=Uninvited guests in the aquarium or identification of a krakozyabry!=

You’re not alone if you’ve noticed some unusual creatures showing up in your aquarium. For many aquarists, these unannounced guests—often called "krakozyabry"—can be quite mysterious. Although they may be small and difficult to see, they have the power to drastically alter the ecosystem in your tank.

The first step in managing these organisms is to comprehend what they are and how they entered your aquarium. They could be innocuous, or they could indicate a more serious issue that requires care. In any case, accurately identifying them is essential to the wellbeing and equilibrium of your aquarium.

The common forms of krakozyabry, their potential effects on your tank, and management or removal techniques will all be covered in this article. You can make sure your aquarium is a healthy habitat for your fish and plants by keeping yourself informed.

Uninvited Guest	Identification Tips
Algae	Green or brown growth on surfaces; often slimy.
Snails	Small, spiral shells on the substrate or glass.
Planaria	Flatworms with a triangular head, seen crawling on surfaces.
Hydra	Small, tubular creatures with tentacles, usually found on plants.
Ich	White spots on fish; fish may scratch against objects.

Acroluxes in aquarium

Photo of acroluxes in an aquarium

Only the stress they induce in the aquarist-perfectionist is the only harm that small snails up to 5 mm in size can cause. You don’t have to fight snails if there aren’t many of them; if there are many, you are overfeeding the fish, so think twice before feeding your pets.

We firmly believe that the best way to handle snails is to purchase some predatory Helena snails, which will quickly cause the Acroluxes to vanish from your aquarium. Chemicals are another option, but use caution if you also keep other, more "noble" snails, such as orange rabbits, Neretina, Ampullaria, etc.; these snails will also suffer from chemicals. Additionally, you can set up traps for snails, who crawl and eat things like banana, carrot, and cucumber peels. Toss the snails off the treat after obtaining it in the morning. With the exception of predatory snails, all snails fit this description.

Aulophorus in an aquarium

Aulophorus furcatus. Family: Naididae. Order: Annelids.

Up to 2 cm long and with a 0.2 mm thin body, worms are typically observed on glass, but they are also occasionally seen in the water column. The worms swim vigorously, bending their entire body. Aulophorus can be introduced from a natural reservoir into an aquarium.

An aulophorus that is unintentionally introduced into an aquarium is unlikely to stay there for very long because aquarium fish consider them to be a delicacy. These worms’ culture has even been specifically developed for feeding. Fish of all kinds consume it. Nonetheless, some believe that this worm is continuously Fish shouldn’t be fed because this can lead to obesity.

Water donkey (Asellus aquaticus) in an aquarium

A photograph of a water donkey (Asellus aquaticus) in an aquarium

Typical of the separation of similar crustaceans, ranging in size from 1 to 2 cm. can be brought from ponds that are standing and somewhat marshy. It’s very easy to find the water donkey using two pairs of antennae. The couple consists of a short person and a racer who is nearly body length. The body is divided into eight segments, has faceted eyes, and is thinly coated in chitin. It’s safe and makes great fodder for fish.

Water ticks (Hydrachnidae) in the aquarium

Water ticks (Hydrachnidae) in the picture of the aquarium

Ticks range in size from 2-3 mm, and some subspecies have patterns on their bodies. Colors range from bright orange to yellow. It goes through multiple metamorphoses in life, including larva, nymph, and imago. They parasitize crustaceans and aquatic insects, such as the well-known cyclops and daphnia. Although they are virtually inedible, they are safe for fish.

Hydra in an aquarium

A picture of a hydra in an aquarium

The first, dangerous uninvited aquarium guest from our list. Hydras – coelenterates ranging in size from 2 to 20 mm. The name of the parasite speaks for itself, the hydra is actually a digestive system with the ability to reproduce. It attaches to some substrate at one end, for example, a stone, and catches prey with its tentacles. Eating a fish fry is nothing for a hydra. It can also harm adult fish, damaging them with stinging cells located on the tentacles. Hydra has two ways of reproduction: division (budding) and normal sexual. That is, if you cut a hydra in two, you really, like in mythe get two hydras. Hydras are brought into the aquarium mainly with natural decorative objects that have been poorly processed.

