# how to get rid of Ostracoda



## Ebichua (May 13, 2008)

Adding a small fish can and will help reduce their numbers but by no means will they eliminate all of em. So consider it a temporary clean-up before you need to reintroduce them again.
It's best to just learn to get used to them, unfortunately. There must be a TON of food for them to eat if they're reproducing at a rate that is so high they've become unsightly though. Look into that?


Forgot to add: I used a few (like 2-3) boraras urophthalmoides in a 10 gallon tank.


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

Something like this sold here: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/s...s/151751-fs-gush-catch-pen-planaria-seed.html is guarantee to catch them without anything else being harmed. They cost a pretty penny though.








From Liam


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## smokin (Mar 23, 2009)

Ebichua said:


> Adding a small fish can and will help reduce their numbers but by no means will they eliminate all of em. So consider it a temporary clean-up before you need to reintroduce them again.
> It's best to just learn to get used to them, unfortunately. There must be a TON of food for them to eat if they're reproducing at a rate that is so high they've become unsightly though. Look into that?
> 
> 
> Forgot to add: I used a few (like 2-3) boraras urophthalmoides in a 10 gallon tank.


 thanks im gonna do alot of maintence in the next several days, there in a 10g tank, that is a growout for my fry and i havent done much maintence in the last couple weeks been super busy. i only noticed them in the last two days. one of the wall is all moss and they were hiding in that. and 1/3 of the tank dosent have gravel and thats where i noticed the Ostracoda. there was alot more than i expected. once i started moving everything and doing cleanup. and this being a growout i feed alot of first bites and sometimes they dont get it all. i try to not over feed but it happens with the fry. i didnt wanna purchase any more fish specially for this reason so i was hoping the tetras help if not ill look into something else. and i dont want anything to eat my baby shrimps . the first of my baby yellows.


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## smokin (Mar 23, 2009)

diwu13 said:


> Something like this sold here: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/s...s/151751-fs-gush-catch-pen-planaria-seed.html is guarantee to catch them without anything else being harmed. They cost a pretty penny though.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 oh yeah thats acouple pennys ha, i might try and make something like this , dosent have to be pretty cause i dont plan on using it all the time. ill give my fish acouple days and see if that helps. thanks for the idea n link


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## jasonpatterson (Apr 15, 2011)

I have a feeling you could make a trap like this fairly easily with a small plastic jar/bottle and the body of a ballpoint pen...


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## smokin (Mar 23, 2009)

jasonpatterson said:


> I have a feeling you could make a trap like this fairly easily with a small plastic jar/bottle and the body of a ballpoint pen...


 thanks thats what i was thinking just didnt think of the ball point pen part. just couldnt think of anything small enough haha.


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

Actually something great would be using the body of a poland spring water bottle. The base of the bottle is something like |_/\_|. All you would have to do is poke a hole between the /\ that's small. Then all the seed shrimp that go in would get stuck. Only issue would be weighting it down, just like the pen idea.

Also, the reason you pay for that product is because it won't look like crap sitting in your tank lol.


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## jasonpatterson (Apr 15, 2011)

Indeed diwu13  My idea definitely wouldn't be attractive. Travel sized lotion bottle + ballpoint pen (the kind that tapers at the tip) = ugly but functional. I was thinking I could do something like this with lab glass fairly easily that would look a whole lot better. 

I like the water bottle idea as well though, that seems like it would be really easy. You could improve it beyond that by heating the bottom with a lighter and stretching it upward as you poke a hole through it, or perhaps putting a bend in the stretched bit as you poke a hole.


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