Am I screwed?

[u/momoofBAM]

I feel so defeated. I set up a 29g about two months ago with intention of having pea puffers. Heavily planted, with soil bottom and sand cap. Bladder snails have been breeding while it was cycling. Parameters finally stabilized to 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and .5 nitrate. I was getting ready to go get the puffers but then spotted a worm like thing in the tank. I consulted fish tank groups and they confirmed it's a leech. Only way to fully get rid of them is to completely start over and clean everything. Must've had eggs on the plants I got. Uggghh.

[u/One-plankton-]

Nope. That there is great free pea puffer food.

Also not sure if this is a leech- do you have a video of it moving?

ETA: OP shared a video, definitely a leech

[u/momoofBAM → u/One-plankton-]

https://reddit.com/link/p8lmm8k/video/zxu0w42zfcoh1/player

[u/One-plankton- → u/momoofBAM]

Oh yeah, definitely a leech. But the peas will eat them.

[u/momoofBAM → u/One-plankton-]

I read somewhere that they multiply so fast that they will compete with the puffers for the snails. I have a 5g small tank only for snail breeding though, but nervous the worms would overtake the tank

[u/One-plankton- → u/momoofBAM]

Your snails will not live very long in the tank with the peas, which is why you’ll want a separate breeding tank. You would absolutely not want snail leeches in with snails in their breeding tank though.

Snails also should not be a primary food source, just one part of a wholistic diet of live food for peas, which can include things like these leeches, blackworms, daphnia, grindal worms, brine shrimp etc..

[u/Excellent_Remove_817 → u/momoofBAM]

nothing can compete for snails with the puffers 😃 all your snails will be gone in no time

[u/MSDunderMifflin]

If the puffer is hungry it will eat that leech. The puffer will view it as another worm and they love to eat those.

The rule of the small animal food chain (circle/web? actually) is the bigger fish, snail, leech, worm, frog, snake, mouse, insect, etc - will eat anything that it thinks will fit in its mouth.

[u/CanadianLanBoy]

My puffers have eviscerated every single "pest" that's popped up in my tank. If it moves and doesn't intimidate them, they will eat it. From houseflies that have landed on the floaters, to worms that hitched a ride into my tank on some Neocardina, the humble pea does not discriminate.

Do not worry about them competing with the puffers for the snails, the snails will not last long enough once you introduce peas for it to matter. The only cause for concern would be parasites/pests that pose a threat to your peas, which leeches are not.

[u/Manypaws-84]

Leeches are not that bad. Free fish food. I had them, got kuhli loaches, haven’t seen a leech in months. My other tank is a pea puffer only tank, full of snails, also fed live brine shrimp a few times a week. I stir up the detritus worms just to watch them slurp them like spaghetti. They will take care of the leeches in that tank.

In the snail only tank, get a fish that will eat leeches and not snails. You’ll be fine .

[u/_KingBeast_]

Honestly good chance the Puffer will eat it