How to get rid of hydra in the aquarium?

We covered these reptiles in enough detail in a video clip. Furthermore, suppose that guri and other labyrinth fish, such as cockels, macropods, and lyalius, eat hydras. In that case, they can manage a limited population at a time. According to rumors, they are also burst by Ancestrus and other suckers.

If the hydra is the problem, the best course of action, in our opinion, is to use the most recent advancements in aquarium science. Special anti-hydra drugs are available from all reputable manufacturers of aquarium chemistry, and they are typically made using heavy metals like copper sulfate.

Actually, as they previously stated, any medication will be detrimental to the hydra. T.e. Leyte malachite is your green green. The one caveat is that all medications disrupt the aquarium’s bio-balance to some extent.

There are alternative techniques; some allies advise utilizing salt. We’re not sure if this will help 100%, but you can try if nothing else works.

And lastly, a few very drastic techniques. The hydra should perish if you temporarily move all of the fish and raise the aquarium’s temperature above 42 degrees Celsius for an hour. However, bear in mind that not all beneficial bacteria can withstand this kind of heat, and the biological balance in the aquarium will almost certainly be upset.

The second extreme involves starting the aquarium over from scratch, which includes draining all the water, cleaning the walls, and boiling the decorations and soil. Nevertheless, hydras are not particularly ferocious creatures.

Daphnia in an aquarium

Photo of Daphnia from an aquarium

Tiny planktonic crustacean (0.2–6 mm in size) belonging to the genus. Because they move in long jumps, crayfish are also known as water fleas.

Aquarists actively cultivate this for fish food. They can also have additional advantages for the aquarium. For example, since daphnia primarily eat bacteria and unicellular algae, they can stop the aquarium’s water from blooming. Read more about Daphnia right here.

Ciliates (Peritricha) in an aquarium

A picture of Ciliates (Peritricha) in an aquarium

Tiny protozoa, measuring several millimeters. Locations with high ciliate populations are easily identified with the unaided eye: stones, plants, snags, and water turn murky with a white coating. When an aquarium’s biobalance is completely adjusted and the ciliates eat the excess bacteria, the aquarium’s ciliates disappear because they will run out of food. Additionally, the fish you put in the aquarium won’t mind feasting on these protozoa. Ciliates always settle in large numbers in newly started aquariums.

Ciliates Suvoyka (Vorticella) in an aquarium

Ciliates Suvoyka (Vorticella) in an image taken in an aquarium

An additional kind of ciliates. A solitary, immobile ciliate that is marginally larger than 0.2 mm is invisible to the unaided eye. frequently settle on mollusk shells; occasionally, a condition known as "false fungal disease of shrimp" occurs, in which large colonies of Suvoys overgrow shells. In this instance, Suvoys may be harmful because they can suffocate shrimp by entering their respiratory system. Start modifying it if Suvoys have bred so much that issues have emerged with them, such as an excess of bacteria in the water or a seriously disrupted or absent biobalance.

Ciliate trumpeter (Stentor) in an aquarium

Stentor, a Ciliate trumpeter, in an aquarium image

One of the largest ciliates, they can be seen even without resorting to a magnifying glass, the organism is a long stalk with an extension at the end – exactly like a pipe in miniature. Some subspecies have a bright color, which makes them even more noticeable to the human eye. For a long time it can be motionless, attached to any surface, but they can swim freely. At the slightest danger they shrink sharply, take a spherical shape, trying to fall into the ground and mix with it. Single ciliates brought into an aquarium with water or plants do not pose a danger, but if there are too many of them, the problem is the same: lack of biobalance, and the growth of the protozoan population is only an indicator.

Ciliate Zoothamnia (Zoothamnium arbuscula) in an aquarium

An aquarium photo of the ciliate Zoothamnia (Zoothamnium arbuscula)

The largest size for a single microscopic ciliate is 60 micrometers. They are plant-based animals that form colonies. When threatened, the entire colony constricts to the size of a small ball.

