Hello all
This is my first time on this site and was hoping to get a little advice.
I have recently set up a new tank for cycling (50g, freshwater, liveplants, driftwood, power filter, heater, sand substrate). The tank was set-up about 2 weeks ago and live plants were added about a week ago. The drift wood is store bought and was soaked outside the tank for about 1 day, but not boiled. There are no fish in his tank yet but will become home to one catfish when it is ready. Everything is going well and the nitrites are just starting to drop.
However, yesterday I noticed some sort of larvae (I think) swimming around in the water. They are too small too get a picture of so I will describe them as best I can.
They are thin whitish wormy looking things bout 5mm or 0.25" long. There are no other visible distinctions on them (no hooks or barbs or colourations). They just seem to float around in the current and every so often they wriggle around like crazy.
My thought right now is that they are some sort of mosquito or moth larvae, but I am not 100%.
Has anyone seen or heard of this before? Any idea what it is?
Can gill worm or hook worm (or any other parasite) live in a tank without fish?
MY catfish currently eats frozen bloodworms (mosquito larvae), but these are long dead and frozen, can the live ones hurt her at all? or is it just a tasty snack?
Any help comments suggestions are greatly appriciated as I do not want anything to happen to Sally (the catfish).
thanks in advance
newt
This is my first time on this site and was hoping to get a little advice.
I have recently set up a new tank for cycling (50g, freshwater, liveplants, driftwood, power filter, heater, sand substrate). The tank was set-up about 2 weeks ago and live plants were added about a week ago. The drift wood is store bought and was soaked outside the tank for about 1 day, but not boiled. There are no fish in his tank yet but will become home to one catfish when it is ready. Everything is going well and the nitrites are just starting to drop.
However, yesterday I noticed some sort of larvae (I think) swimming around in the water. They are too small too get a picture of so I will describe them as best I can.
They are thin whitish wormy looking things bout 5mm or 0.25" long. There are no other visible distinctions on them (no hooks or barbs or colourations). They just seem to float around in the current and every so often they wriggle around like crazy.
My thought right now is that they are some sort of mosquito or moth larvae, but I am not 100%.
Has anyone seen or heard of this before? Any idea what it is?
Can gill worm or hook worm (or any other parasite) live in a tank without fish?
MY catfish currently eats frozen bloodworms (mosquito larvae), but these are long dead and frozen, can the live ones hurt her at all? or is it just a tasty snack?
Any help comments suggestions are greatly appriciated as I do not want anything to happen to Sally (the catfish).
thanks in advance
newt
