[LyzzaRyzz]

I was looking in the tank I have my plants in, and I was moving them around, [they are floating plants] and I noticed a couple of white thread like worms floating down. It looked like regular debris, then it started twitching!
Is this planaria?
My tank is outside, with a glass cover that won't allow bugs inside, and there is no fish in there. I am getting my lights today, though I won't be able to set them up til tomorrow at soonest. The plants have been without fish for three, almost four days now.
Just wondering what this is!!
I'll try to take pictures, or find pictures that looks like what I've got.

 

[Chesh]

It could be any of a number of things, which are for the most part harmless. There is the possibility that they could be something a bit more dangerous, but chances are your fish will feast on them, and they'll be done with.

When I had UFOs (Unidentified Floating Objects) in my tank, this link helped me out a lot. Once I narrowed down the options, I went to YouTube and looked up videos of what I *thought* it could be, and found the one who's swimming pattern matched. . . then I knew! In my case, it was Daphnia, and they didn't last long!

To be on the absolute safe side, you could always dip your plants to destroy hitchhikers, or keep them in QT for a couple of weeks, just to be sure. . . it's always better to be safe than sorry!

 

[LyzzaRyzz]

What do you mean dip plants? Salt dip?
And i thought it only took a few days for parasites and buggies to die off without fish?
Im going to look more, though what ive found out is that its just planaria, since its got a flattened head. I put a few stalks in the tank, and the fishums went crazy! They were eating something off them! Even the fry were having a ball!

 

[Chesh]

I'm not sure, to be honest... I think it depends on what it IS - I've read that some things take weeks to die off. As long as you're comfortable that it's planaria, and everyone is happy - YAY! But I know that you can get snails, protozoa, and various uggy things - like Ich - hitch over on plants, so it's always good to QT plants, or dip them to be sure.

As for what to dip them in... I'm still learning abut this, too! Some people will do a salt dip, but some plants are not so happy about this, so I wouldn't use that treatment all across the board. One of my friends uses Malachite Green to treat every plant before he puts it in the tank. Many people do a quick soak in diluted bleach (this is REALLY hard on the plants - especially those with softer leaves, and different types of plants will require shorter periods of dipping) I've read about treating with Alum. . .

Personally, I've used rinsing in tapwater, a few weeks spent in QT with no fishies, and Potassium Permanganate - but when I first set up my tank I didn't know any better and never had a problem that I know of (except for that one bout with UFO's, and they didn't last long!). I don't think most people do anything to their plants before putting them in the tank, except maybe a good rinse - and I've only started since my tank is established, and I don't want to risk it.

Maybe someone out there can give some better and more knowledgeable advice. I'm curious as to what the 'right' answer is - but in your case, I'm sure it's probably fine - and huzzah for free fishy food!

 

[LyzzaRyzz]

The plant is a parrots feather...Im getting mixed ideas on how to use it in my AQ!
At the store, they had is floating, and thats how ive had it in my outside tank. But im wondering if i tie three or four together at the bottom, and wiegh it down, will the stalks grow up to the surface? Cause that would be awesome!
Free floating is fine too, though ive read they get very tangled, so, if i bind them and then float them, do you think they will flourish?

 

[Chesh]

Oooh, that's a VERY pretty plant! I looked it up in my aquatic plant book - proper name is myriophyllum aquaticum, and it seems that it prefers to be planted in the substrate, so you're good there! Like most stem plants it can probably do well grown floating, as well, but the root structure will likely change.

It seems that some have a easy time with this plant, but others consider it difficult to grow in the aquarium. This is probably because it's generally considered a pond plant and needs VERY bright light - which most of us don't have in our 'natural' aquarium setups. If it takes well to your tank, it can grow VERY tall - 20 inches +, so you'll probably end up with a plant rooted in the substrate, but with the ends floating all over the tank. Very pretty, I think!

You'll have to let me know how you do with it! If it doesn't do well, you may want to look into FernWort - Cabomba caroliniana as an alternative. It has a similar look about it, but is much easier to grow - I've had GREAT success with this plant, and have lots of this in all of my tanks, and would be happy to send you a cutting if you can't find it

Hope that helps?

 

[LyzzaRyzz]

That would be wonderful! Though i haven't been able to get a pay pal [need to get my greendot card in the mail!] so i wouldn't be able to pay s&h just yet..but keep me in mind cause ill take you up on that offer! =]=]

I currently have a single 3 ft long t8 bulb for my tank. Its a 45 gal, 36x24x12.
i have them floating, and the tops are already reaching past the rim of the light!
Ill take pictures when i get home tonight.
Would this be bright enough for them? And, the other plants i have are water sprite, and java moss, which is tied to river stones at the bottom.
Heres a picture of my tank, definitely brighter than what i had, which was this, so my plants should do alot better...

I just want to know the plants wont..'drown' if i sink them to the bottom, since its 24 inches!

 

[Chesh]

Well, the sure won't drown, lol, and these guys grow very long, so I bet they'll still find the surface of your tank without any problems, if you do plant them (which I think they prefer) As far as lighting is concerned, I don't dally so much with the higher-light plants, you might want to post in the plant forum for that answer - I'm sure someone over there will get you figured out. I think your lighting is considered low, though. . . *maybe* just in the medium range - but only just. My tank is . . . still, can't hurt to try, though - plants can be funny like that, and every tank is different Let me know how it does, and yeah - I'll have Fanwort if/when you ever decide to try it out