Coil snails

With certainty, we can state that every aquarist who has worked with these tiny snails has done so. They are typically brought in as eggs on a leaf from recently bought plants from a pet supply store. They’re harmless, but it gets annoying when they’re everywhere. Here are extensive videos so you don’t have to write.

Helena snails are the best and most natural way to deal with coils.

Use products based on copper sulfate if nothing else works and you want to get rid of the coils as soon as possible.

Rotifer in an aquarium

Rotifer in an image of an aquarium

Plankton ranging in size from 0.03 mm to 0.2 mm. The word "kolo" (sun) is Slavic in origin, hence the name. The truth is that rotifers’ mouth apparatus functions as both an engine and a mouth, rotating continuously. They are safe, harmless, and make excellent food for fish fries, along with brine shrimp.

Rat (Eritalis) in an aquarium

Rat (Eritalis) in an image from an aquarium

As you can see, the "tail" on these organisms gives them a rat-like appearance. Actually, the term "proboscis" is a more accurate description of the tail than "tail." With the help of its proboscis, Eritalis collects atmospheric air.

Rats are mud-junk larvae that fish eat so freely that they are unlikely to survive until they reach the adult stage.

Dragonfly larvae in an aquarium

A picture of dragonfly larvae in an aquarium

The dragonfly nymph-larvae is succinctly but accurately depicted in our video. Remove this monster from your aquarium right away if you find it there; a net and some manual dexterity will help.

The larvae of dragonflies are extremely dangerous predators that can kill small fish, shrimp, and other species within their year or two of life.

Livonka (Livoneca amurensis) in an aquarium

An image of Livonka (Livoneca amurensis) from an aquarium

A real aquarium vampire. A small crustacean that parasitizes fish. Most often they attach themselves near the gills or in the mouth. You can bring them into the aquarium with fish brought from their natural habitat, that is, with wild ones. Single individuals are removed manually with tweezers. If the fish are affected multiple times, use special medications. You can use just potassium permanganate, but it is dangerous, a small mistake with the concentration of the solution promises big problems, especially in sensitive fish, for example, Kharaitsinovs. Fortunately, the livonka does not reproduce in an aquarium, since it must go through a larval stage before becoming an adult, but during this time it will almost certainly be eaten.

Soldier fly pupa in an aquarium

A picture of a soldier fly pupa in an aquarium

A soldier fly is just a fly, but its larvae have worm-like features and range in size from 0.3 cm to light brown. There is a sort of armor made of calcium carbonate on both the larvae and the pupae. Fish-safe; feeds on leftover food. Thus, we reiterate as if it were a mantra: aquarium fish shouldn’t be overfed.

Dytiscus diving beetle larva in an aquarium

Larvae of the Dytiscus diving beetle in an aquarium image

Once more, a worrying melody plays in my thoughts. A larval diving beetle introduced from a reservoir can also pose a threat to fish it hunts. Seize and get rid of right away.

Water beetle larva (Hydrophilidae) in an aquarium

An aquarium photo of a larval Hydrophilidae water beetle

A black worm, thick and ungainly. looks for a variety of snails. Since the larva finds it very difficult to swim in the water column and is occasionally forced to rise to the surface to resupply its oxygen supply, it is very easy to spot as it moves along plant stems.

Bryozoa in an aquarium

These are not hydras, but they resemble tentacles quite a bit. The bryozoan grows in colonies and ranges in size from 1 to 3 mm. They resemble the seeds from the Avatar tree of life, Eywa.

Do we need to combat bryozoans? Divergent views exist among aquarists regarding this matter. On the one hand, they believe that eating ciliates and bacteria is beneficial. However, cleaning the aquarium and doing more frequent water changes will help if there are too many bryozoans.

Nematodes and stylaria in an aquarium

An image of an aquarium with nematodes and stylaria

White, thin worms are not particularly dangerous. The fish themselves eat a substantial breakfast, lunch, and dinner before overcoming nematodes. Our website has a wealth of information about nematodes already.

