Episode 7 - 10 Aquarium Pests and How to Deal with Them - Blake's Aquatics Live Bites

Hey All,
Today we are going to chat all about Aquarium Pests.
This series, titled 'Live Bites' is an edited version of my weekly live stream for those of you that couldn't make it or don't have hours to spend watching a replay.
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#AquariumPests #Pests #BlakesAquatics

[@tokito_goat2253]

At this point is easier to take care of a dog

[@medleyhonki]

Really? how easy? I do not think it is easy to take care of 4 legged pet. Hah, walking them , bathing them, bringing them to vet, list goes on and on.

[@Linda-pm4kh]

Thank you so much Blake. You were very thorough in sharing information about each pest and how to treat them. The pictures are a big help in identification of "What's in my tank? aaaahhh!" And good to know that some are very beneficial to the ecosystem of a tank.

[@Ann__333]

What an amazingly informative video!!!! Wow. Thank you so so so much.

[@BlakesAquatics]

Glad it was helpful!

[@debramcfadden2701]

Thank you for all this great information

[@jimquitshowingmyname962]

I got a good laugh about your damselfly nymph gill comment and I agree. I'm dealing with them now. They decimated my scud tank and wiped out 80% of my Pearl Gourami fry.

[@AbyssalManta]

I must be the only one here thinking "How do I get these cool creatures in my tank?"

[@BlakesAquatics]

Haha yep

[@Promislandzion]

@@BlakesAquatics I want these in my tank too! Exept hydra and planaria cause I have shrimp.

[@Promislandzion]

I have detritus worms in my aquarium and there great my fish hunt them down and they help keep my substrate Partially aerated.

[@ryanfilancia]

some of them yeah!

[@KingsAquariumsAndAntWorld]

Great video mate, very informative, thanks for sharing

[@BlakesAquatics]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

Always great information.. I haven't dealt with a lot of these pests yet but I'd like to be prepared.. the only one that I had any dealings with was the planaria.. and I went with the canine dewormer.. panacur C.. some of these I've never seen before and hopefully won't 😂 thanks Blake I hope you have a great day!

[@richardwaldhouse8067]

Another awesome informative video!!!

[@BlakesAquatics]

Glad you liked it!

[@sabinegray1450]

Thanks for the info! I’ve had green hydra since last year in my shrimp tank. Removing the shrimp and using heat or dosing with fenbendazole has not been an option since I also have snails in there. I’ve used h202 to some success in weakening and killing them. But it’s stressful trying to prevent them from infecting my other tanks. I’ve tried removing them with mollies and 3 spot gourami but they have been uninterested sadly. Guppy also did not eat them as far as I know. Since adding a pond snail lately I haven’t seen the population grow so perhaps it eats them at night. But I can currently confirm my fish so far haven’t eaten them.

[@peacefulaqua6221]

Great video, never thought about heating the water to over 40C to remove hydra, good tip haha (After removing the fishy's of course )

[@novaadrian4570]

I realize I am kind of randomly asking but do anybody know a good website to watch newly released movies online ?

[@patriziabeaucage258]

Lots of great info

[@FishyFun57]

This is was a very informative video Blake! I’ve had hydra and brown planaria! I never new or seen the rest on your list. There’s also a green variation of hydra . Hydra like planaria can reproduce if you break off any of its tentacles, so it also requires very careful removal, so it doesn’t break into pieces and make more. Both hydra and planaria appears when over feeding a tank occurs. Sparkling gouramis are great at eating planaria. It’s how I controlled my planaria outbreak.

[@debbieexcell5088]

Informative. I saw an organism that looks like a worm r leech. I exposed it to my system thru the plants. Ur video helped me to identify that the invader is a detritus worm.👍🏻

[@annak2575]

me too!😂

[@ellam1841]

I’ve been picking damselfly larvae out of the shrimp tank. I was so angry at myself, shaking while trying to squish them. I’ll drain the tank thank you!!

[@BlakesAquatics]

Sorry to hear

[@maggiesfishtanks4108]

Thank you so much !!!! I have something in my tank !!!!

[@annak2575]

What's in "the dip" for plants to get rid of snails??

[@DanielKeepingFish]

Good list and information. You could do a whole episode on the Hydra. As well as being an aquarium best they're really interesting once you look into them a bit more. Scientists are studying them because they may contain the key to eternal life for example.

[@TommyChngHjorth]

Thanks

[@BlakesAquatics]

Thank you!

[@katphish30]

I just noticed yesterday that I have green hydra in two of my tanks, while I had a brine shrimp hatchery bubbling away in the kitchen. 😆 I went ahead and fed it today, but I won't be feeding those tanks for a couple of days so the ember tetras and nano rainbowfish will eat them.

