# Newbie questions on soil prep & white larvae(?)



## ObiQuiet (Oct 9, 2009)

Hi,

I've been googling and reading quite a lot prior to starting my first soil tank -- but can't seem to find clear answers to these related questions...

My new soil has been soaking for about 10 days, with daily water changes. Today, I noticed lots of white creatures underwater, but on the surface of the mud. In looking with a magnifying glass, they don't seem a good match for anything here: http://www3.sympatico.ca/drosera1/fish/worms.htm

* Not flat
* No triangular head
* Don't swim in an "S"
* Have no shell, legs or protrusions
* Not red
* Don't seem interested in burrowing

They are:
* 3-4 mm
* White, round, like a cucumber or slug
* Moving by oozing along like a snail or a slug
* More suggestive of larvae than worms

The soil itself is Miracle Gro Organic Choice Potting Soil. I was so happy to find the "right stuff" that I didn't notice until today that the package lists "Poultry Litter" as an ingredient -- from what I read that's an unwanted added fertilizer.

Any help in identifying the critters? And, any suggestion on what to do about them, if something should be done?

Thanks!
-ObiQuiet


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Post a px. Here is a site to check. Maybe you can ID it here.
http://planetinverts.com/what_is_that_bug_in_my_aquarium.html


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Sounds like Planaria. Your fish may eat them, or they'll disappear when the aquarium has less organic matter and becomes more established.

I can't imagine that they would be harmful to fish or plants. So far, there's no evidence for pathogenic worms from terrrestrial soils.


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## ObiQuiet (Oct 9, 2009)

Thank you for the helpful replies!! I just want to make sure I'm not bringing some kind of fly or intestinal worm larvae into the house... The "poultry litter" label concerns me a little...

I've attached a photo -- this one was dry on a microscope slide, so it curled up a bit. In the water, they're longer and thinner. Hopefully, it looks familiar to you!

ObiQuiet


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## ObiQuiet (Oct 9, 2009)

Realizing that one grain of rice looks much like another (my photo above), I got a few of these creatures into a test tube where I could get a clearer look at them free-floating, from the side, and in better light.

I found:
* They narrow toward one end, like a cucumber drawn out to a point. Can't tell if it's the fore or aft end (yet).
* The have two very thin, wispy nearly circular "ping pong paddles" at one end for swimming with.

ObiQuiet


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## Dustymac (Apr 26, 2008)

Hmmm, at first I thought it was Spirostomum

But with the two little paddles on the end, they sound more like Gastrotrich

I've had both in my tanks and they're harmless, but lots of fun under the microscope. Get those slides with the well and you can use a cover glass to keep your objectives out of the soup. It's like having two aquariums for the price of one! 

On second thought, Gastrotrich is probably too small. Maybe it is Planaria. They have what look like ears... could they be your paddles? But Planaria sound too big. What we need is something in the middle. Hmmmm


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## ObiQuiet (Oct 9, 2009)

Here's an amateur video of these animals in my test tube -- you can tell the body shape and their style of motion. Perhaps that helps more than the original photo I posted:






ObiQuiet


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## ObiQuiet (Oct 9, 2009)

Positive ID: They're early-stage mosquito larvae. Not as well-defined yet as those shown here http://www.arbovirus.health.nsw.gov.au/areas/arbovirus/mosquit/photos/mosquitophotos.htm but getting there quickly now.

Thanks again for the replies, case closed!

ObiQuiet


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## Dustymac (Apr 26, 2008)

Great! You learn something new every day!!

Have you got your fish in there yet? Are their stomachs plump with mosquito larvae?


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