# What on earth is in my gravel?!



## gillmank (Aug 31, 2010)

I was siphoning my gravel a bit the other day to clean the tank up a little and I found some of these critters crawling around in it. I've researched a lot about isopods and am not sure if that's what these are.

What are these things? Does anyone know if they will harm my fish? I'm worried they're all over my gravel.

What should I do? Please help, I'm pretty new to this...

- Kristen


Things to know:
- 20 Gallon tall freshwater aquarium
- Various live plants in the tank
- Tank has been going since February
- Put a rock in there from a local stream in the Midwest (could be why?)
- My fish tend to stay in the upper 50% of the tank
- Only have 1 bottom dweller and he is a pleco, but he's all over the place.
- These things tend to curl up when out of the water, and they CAN survive out of the water.

Let me know as soon as you can! 

P.s. these things look like they're from the movie District 9 lol > <


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## dave in Iliamna (Aug 15, 2009)

It looks like some kind of amphipod. 
I don't know the species, but I think most of them are scavangers and shouldn't hurt your fish. You might be able to find information specific to your area.
What kind of fish do you have?
You might be able to find something that will eat them. A loach maybe?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

looks like a flea.


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## evilash1996 (Aug 26, 2010)

wow thats really wierd. maybe a shrimp? i dont know though thats wierd


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## evilash1996 (Aug 26, 2010)

yepp its a freshwater shrimp. type that in on images.google.com 


i wonder how it got in there though? maybe there were some in your local fish tank and when you bought some fish maybe there were some shrimp eggs in the bag.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Don't look like any shrimp that I have ever seen. And to big for a seed shrimp. There is an ichtologist in my club and will post a pic for him to see.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Ok got verification on it. It's a scud. harmless really. Not to many fish will eat them.


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## LPUIG73 (Jul 18, 2010)

gillmank said:


> I was siphoning my gravel a bit the other day to clean the tank up a little and I found some of these critters crawling around in it. I've researched a lot about isopods and am not sure if that's what these are.
> 
> What are these things? Does anyone know if they will harm my fish? I'm worried they're all over my gravel.
> 
> ...


Excellent pictures. 

To me it looks like a type of amphipod. I can make out 13 or so different sections to the creature's body - that's clue number one. I also can barely see different types of legs. That's clue #2.. Combine those two general characteristics and you got your self some sort of amphipoda. But since I am no expert in the field and there are several thousand different types of species of amphipoda, I couldn't tell you the exact species this one is..

And yes, I would guess these tiny creatures (or the eggs) hitched a ride on your stream rock.


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## NursePlaty (Feb 5, 2010)

*Looks like a silverfish to me at first. A silverfish isnt a fish, its an insect. But after looking at Susans pics it looks more like a scud.*


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## gillmank (Aug 31, 2010)

Thanks so much guys for all your helpful responses!! I'm so glad to be able to come to a place where I can get answers instead of hoping I can call the fish store before it closes! Thank youuu!


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