# Unexpected Fish: Can they hitch a ride on purchased plants?



## UnderwaterBob (Jun 27, 2018)

Can fish hitch a ride on plant purchase?

I have a planted tank, eight months old with several different kinds of plants. The tank is thriving and healthy. I’ve never introduced fish and don’t plan to for a while since I won’t be around to care for them.
A week ago, I introduced two new plants from a most reputable seller.
Tonight I turned up the intensity of my LED and I have a very tiny, one inch long, eel-like fish in my tank. Any Ideas what it is and how invasive it might become? 
This was not in my plans for the tank.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Welcome to APC!

Yes, it is possible. Some species of fish lay adhesive eggs on plants, and these could survive being shipped on wet plants. And a tiny fish could simply stick to the plants accidentally, or survive in a small amount of water in the bag.

Chances that it will be a problem are low, especially if there is only one! You could take it out, but my curiosity would make me keep it just to find out what it is, LOL.


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## Gerald (Mar 24, 2008)

Killifish are the most common "accidentals" on plants, but "eel-like" does not sound like a killie. Yes, grow it up and see what it is! Maybe one of the eel-like loaches? They can get transported in plant root balls.


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## UnderwaterBob (Jun 27, 2018)

By the Youtube videos I see, it looks like a nemotode. (Worms?)


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Can you post a photo? Many newly hatched fish are eel-like. If it is a fish, there should be very visible eyes.


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## UnderwaterBob (Jun 27, 2018)

I removed it from the tank as it really fit descriptions I’d seen of a very active, wiggling Nematode.
I’ll watch for more but I’ve only seen the one. He was just too tiny and infrequent to photograph. 
I think I learned a lesson about cleaning new plants with peroxide, first.


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## UnderwaterBob (Jun 27, 2018)

It’s now beached on the side of a clear, cereal bowl. Maybe when the peroxide clears, I can get a macro shot of it.


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## UnderwaterBob (Jun 27, 2018)

Here’s a pic.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Definitely not a fish. Did it ever swim with a side-to-side wiggling motion? These are sometimes called detritus worms, and are harmless.


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## UnderwaterBob (Jun 27, 2018)

Bettershot


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## UnderwaterBob (Jun 27, 2018)

Yes. Side to side rapid wiggling


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

Could be a leech. Not all are parasitic but couldn't hurt to fish the guy out.


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## UnderwaterBob (Jun 27, 2018)

I think I need to nuke this tank. There are more of them and now the glass and wood are covered with little pink nodules that have little hairs swirling out of them.
Now there are hundreds of thousands of both the detritus and what appear to be ‘hydra’.
I’ve learned my lesson about cleaning new plants in peroxide and quarantining them, first.


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## t2000kw (Jul 29, 2006)

I've only had snails hitch a ride with plants, never anything else like what you have there. What is the process of using peroxide with plants to disinfect them, and are you using the 2% or 20% peroxide? 

Donald


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## codnodder (Jun 6, 2017)

In your original post you mention there are no fish in the tank, and that you do not intend to put fish in the tank for a while.

I might argue to let it run it's course. The concern with hitchhikers on plants is primarily centered around parasites and nasties that will harm your fish. But, by and large, parasites and nasties without fish hosts will die out within a couple weeks.

You don't mention if this is a sterile high-tech planted tank or a natural low-tech (Walstad) style tank. If the latter, I don't know of any way to keep beneficial creatures out of it. You will eventually end up with detritus worms, seed shrimp, and random pond life once the tank is mature. I don't know how they get in there, but they do. And by and large, you don't care, since they are all part of a healthy life cycle and natural filter.

So, I guess my thoughts are, bad things will die if there are no fish, and good things are going to show up anyway. So, if no fish, maybe just let it work itself out.

Good luck.


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## Sherryazure (Jun 20, 2003)

UnderwaterBob said:


> I removed it from the tank as it really fit descriptions I'd seen of a very active, wiggling Nematode.
> I'll watch for more but I've only seen the one. He was just too tiny and infrequent to photograph.
> I think I learned a lesson about cleaning new plants with peroxide, first.


I always quarantine both plants and fish using the same water from the tank they will eventually be in. Sometimes fish and plants are infected and then the entire home tank won't become infected. I've never used bleach. Some plants are just too sensitive.

I have used Alum (less toxic) and it's found in grocery stores. (Old School, raised fish since the 50's and Dr. Innes books). Back then I would set up a tank slowly, over months letting bio bugs develope naturally and adding plants so slowly so all would equalize. No heaters and filters back then like there are now.

Another link.

I have tried all of the various dips and find them to be ineffective at best; sometimes I have lost plants with more sensitive leaves and stems as a result of using some of the dips listed below. I have not found any of them to be effective against snail eggs and prevention of their hatching.

This last year I have gone to quarantining plants for 3-4 weeks (depending upon temperature). I add 4 drops of Seachem Cupramine per quart of water to the quarantine container. If I see baby snails have hatched during the quarantine period I re-dose wait another 2 weeks. Because Cupramine is copper based I rinse the plants before adding them to my tanks. If I kept freshwater shrimp or valuable invertebrates I would not do the copper treatment because they are very sensitive to copper. All of my tanks are snail free and have been for almost 5 years.


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## aquabillpers (Apr 13, 2006)

I agree with Codnodder. Before you take any action, wait to see what happens. It might be 
interesting.

When I set up a tank without fish but with plants, I always see new creatures, even though the plants are all home grown. I see snails, shrimp-like animals tiny things swimming around, worms, and other little animals. They or their ancestors survived the predations of the fish in the tank where the plants grew.

I find these unexpected guests very interesting. They rately do any harm. Instead of using chemicals to get rid of them if you choose to, maybe just add a few fish. 

Best,

Bill


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

Yes, theu can. Not super common, but it does happen. Rachel o'leary got 2 goldfish from some plants she got from a friend. There are a couple of videos on it. Assuming it was eggs that either stayed wet or like some killifish eggs that need to dry out. I can see it happening. I got 4 black crystal shrimp after getting some plants in the mail from another hobbyist. They lived 3 days in the dark in wet paper towel.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

I brought plants to my sister after a long air flight across the country. A few weeks later, she had a baby Rainbowfish swimming in the tank. The baby came from an egg in my Rainbowfish tank that hitched a ride on the plants.


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## aquabillpers (Apr 13, 2006)

Strange creatures can show up in a heathy tank without any apparent reason. 

For example, I have a tank full of hornwort and a few Endler's. When I set up a new tank I grab a handful of plants and toss it in. A number of 1/4 inch, shrimp-like animals get washed out and dart around until they can get back to their hornwort refuge.

I don't know what they are, but they have a self-sustaining population. I have no idea where they came from; I haven't introduced any new plants for at least 5 years. I do feed daphnnoa from outside tubs in the summer and get mosquito larvae and bloodworms in the process, but they are the porduct of passing insects.

A healthy substrate contains all manner of life forms - like tiny worms and crustaceans and other "crawly" things. They are neat to look at under low power magnification.

Bill


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## Gerald (Mar 24, 2008)

"1/4 inch, shrimp-like animals get washed out and dart around until they can get back to their hornwort refuge" ... those sound like amphipods ("scuds'), from your description.


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## Sunstar (Sep 17, 2008)

They can. We had goldfish hitch a ride into our pond on plants. as soon as they were visible, I got the blame. I maintained my innocence and suggested it was eggs on the roots of the water lettuce. It was kinda cool <3


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