Aliens in Essex ?

[EssexPete]

I gave my Eheim 2217 a freshen-up today.
While I was refreshing the substrate, I found several creatures - about 1/2" long - any ideas as to what they are? - pic attached.
They must have been living in total darkness in the filter - I last cleaned it up early June.
Those that were alive didn't last long when I put them back in the tank.

Some years ago I had a similar experiance when cleaning the filter - I found 6 albino corys happily swimming around in the bottom of the filter - the eggs must have been sucked-up and they hatched and survived in the 1" space at the bottom of the filter - they were over 1/2" long - I put them in the tank and they're still living today!!

Thanks
Pete

 

[quenton]

Re: Aliens in Essex ?

They look like planaria worms. Boy, I had to dig that name from memory. The last time I ran into them was the year my parents gave may a microscope for christmas, must have been about 1959 or 1960 -- before you were born no doubt. Not they they related to the microscope, but the biology book that came with it had lots of neat stuff in it.

Anyway, seems they can appear in aquariums and it sure looks like the ones I ran into back then.

 

[EssexPete]

Re: Aliens in Essex ?

Thanks Quenton, but they don't look like worms, they had 6 legs, 2 eyes a mouth, shell-like (shrimp like) body and 2 fine whips at the back end.
Not easy to see from the crap pic I attached I know.
I have seen them before - somewhere and I vaguely recall they're a larvae of something.

Pete
Who was 2yrs old in 1959 !

 

[Wet]

Re: Aliens in Essex ?

they had 6 legs, 2 eyes a mouth, shell-like (shrimp like) body and 2 fine whips at the back end.

How about Scuds?

 

[quenton]

Re: Aliens in Essex ?

Thanks Quenton, but they don't look like worms, they had 6 legs, 2 eyes a mouth, shell-like (shrimp like) body and 2 fine whips at the back end.
Not easy to see from the crap pic I attached I know.
I have seen them before - somewhere and I vaguely recall they're a larvae of something.

Pete
Who was 2yrs old in 1959 !

OK, then I vote for "aliens" -- maybe from pluto in retaliation for removing it from the list of planets in the solar system

 

[EssexPete]

Re: Aliens in Essex ?

Yikes - Plutonians in my tank I guess the temperature change must have been a shock for them.

I think I've identified them as Mayfly larvae (or something quite similar) I googled and found a far better pic than mine...

I just wonder how they got in there and have survived in the filter for so long.

Pete

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: Aliens in Essex ?

Save Pluto, size does matter.

 

[aquabillpers]

Re: Aliens in Essex ?

I would guess that they are stonefly larvae, although the picture sugggests a giant planaria. I base that guess on the six legs, the two tails, and the hard body covering.

Here's a link: http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/angling/bugs/stonefly/stonefly.phtml

Bill

 

[EssexPete]

Re: Aliens in Essex ?

Could well be Bill - though I prefer the Plutonian idea myself

Best wishes
Pete