[@onegodministries3278]

freshwater sponges are a pest and hard to irradicate once it is in your tank it could suffocate your plants.

[@longslhonglogan2959]

Thanks for the info

[@BlakesAquatics]

No problem 👍

[@longslhonglogan2959]

@@BlakesAquatics was a bit worried about the little clear snail things. Because they all over my shrimp tank but you put my mind at ease, thank you always nice watching another aussie aye actually helpful🤙🏼🫶🏼

[@terrellwarden7126]

Wait... how do you get rid of leeches again?

[@kench1]

I’ve got these flat worms but they are very small, have round heads I’ve got nothing in the tank right now any ideas bc I might just crank up the heat and start add boiling water so nothing in there can survive

[@BlakesAquatics]

Round head is fine, just flatworms or leeches. Unsightly but not a threat

[@Adrian-wx7ko]

good video. On limpets, how would you deal with them?

[@BlakesAquatics]

I had them and I just left them, they aren't harmful just a bit unsightly

[@DezyVic93]

I Have clusters of little creatures in my tank. It looks like pepper but they aren't entirely black. They dart around and have literally gotten everywhere. Could they be seed shrimp?

[@BlakesAquatics]

Sounds like seed shrimp to me 👍

[@LeSurrealDream]

Sounds like I have the same thing. I only really notice them when I clean the filter, I think because I have a lot of tannins. There are hundreds of tiny almost microscopic brown dots moving around really fast. I thought they might be seed shrimp, but I’m worried they might be water mites (not sure if these are good or bad). They are impossible to get rid of, but the shrimp and fish seem to be doing fine, I just hate seeing them when I clean. Any updates on your situation? Are you still seeing them and is everything going well in your tank?

[@dr.awkward9075]

Best horror movie i've seen in a while.

[@BlakesAquatics]

🤣

[@douggiles7647]

Very informative video, thank you for sharing! Got a kick out of you trying to keep a straight face while talking about the dragonfly nymph's "propulsion" lol. Also just want to point out for anyone else wondering about the measurements that 0.6 inches is over double the 5 millimeters maximum that you said, closer to 15 than 5, because even just 0.6 of a centimeter is 6 millimeters and a centimeter is almost 2.5 times smaller than an inch.

[@BlakesAquatics]

True 😅 converting units on a live stream in my head probably not the best idea

[@douggiles7647]

​@@BlakesAquatics No worries lol, I prefer Metric anyways but grew up using both, and I know most people are usually used to only using one or the other so trying to do conversions on the fly is no fun. And that line about the dragonfly nymphs breathing style being very fitting cracked me up 😂

[@laurabustos6560]

2 years later. I'm here for the hydra. I have a shrimp only tank w neo's and Bamboo/ Wood shrimp and snails. I need, PLEASE, a way to safely get rid of hydra that won't hurt my buddies! I was growing out some guppy and platy fry for my son and since they left I have a hydra breakout!! I've read that most if not all the meds aren't shrimp/ snail safe. I've also read some blogs on betel nut extract powder being a shrimp and snail safe alternative???

[@tuerklinke9370]

Perhaps the fry ate them. There are snails that eat hydra. Pond snails i dont know the english name. Not ramshorns...

[@tuerklinke9370]

I will look it up if you still care

[@laurabustos6560]

@@tuerklinke9370 thanks, the betel root/ No Planaria is the brand I ended up using worked at half the recommended dose. It was a pain to figure out dosing on my smaller tanks, but it does work and even though I tried to get all the ramshorn snails out, there were still a few in the tank and they and the shrimp made it through safely. ✌️

[@tuerklinke9370]

@@laurabustos6560 okay good for you and your animals :)

[@sharonwhiteley4616]

Hi Blake I have these small round Opec things all over the plant in two of my 20ltr tanks I'm worried they are destroying my plants and maybe affecting my snails

[@BlakesAquatics]

Fresgwater limpets id say, harmless 😄

[@sharonwhiteley4616]

@@BlakesAquatics thank you Blake for getting back to me

[@kurtisstutzman7056]

I've never had any issues with planeria or hydra in any of my shrimp tanks...

[@BlakesAquatics]

Lucky

[@nicolefaamausili3193]

I have little tiny almost microscopic thinks moving all around on my glass.? What are they what do I do.?

[@BlakesAquatics]

Could be planaria? Really depends what they are sorry but some good starting points are limpets, hydra, planaria, detritus worms

[@nicolefaamausili3193]

@@BlakesAquatics How can I tell with them being so small.?

[@BlakesAquatics]

@@nicolefaamausili3193 have a go at googling some images of those things first and see if any of those match

[@MyAquariumPetz]

You said Leaches will kill snails. Will they also kill shrimp or fish??

