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Today I made a 50% water change in my paro tanks (as urgently recommended at the IGL forum…), with acidified rain water as usual. I added a small amount of peat extract, prepared as described in the “Black water” thread here. Although I poured the water through a filter it caused a little turbidity due to fine particles. Nothing unusual.
A few minutes ago I thought that the fine dust in the water should really have settled by now …… but there were still fine clouds in the upper third of the tank. Looking closer I realized that the “dust” was moving …….
Looking through a magnifying glass I saw very tiny bacillary creatures swimming in clouds near the light ….. moving a bit jumpy like Daphnia.
I have never seen this before , and it is only in this tank …….. Can anybody tell me what it is? Are this infusoria? Like Paramecium? This is the only tank I have with still much leaves on the ground.
If these are infusoria – is it harmful to have such lots of them in the tank?🙂 I wouldnt worry if I were you, I think its just infusoria. I had the same, I had it in a post here, … I will look for it and post the link.
It probably comes from overfeeding or something like that, – its not ‘dangerous’.Thank you, Helene – if it’s indeed infusoria it comes from a ground layer of leaves. I read that it’s typical in tanks with many leaves – and in this tank I still have many leaves, that would also be an explanation why I don’t observe it in the other tanks.
https://www.parosphromenus-project.org/en/forum/12-Methods/944-is-this-infusoria.html?start=6#954
Have a look if it looks like this – video on the second page. – (ps actually theres a better video on the first page of this topic)
I have that quite often, – and it often follows after I have attempted to feed fry, – by adding infusoria, – but it also sometimes appear without.
If I dismantle a tank, – which is old and ‘mature’ it may happen, – you know, if I dont take everything out, but trim the tank, it occurs. And I think its a sign that the tank is well… maybe too much food, too much organic waste – at least it shows the conditions for these infusoria is present, there is something there which they can live on. I have had tanks where it was really ‘thick’ with these almost clouds of tiny living things, – and you can see them kind of move in ‘clouds’.It does not seem to bother the fish, and on the positive side its probably very good fry food – on the negative side it may say that the tank need a ‘clean-up’
Unless … well, – did you get it in with the rainwater do you think ? … or did it get stirred up from adding the new water ?
🙂 I just read my topic from then, – and it may not have been totally solved what it was, – but I am pretty sure it is some kind of what I would call infusoria, or paramecium.
I have a culture now of ‘real’ paramecium, and it looks excatly the same.[quote=”helene” post=1987]
or did it get stirred up from adding the new water ?[/quote]Yes, I think that was the case. This tank is not old and doesn’t need cleaning by now. I set it up just a few weeks ago – it’s the tank of the “mysterious paros”. I made an “experiment” with a ground with no layer but a mixture of many oak and beech leaves and dried sphagnum fibres. It’s very soft and loose, it looks nice, and I am sure the fish absolutely love it. They’re always diving under and through the leaf litter …….
The only thing is that I just recently got a scolding at the IGL-forum for having too much organic material in my nagyi-tank …… (which in their opinion was causing too many snails, which were said to haven eaten the paro-eggs. But it became apparent that there weren’t too many snails – so the deduction of having too much organic waste had no basis anymore ….But since then I am absolutely insecure about wrong or right. In every forum every expert says something different ….)[quote=”helene” post=1987]https://www.parosphromenus-project.org/en/forum/12-Methods/944-is-this-infusoria.html?start=6#954[/quote]
Yes, that’s quite similar – and your description of it, too. Like moving dust particles………
🙂 Well, I am no expert 😉 .. but I can always share my own experience as far as it goes. I am certainly not always right in these matters.
But I agree with you that it sounds like a perfect ground and built up, – and well, sometimes it may prove a problem with too much organic material, and too many snails etc, – sometimes it doesnt give any problems.
I use extensively spagnum in all tanks, and leaves, – never any normal gravel. I made an experiment with a tank with lots and lots of oak leaves, actually wanted to make it only leaves, – but it didnt work out, – its clear now theres too much organic material in there, – so theres so many algeas now, – thread algeas… however the ornaticauda’s in there are thriving and breeding .. so … 🙂
If I cleared that tank for all plants and leaves, I am sure I would see those kind of ‘paramecium’ clouds, because its too rich on nutrients I think. And it may not be optimal, but I cant from my experience say that it is very bad either.Hello,
no – one thing it’s definitely not, and that’s Planaria.
Planaria moves around on the glass like a leech, doesn’t swim in clouds. And they are much bigger – depending on the species. In aquariums you find sizes from 4 mm up to 1 cm.
The “swimming dust” is really as small as dust particles, not even 1 mm.
By the way – today the water in my tank is as clear as before ………
as I mentioned yesterday I have a culture of paramecium – aquired for the purpose of feeding fry. This looks excatly the same as these, so I am not in doubt that it is a similar thing.
[quote=”helene” post=1998]as I mentioned yesterday I have a culture of paramecium – aquired for the purpose of feeding fry. This looks excatly the same as these, so I am not in doubt that it is a similar thing.[/quote]
Yes, I think you are right. This morning there were still smaller clouds left. I imbibed some with a syringe and put it into the tank with the nagyi-pair – just to “vaccinate” the tank.
I have ‘clouds’ of similar-sounding creatures in one of my shrimp tanks. They are Ostracods.
Would you like me to put one under a microscope so you can see what they’re like?
Hi Vale. I searched the internet and found some photos and some videoes of ostracods. It sounded like it could be right, however they seem much bigger than the ones I see.
Did you see the video I refered to earlier in this post ?Hi Helene
Yes – I’ve now seen your video and I think you’re more likely right with Paramecia (or something like them) rather than Ostracods. Your critters seem to be much more at the mercy of the tank’s current and occupy the whole water column ; while mine prefer to associate themselves with surfaces in their tank – although they do zip around when they feel like it!
Since it’s raining in Wellington (New Zealand) I did you a quick video of my Ostracods anyway! But probably nothing you hadn’t seen already during your earlier Googling. Here goes attempting the link …
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