# Plant Eating Bugs



## drfeelgood22785 (Sep 15, 2009)

Hi everyone,

Just wondering if anyone can help me with an issue I've been having. Recently, I noticed tiny holes appearing in my crypts. It didn't really look like nutrient deficiency, but I couldn't see anything obviously eating the leaves. Fast forward about 2 weeks and now it looks like the crypt leaves are getting ravaged. A few days ago, I added a Hygrophila clipping which is now also showing signs of damage. Today, I discovered what I believe is eating my plants. I noticed them on the hygrophila. They move pretty slowly and they're about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. If anyone can ID them and recommend how to get rid of them, that would be much appreciated!

Here is a pic of the hygro.









Here's a pic of the damage they're doing to the crypt


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

This does not look like a nutrient deficiency, but rather damage from something toxic, or at such high levels as to be toxic, in the water.


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## drfeelgood22785 (Sep 15, 2009)

HeyPK said:


> This does not look like a nutrient deficiency, but rather damage from something toxic, or at such high levels as to be toxic, in the water.


Thanks for the reply! I really don't think there's anything toxic in this tank. It's got a betta in it and he seems happy enough. Also there's a java fern and some aponogetons growing in there as well. The only thing that I've got going into the tank is diy co2 diffused through an azoo palm filter. I just took some pictures right now of the little bugs that I believe are eating the plants.

Here's another shot of the damage being done to the crypts:









I found more of the little buggers under the hygro leaf:









I can't really see them on the crypts because the leaves are a darker color, but they're plainly visible on the brightly colored hygro leaves.


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## hazardmoss (Jul 31, 2010)

try to use bladderwort. it is good for these occasion


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

From the picture, I can't tell what those little brown specks are. Do they move? Are they baby snails? Can you get a magnifier and look at them? Are there any plant species in the aquarium that are not affected?


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## drfeelgood22785 (Sep 15, 2009)

HeyPK said:


> From the picture, I can't tell what those little brown specks are. Do they move? Are they baby snails? Can you get a magnifier and look at them? Are there any plant species in the aquarium that are not affected?


Yes, they move but very slowly. I don't think they're baby snails because this has been going on for a while and I suspect I would have noticed any adults by now. They seem to prefer the crypts and the hygro. As of now, the fern only has about 3 tiny holes that I've noticed. I also have 2 small aponogetons which don't seem to be affected. I'm thinking about breaking this thing down and nuking it if I can't figure out how to get rid of them. I have floramax substrate in this tank, which is coarse and probably has millions of little hiding spots for those things.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Do you have fish in this tank? You'd think the fish would eat them. Try not feeding you fish for a while and see if they disappear


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## neilshieh (Jun 24, 2010)

maybe scud shrimp? they look like small pillbugs and more transparent obviously but they are like the size of periods and you can see segmenting. when i washed plants i thought it was just dirty stuff till they started moving o_o. i don't know but i think they were munching on my moss... either way i tore down that years ago so can't say much :/


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## Rane (Feb 18, 2012)

Bumping this thread because I have very similar looking damage to my Hydrocotyle, and noticed that I have similar 'bugs' as well:







My Hydrocotyle is mostly gone now, so no good pics of the damage. Most of my other plants are unaffected accept for the occasional pin hole. Usually on older dying leaves.

I'm thinking my Hydrocotyle was weak from a nutrient issue, but these bugs seem to take advantage and eat stuff.

Any idea what they are?


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Looks almost like a tick. Don´t know what it is, but I would recommend anti parasitic drugs if you want to kill it.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Very unusual, I don't think I've ever seen these insects before.

They certainly aren't common in the hobby. How did you get them? Locally collected plants or just a spontaneous thing?

Do you have fish in the tank?


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