any biologists handy???

[chong2]

me and my wife were looking closly at our fish tank today and found these, all over throughout the gravel. we have had the tank running about 1 1/2 years now. im wondering if these are pests or part of the bio system. do you know what these are, are they parasites or are they a important part of the fish tank process? i tried getting the best shots i could. its hard with the glass. they are only in the gravel, there must be thousands of them. they are kinda quick, they remind me of sand fleas from the ocean.

 

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[kieser sousa/rip]

Look like shellfish mabey baby clams Then again could be alians for all I know.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Freshwater clams. They are not parasites but will harbor some. Best bet is to "mechanically" remove them with a gravel siphon before they get big enough to breed.

 

[chong2]

hey charlie, they do move kinda fast, they are clams? how big will they get? are they like the little yellow ones i find at lakes? up to the size of a quarter?

 

[chong2]

i just looked at them with a magnifyer, they shure look like clams. i dont know if you noticed, but on one end the have what seems to be 2 liny whiskers flopping everwhere. anyhow, thanks for the help

 

[trish76642]

If their clams how did they get in your fish tank?

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I take that back. If I am seeing two little antenna in the image I'd say Ostarcods.

Still harmless unless you get zillions.

Could have come in with the fish water from the pet store or from pond water.

 

[Angelo]

What Charlie said,

Ostarcods- These are small bean shaped organisms. They are entirely harmless. They may be brought in with live foods, plants, or even through water supply. They live in an opaque shell that may be whitish yellow to brown or sometimes green in color. They are 1-3 mm long. The most obvious protrusions from the shell are two antennae and a pair of slender legs, which are withdrawn rapidly if danger threatens. They feed mainly on decaying matter. They provide a someone useful function. Some fish will eat them, and unless they become an unsightly problem, there is not a need to remove them!

Tony

 

[chong2]

awesome, thanks charlie and angelo

 

[chong2]

one more question, i just did a water change a few weeks ago, and there are half a zillon now is there a particular fish that will eat these up? right now i have guppies, chinese suckers, placamus, ghost shrimp, and some large snails in there. but something that wont harm my other creatures.

 

[chong2]

found one, entomocorus benjamini catfish

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

found one, entomocorus benjamini catfish

You should have a little catfish in your aquarium. Being a bottom feeder, they help keep the aquarium clean.

 

[Montana Jim]

Zillions from a new water supply?

Do they taste good with kool-aid?

 

[bradyboy]

STEAMED Ostarcods

4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
4-5 lbs.Ostarcods , cleaned and de-bearded
1 cup white wine
couple pinches of pepper
couple pinches of salt

Heat a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add oil. Wait until oil starts to smoke and add the onions. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, mussels, wine, parsley, salt and pepper. Cover pan immediately.
Give pan a good shake, and let steam for about 2 minutes. Check to see if the Ostarcods have opened; if not, let steam for another minute.

If some Ostarcods have not opened, discard them. Don't cook any longer then 3 minutes because Ostarcods are very easy to overcook and they become rubbery.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve immediately

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

What kind of fish do you have?

The little corydorus catfish get along with everything. I had a 2" one that was introduced with an oscar about the same time. The catfish syated that size and the oscar got to be about 11" long. He'd eat 2" "pinky" goldfish lightning fast (I mean a dozen in 5 seconds, but he never bothered that little catfish.

Nicest bottom cleaners we ever had were a pair of Geophagus jurupari (no "common" name, and that's not even their true scientific name). Irredescent pearly scales. They pick up a mouthful of gravel, swish it around and spit it out. Very active but very non-aggressive. Ours lived about six years and got to be about 7" long. Unfortunately, the last time I looked the price has gone through the roof.

 

[chong2]

its a 20 gal tall tank. just a community tank, nothing special inside. i bred myself a new strain of guppy, i call them blood streak. actually i had a pair of the corydorus catfish untill the temperature fell when the heater went out and they were the inly 2 that didnt make it. will those little guys eat the Ostarcods up?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

We have Oscars living/breeding in our canals here in Florida. Thrown away by owners when they became to large. Then we had to import Peacock Bass to eat the Oscars.
Not my picture.

 

[Gilligan]

STEAMED Ostarcods

4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
4-5 lbs.Ostarcods , cleaned and de-bearded
1 cup white wine
couple pinches of pepper
couple pinches of salt

Heat a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add oil. Wait until oil starts to smoke and add the onions. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, mussels, wine, parsley, salt and pepper. Cover pan immediately.
Give pan a good shake, and let steam for about 2 minutes. Check to see if the Ostarcods have opened; if not, let steam for another minute.

If some Ostarcods have not opened, discard them. Don't cook any longer then 3 minutes because Ostarcods are very easy to overcook and they become rubbery.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve immediately

I think you need a high powered microscope, some micro-tweezers and a heck of alot of spare time to clean and debeard those little buggers!!

 

[DANGLANGLEY]

STEAMED Ostarcods

4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
4-5 lbs.Ostarcods , cleaned and de-bearded
1 cup white wine
couple pinches of pepper
couple pinches of salt

Heat a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add oil. Wait until oil starts to smoke and add the onions. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, mussels, wine, parsley, salt and pepper. Cover pan immediately.
Give pan a good shake, and let steam for about 2 minutes. Check to see if the Ostarcods have opened; if not, let steam for another minute.

If some Ostarcods have not opened, discard them. Don't cook any longer then 3 minutes because Ostarcods are very easy to overcook and they become rubbery.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve immediately

I think you need a high powered microscope, some micro-tweezers and a heck of alot of spare time to clean and debeard those little buggers!!

LOL, I'm still laughing over that one..... And a great response too!!!

DANGLANGLEY

 

[bradyboy]

Thanks
I felt it was an unusual but tasty post.
BradyBoy