General Care Discussion :: HELP?!!! Lice in tank???

[camee1991]

Can lice...live in turtle aquariums? Or any other organism that looks like it?

Im cleaning Tobis water and filter. And started seeing the lice things stuck tight on the side of the wall and stuck to the bottom of the tank and the inside of the filter as well as the decorations.....

[!!!]???? I have never seen anything like this before? What could it be BUT lice? It is tiny and sticks on things and has a hard shell. There were TONS! I wiped it down and cleaned as good as I could; but I dunno.

Anyone else know or had anything like this in their aquarium?!

TIA!

[steve]

What else is in her tank? It could be snail eggs... has she had any snails or aquatic plants lately?

[camee1991]

Steve- She has nothing but fake plants to sleep in which I just threw away and ceramic decorations on the bottom. No other LIVE anything in there?! And she looks good and nothing was on her that I could see at all.

[steve]

If she hasn't had any live foods lately, could they be fly/insect larvae?

[camee1991]

I dont know?! There were so many and they looked like grown lice...whiteish and brown in the middle with a hard shell. None were moving but they were mostly all stuck on the bottom and sides of the tank. Very hard to get off! I dont think that is what larvae would look like?

We havent noticed flies in here or any other flying insects either. But it could only take one. Could something be coming out of Tobi?

Im soooo stumped and grossed out!

[camee1991]

Oh and yes occasionaly she has earthworms. But she always has had them. I buy them (the fishing ones) at Wallyword and this has never happened.

[mikee]

Sounds like a super cleaning job for the tank and turtle. After you clean the tank use a soft tooth brush and warm salt water to clean the turtle. Let dry with salt on it then rinse.

[steve]

Larvae is usually reddish. I'm stumped, but it does sound like you're going to have a busy Sunday.

[camee1991]

mikee- You think it needs cleaning again.... ?
I finally got done and rubbed it down til I almost was dying. Got ALL I could see. Cleaned off my girl under water and with a towel rub. Its an 80 gall. tank and OMG I really dont wanna have to do it again....ya know?

[camee1991]

Im stumped too Steve. Now the tank is totally cleaned and the filter, etc... So maybe I ought to wait and see if they populate again. I do still see a couple suckers stuck on the back corner side now that its clean and filled though. Dogonit!

[notoch351]

I'm thinking planaria they are a brownish white colour, not sure about the hard shell. kinda wormy, I don’t know much about them but I have had these before or at least think is was planaria they are a common problem in aquariums and are usually in filters they are very hard to get rid of.
Think it could be?

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... ria#118209

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... rms#151442

[TheComputerGremlin]

If you still have some stuck on, try to capture them in a small vial/bowl/baggie and take it to a vet to be analyzed. Not only is it important to know what the turtle was exposed to, but also what you've been exposed to, and to know how to get rid of it and not get it again. I think this is definitely something worth taking to a professional.

[camee1991]

K..Im pretty sure they are not "planaria" they are not wormy...they are small round flat bug things. About as big as a big pin point.

And I did wipe some off the side in the beginning of cleaning and put them in a baggy on a towel so the vet could see. I will have her look. I really want to know what this is!

I still am realing....I cannot believe how much they look like LICE! ICK! But there is nothing warm enough in there for them to be there or multiply?! So, go figure.

Thanks to you all for checking. Ill let you know if I find out something.

[camee1991]

Ok Im really thinking now that they are Daphnia or Bosmina (water fleas). The pics on the net look like really BIG compared to mine (I need a microscope...) BUT I think this may be it!

If anyone has heard of these...and how to rid the aquarium and how I got em?...PLEASE...lemme know!

Thanks!

[Bumby's Mom]

I would do a bleaching of the tank... The vet told me to use a 1:9 ratio of bleach to water and make sure you get all of the bleach out before you put the turtle back in.