Little white fast whirlie bugs in my tank.

[Absinthena]

So, I will have to make this quick because I gotta get to my night class.
A week ago I bought SAE and Red Cherry Shrimp fro azgardens.com
The shrimp came in a little bag with these light colored crazy little bug things. They're about 2 1/2 mm long and have legs. Their forms most looks like small versions of my dried plankton I feed my other tank. - Like little shrimp. Thinking thats what they were I put them in the tank with the shrimp, my platys, my cory and the SAEs. Well, I ended up having problems with my SAEs (see latest post)... all but one died over the span of a week. The one left, as off two days ago, actually seems like it might stick around. But this morning I woke up to two dead platys (never lost one in a year) and a dead shrimp. I skipped class and did an immediate water change with new - then tested the old water. O2, NH3, NO2, NO3 and Fe were all fine. NH3 was a smidge over Zero. But when testing the discard water I noticed two of those things from the bag of shrimp in there swimming and darting around like crazy things. This time, in the water, they looked more like bugs - Seemed to looks like they had wings or something. Still have legs though. They don't hang out at the surface at all. Now that I have two dead fish and one shrimp I am wondering what these weird things are. God knows how many I might have in my gravel since a week ago, ya know?

I can't take a picture because they're just too small and move way too fast. Also, it is worth mentioning that this tank is planted. And that the last plants I added were about a month ago now.

Well.. off to class. Hopefully I will know something more by the time class is over!!!

Anne

 

[marknmelissa]

Check google images for isopods. They are small crustaceans that look like tiny shrimp. They swim like little acrobats. Don't know if they pose any risks to home aquariums, but I am familiar with them from doing research on lakes and streams. Sounds like them.
let us know.
-Mark

 

[marknmelissa]

Sorry, I made a mistake. I said isopod, which is a land dweller (doodle bug) instead of amphipod (aquatic critter).
Try amphipod and see what you think. They are actually related to isopods and other crustaceans as well.
-Mark

 

[Absinthena]

You're wonderful. This is the closest thing I have seen to what could be in my tank. Also, one of the fiorst images I found had a caption stating amphipod's are found in the hyporheic zone of the Rio Calaveras in the Jemez mountains, NM. I purchased my shrimp from ARIZONA Aquatic Gardens!

For people interested here is a picture. http://www.tamug.tamu.edu/cavebiology/fauna/PhotoGallery/Yucatan/images/Dscn3317b.jpg

Well, this is a starting point. I did just realize that I could bring these guys to my Aquatic Ecology teacher at school. Jeez... What a thought! But that won't be until Monday. So, if anyone knows anything about amphipods.. please... bring it on!

And thanks Mark.

 

[marknmelissa]

They should turn into fish food very quickly if you have something big enough to eat them.
I'm SURE your ecology teacher can tell you loads about them.
-mark

 

[marcus russo]

Another good thing is they won't hurt anything else.
These are usually foud where there is an abundance of excess food.