Ostracodes (Cypridopsis vidia) in an aquarium

Aquaria photo of ostracodes (Cypridopsis vidia)

Crustaceans smaller than one millimeter. Saptotrophs: they consume food and plant remnants; fish will defend you against them. Russian aquarists have observed that in densely planted grass beds with lots of soft plant remains and few fish, there are sudden outbreaks of ostracod numbers. Shrimp aquariums frequently have ostracod problems.

Plasmodium or slime mold (Physarum polycephalum) in an aquarium

It is, strictly speaking, mold. Researchers think that this fungus is sentient; it can move and is always searching for food. It releases digestive enzymes as soon as a portion of the mycelium comes into contact with something edible. This organism can be removed from surfaces mechanically or with the use of antifungal medications.

Planaria in an aquarium

An image of planaria (Dendrocoellum lacteum) from an aquarium

The article and video contain all the information about these creatures. Planaria, which are flat worms covered in tiny hairs, are inedible to most fish because of their poisonous glands. There are several ways for them to enter the aquarium: fresh plants, fresh soil, poorly prepared live food, etc. able to attain massive dimensions of several centimeters. able to regain full size from a fragment that doesn’t make up more than 0.5% of the original body. Consume anything that reaches their mouths.

Planaria are controlled by using specific traps where food is positioned. The planaria are nocturnal animals, so we "load" the trap in the evening and remove the catch in the morning. We repeat these steps methodically until the enemy leaves our territory. If using a sparing technique like this is ineffective, you will need to use chimatak with medications that are specifically made for it. Nemazole 400 and feettal handle planar.

Unwanted visitors to the aquarium, commonly referred to as "krakozyabry," can come as a startling and occasionally unsettling revelation to aquarium enthusiasts. The balance of your aquatic environment could be upset by the sudden appearance of these enigmatic creatures. Recognizing and comprehending these trespassers is crucial to keeping your aquarium harmonious and healthy, allowing your fish and plants to flourish without unanticipated difficulties.

Poduridae in an aquarium

A picture of Poduridae in an aquarium

In the wild, tiny arthropods measuring no more than 2 mm reside on pond surfaces; in aquariums, they frequently inhabit the area beneath the cover, where water evaporation maintains the ideal humidity level. Don’t be a threat.

Ranatra or water scorpion (Ranatra) in an aquarium

An aquarium photo of a ranatra, also known as a water scorpion.

Refers to large, 3–3.5 cm stick insects, also known as water bugs. of which the breathing tube is 1.5 cm. feeds on aquatic insects, which means that small fish may be at risk.

Snail leech in an aquarium

The leech, which resembles planaria but is smaller and has a brown or brown color, is typically introduced with the soil. Although salt can damage the snails themselves, it should be used with caution when trying to control them. There are several recipes for making baths. One of them is to put snails in a liter of water that has had 2.5 teaspoons of salt dissolved in it. Ten minutes pass in the bath.

Finding strange animals in your aquarium can be both exciting and unsettling. Some of these "krakozyabry" might not harm your tank, but others might upset its delicate equilibrium.

The first thing to do is to understand what you’re dealing with. Finding these intruders enables you to take the necessary precautions to safeguard your aquatic environment, regardless of whether it’s a harmless snail or a potentially dangerous pest.

Major problems can be avoided by closely monitoring your aquarium and regularly looking for any indications of unwanted visitors. A healthy and thriving aquatic ecosystem can be maintained with a little knowledge and attention to detail.

Video on the topic

Aquarium hiding places – good advice for beginners and old-timers!

Aquascaper tricks: fixing heavy decorations in an aquarium

Real transvestites in an aquarium

AquaDiscussion: LPP, GH, disinfection of grass and size does not matter!

WORM IN THE AQUARIUM

Peroxide against algae – the effect in a bucket

#Overpopulation in #aquarium. Theory and practice.

Lighting mode in the aquarium and more