to bother her. They are too small to show up in a pic. No one, including two other online forums and Petsmart seems to know what they are. (The lady at Petsmart is recommending that either I should use Maracide or empty out the tank and clean everything with alcohol, but says she is not sure which and will tell me more Monday.) I would be eternally grateful if someone could tell me what these little things are. Thanks
 
Snails wouldn't get on an oscar and are big enough to see in pics. I'm not sure probably some type of insect/parasite (that's bad). Other people have had posts like this but I can't remember what it was. Someone will come along and answer your question.
 
Ive had some little bugs in my ugf for over a year now. Do a couple extra pwc and feed less. You may also want to get a bottom feeder. I've never had oscars so I dont know who would make a good tank mate. I'm lucky. There isn't much too small for me to take a pic of. I bought a microscope that connects to the computer. Here's a pic of one of my bugs at 200X

D'oh, I put it on twice.
 
It sounds to me like it could be flukes. Flukes are parasites which normally infect the gills or skin of fish.

Jungle labs makes a product called Parasite Clear. I've found it to be very effective. You'll have to treat for 3 weeks though to make sure you kill not just the ones you see, but the unhatched eggs as well.
 
Also I would consider salt and heat - parasites do not prosper with those, but a more definitive treatment like BrianNY recommends is probably the way to go.

Most wormy type pests in an aquarium are not harmful to the fish, but if it is more like a bug and is actually on your fish, then it is something you need to wipe out.
 
can these be found in SW tanks also. because i saw something thismonring in my tank on a piece of LR and i am like AHHH what is that....

:(
 
Yes - that's what puts the "live" in your rock, lol!

I don't know what is desirable and what isn't, so maybe post over in SW and see if it is a nasty or a good guy.
 
Wow, it sounds like there are a lot of unpleasant possiblities. Thank everyone so much for all of the great advice, though! The lady at Petsmart gave me Maracide to put in the tank (which sounds like something similar to the Jungle product) but I am trying that first, along with more heat (80 degrees), more water changes, and less food. I didn't mention that I do have an algae eater already. The lady at Petsmart also recommended a Jungle food that kills bacteria- Pepso or something like that, but I haven't been able to find it yet.
 
Um, I'm not even sure what kind I have because he came with the tank. He is a very common one, brown and black spotted. He does look like he may not have scales, though. Thanks for the advice- I hadn't even thought of that.
 
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