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#1
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Getting rid of copepods
Some time ago I bought a really nice, big Jade Sword plant for about
$20. Soon after putting it in my tank, the leaves all died, and it looked like the whole plant was a lost cause. Since I'd paid $20 for it, I decided to experiment. I put what remained of the plant in a one gallon container, with a layer of regular potting soil covered by a layer of gravel. I carefully filled the container with water and put it in the window sill where it gets full sunlight part of the day. After about two weeks it's actually starting to recover, with a number of small but healthy looking new leaves. However, there are also lots and lots of little critters, perhaps a half-millimeter in size, zipping all over in the container. I believe they're copepods, which would not normally concern me, but they're clearly reproducing out of control since there is nothing to eat them, and they're unsightly. So, I'm looking for ways to get rid of them. Ideally, some small critter or fish that could cope with the conditions of this 'tank' - about a half gallon of free swimming space, one struggling plant, mild temperature fluctuations during direct sunlight. So, what critters eat copepods? I could try putting in a single peacock gudgeon I suppose. Worst case, I'm willing to use chemicals but I'd prefer not to. Any suggestions appreciated. -- www.ericschreiber.com |
#2
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Getting rid of copepods
Xref: 127.0.0.1 rec.aquaria.freshwater.plants:75997
"Eric Schreiber" wrote in message ... So, what critters eat copepods? I could try putting in a single peacock gudgeon I suppose. Worst case, I'm willing to use chemicals but I'd prefer not to. Any suggestions appreciated. Seriously, though I understand the draw to find a 'natural' fix, a quick,weak bleach bath like we'd use to kill snails on new plants would wipe the vast majority of them out. |
#3
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Getting rid of copepods
"Dinky" wrote:
Seriously, though I understand the draw to find a 'natural' fix, a quick,weak bleach bath like we'd use to kill snails on new plants would wipe the vast majority of them out. True, but it would also involve the ungodly mess of pulling everything out and starting over. While I'd probably have fun playing in the mud and all, I hate to do this to the plant when it's showing signs of recovery. No doubt the copepods are very well established not only in the gravel, but also in the potting soil underneath. I should have done a mild bleach bath when I first moved the plant. If I had, I wouldn't have this problem now. -- www.ericschreiber.com |
#4
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Getting rid of copepods
"Eric Schreiber" wrote in message ... "Dinky" wrote: I should have done a mild bleach bath when I first moved the plant. If I had, I wouldn't have this problem now. Guppies? A small feeder goldie, perhaps. |
#5
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Getting rid of copepods
"Dinky" wrote:
Guppies? A small feeder goldie, perhaps. Maybe. They have the advantage of being cheap, anyway. But having sworn up and down that I'll never keep guppies, I don't think I could withstand the abuse my sister would heap on me I just stumbled across a Usenet article that indicates that ghost shrimp eat copepods. This also falls under the heading of 'cheap', and fits in with my plans to get another dozen this weekend anyway. I seem to run out a lot - someone in my main tank appears to have decided that ghost shrimp are yummy. I haven't determined yet who the culprit is. A shrimp or two might be kind of neat scooting around in the one-gallon. -- www.ericschreiber.com |
#6
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Getting rid of copepods
"Eric Schreiber" wrote in message ... "Dinky" wrote: I should have done a mild bleach bath when I first moved the plant. If I had, I wouldn't have this problem now. Guppies? A small feeder goldie, perhaps. |
#7
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Getting rid of copepods
"Dinky" wrote:
Guppies? A small feeder goldie, perhaps. Maybe. They have the advantage of being cheap, anyway. But having sworn up and down that I'll never keep guppies, I don't think I could withstand the abuse my sister would heap on me I just stumbled across a Usenet article that indicates that ghost shrimp eat copepods. This also falls under the heading of 'cheap', and fits in with my plans to get another dozen this weekend anyway. I seem to run out a lot - someone in my main tank appears to have decided that ghost shrimp are yummy. I haven't determined yet who the culprit is. A shrimp or two might be kind of neat scooting around in the one-gallon. -- www.ericschreiber.com |
#8
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Getting rid of copepods
Xref: 127.0.0.1 rec.aquaria.freshwater.plants:76001
"Eric Schreiber" wrote in message ... A shrimp or two might be kind of neat scooting around in the one-gallon. Agreed! Hope that works. Any loaches in the tank that loses shrimp? I've heard tell that some loaches will eat them. |
#9
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Getting rid of copepods
Xref: 127.0.0.1 rec.aquaria.freshwater.plants:76001
"Eric Schreiber" wrote in message ... A shrimp or two might be kind of neat scooting around in the one-gallon. Agreed! Hope that works. Any loaches in the tank that loses shrimp? I've heard tell that some loaches will eat them. |
#10
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Getting rid of copepods
"Dinky" wrote:
Any loaches in the tank that loses shrimp? I've heard tell that some loaches will eat them. No loaches. There are several possible culprits (see list), but I think Fundies are most likely. The SAEs are the biggest fish in the tank and they seem fairly omnivorous, but they tend towards being scavengers. Peacock Gudgeon (9) Fundulopanchax scheeli (3) Red-Eyed Tetra (1) Siamese Algae Eater (3) Otocinclus Catfish (3) Leopard Danio (1) -- www.ericschreiber.com |
#11
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Getting rid of copepods
I didn't know the name of the little white thread like things, but my
Zebra's had their number. Zebra Danio had a feast for a week. On Thu, 25 Sep 2003 22:50:35 -0700, "Dinky" wrote: "Eric Schreiber" wrote in message .. . So, what critters eat copepods? I could try putting in a single peacock gudgeon I suppose. Worst case, I'm willing to use chemicals but I'd prefer not to. Any suggestions appreciated. Seriously, though I understand the draw to find a 'natural' fix, a quick,weak bleach bath like we'd use to kill snails on new plants would wipe the vast majority of them out. |
#12
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Getting rid of copepods
Eric Schreiber wrote:
I just stumbled across a Usenet article that indicates that ghost shrimp eat copepods. This also falls under the heading of 'cheap', and fits in with my plans to get another dozen this weekend anyway. On Saturday I put two ghost shrimp into the copepod infested container. There were easily a hundred copepods in sight at any given moment when I did this. Today, five days later, I'm hard pressed to find even a dozen. It looks as though the ghost shrimp do indeed eat copepods. -- www.ericschreiber.com |
#13
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Getting rid of copepods
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#14
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Getting rid of copepods
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#15
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Getting rid of copepods
Eric Schreiber wrote:
(Victor M. Martinez) wrote: What's a copepod? www.google.com Grrr. Not sure what keys my fat fingers hit. http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/wimsmall/crust.html I can't say for sure that the things pictured here look like the critters in my plant jar - the things I see swimming around are far too small to make out features with the naked eye. -- www.ericschreiber.com |
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