# Are these baby RCS?



## Kimchi24 (Mar 22, 2013)

Ok, so I have a ten gallon with about 12 shrimp. This morning I got all excited when I saw what looked like a baby cherry shrimp. I've read that baby cherries look like miniature versions of adult cherries. These critters were translucent lay white, small, and round. They look almost like a potato bug. Now I'm worries I'm going to have some sort of infestation. Also there were snails in there too! The last time I added plants or anything to this tank was about two weeks ago. How is it possible for me to see them now. Also the bigger question is what is that bug like thing. It's REALLY small. I'll try and get a photo when I ca. But all I have is my iPod camera. It's not the best camera


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## xriddler (Feb 16, 2012)

no they are not baby RCS as i have them too in my soil tank. they are some kind of micro organism but mine mostly stay in my substrate. The move quite fast and dart around right? I have tried to serach online but have found nothing on them. They are hard to identify because of their size but i do have quite a few bigger ones. they are not planaria because they move nothing like a worm. when i shine my flashlight on them they skittish away.


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## bettaforu (Sep 6, 2009)

cocopeds...or scuds! They come on plants and will eat dead plant matter in your tanks.

Baby cherries are usually very pale in color (not identical to adults) they change color as they mature, slowly getting redder. Male cherries are the paler of the two sexes.

Don't worry about the micro-organisms in your tank, they are harmless.

Hydra on the other hand you would need to get rid of right away...looks like
an umbrella with the spokes upside down...usually attached to glass or rocks, and caused from overfeeding.

Planaria also can be a problem too....white worms that can shrink into balls
hard to catch.


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## razoredge (Dec 31, 2011)

bettaforu said:


> Hydra on the other hand you would need to get rid of right away...looks like
> an umbrella with the spokes upside down...usually attached to glass or rocks, and caused from overfeeding.


Here is a picture of a Hydra on my flora tank. I only have 6 shrimps in there and only feed a very small wafer once a week. I'm not entirely sure that it was caused by overfeeding.


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## xriddler (Feb 16, 2012)

Hydra dont just appear they usually come from other hobbyist/stores plants or water introduced to your system


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## bettaforu (Sep 6, 2009)

Yes that too can be how they get into your tanks, either way they are best eliminated if you can get them. If they are on the glass you can use a papertowel to push against them and then pull the whole thing up and out of the tank...if you try to pick them off they ball up and drop down into the soil. Papertowel works good.

They will kill baby shrimps!


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