[@robloxplayers43]

Love the extra comment how dragonflies breath through their bottoms, making a fitting comment of calling them A$$HOLES

[@drewsample9610]

I found a Dragonfly Naiad in my shrimp tank today, a day before I found a decapitated shrimp head. He's a baller. nuf said.

[@BlakesAquatics]

Good catch to spot it

[@hannajones1568]

My tank is INFESTED with limpets, my betta has been eating them, and it’s causing bloat :( I want to get rid of them, do you have any recommendations on how to remove them? I don’t want to completely re-do my tank.

[@BlakesAquatics]

Difficult task, could try some snail elimination chemicals

[@aliss8559]

No Planaria killed my limpets. But beware, it'll kill your good snails too

[@leosedf]

@@aliss8559 Hmm i have tried to use no planaria twice and limpets are still there..

[@jato8998]

Just got leeches in my shrimp tank.... gonna be a pain to get rid of them

[@BlakesAquatics]

Good luck!

[@belinda1509]

I am certain I got leeches from brine shrimp packet food. Fed them in 2 tanks and BOOM, leeches. Not impressed at all. Nothing else was new.

[@kinglyzard]

20:40 Watch your blackworms, folks. They tend to be lousy with leeches.

[@aperson336]

Could aquatic carnivorous plants help with dragon fly nymphs

[@BlakesAquatics]

I dont think they would, nymphs too big

[@aperson336]

@@BlakesAquatics I don’t have either so that’s good!

[@madhatterjones4781]

Hey Blake have you used LCA plannaria treatment

[@BlakesAquatics]

I have, didnt do anything for mr

[@madhatterjones4781]

@@BlakesAquatics ok right I'm looking to get rid of hydra. Any suggestions?

[@BlakesAquatics]

Panacur c or panacur 25 does the job fairly cheaply 👍 1mL per 10L for the panacur25

[@madhatterjones4781]

@@BlakesAquatics that's a dog worming treatment?

[@BlakesAquatics]

@@madhatterjones4781 sheep dewormer

[@kpllc4209]

My biggest pest right now is Aphids on my floating plants.

[@BlakesAquatics]

Cant mist the tank with a little peppermint oil

[@kpllc4209]

@@BlakesAquatics Is that the trick, I have not found much info on the topic.

[@Kalinux_ai]

Endler and Guppi eat hydra and planaria well

[@BlakesAquatics]

good point!

[@rshinde6338]

👍

[@alanwake3100]

Whats the name of the one you're talking about in 10:54? I've replayed what you said a dozen times and I just can't make out what you say..these fuckers killed all of my fish as they got stressed due to the sheer number of them, ive tried everything to get rid of them and they just keep coming back..I even moved all of my surviving shrimp and nitrite snails to another setup and now they're in there too

[@BlakesAquatics]

10.54? I was talking about detritus worms. Cheers and sorry to hear.

[@alanwake3100]

@@BlakesAquatics any idea on how to kill them? I even transported my surviving shrimp and nitrite snails to another tank and some how they've now infested that one..the substrate was brand new and cleaned and the filter was one I kept in the wardrobe.. how on earth do you kill these things?

[@BlakesAquatics]

The thing is they are always there, they come in on substrate, food, nets and many other things. Best thing to do is just to limit the fuel for them to colonise, which is through excess food. Im thinking you are being a bit too generous at feeding time 😃

[@MatildasMama]

@@alanwake3100 : i used SafeGuard Canine Dewormer AND SafeGuard Goat Dewormer (cause it’s liquid) on two different tanks and both treatments killed ALL my detritus worms, planaria and hydra. both tanks were shrimp tanks and not one shrimp was killed from it. *** BUT LEECHES have destroyed one tank and nothing will kill them except for me .. plucking them out.

[@MatildasMama]

I have a leech infestation. it’s disgusting and I have become an expert Leech-snatcher 😂 so ridiculous.

[@m.ceniza4688]

why not just put a bubbler/wave maker in your tanks if you have mosquitos since they prefer stagnant water.

[@jiamiah9756]

Well I have 4 of these lol

[@BlakesAquatics]

🤣 oh no, hope it helped

[@edgelumino]

Hey, nice video, very helpful. Could you please check out latest video. I wonder what were eating my snail‘s egg. I’m frustrated I really want to get rid of them!!! Thx!!!

[@brianbjur4796]

These are all saltwater, not freshwater, correct?

[@BlakesAquatics]

These are all freshwater, not saltwater 👍

[@triggertrash6742]

First 🔫 got it

[@BlakesAquatics]

Ill get back to the 4pm uploads for you lol

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

😂👍