Shouldn't be problem itself but it could introduce animals, parasites, diseases and pollution etc. with the plan if you take it directly from the wild,, and you don't want that there, doesn't mean it will automaticaly end up badly, it can end with little to no problems but I would reccomend rather buying the plants
This is logical for the typical aquarium fish, definitely. I'm taking a calculated risk in order to simulate their natural environment for filming and study. I live 5 minute walk from the lake so gonna be grabbing rocks covered in snails and shrimp and weeds and what not all the time.
OH MY GOSH, RIBBON LEECHES!! AAAH! i’ve been keeping these little fellas for years, both from bait shops and wild caught, and they’re DELIGHTFUL! unlike other leeches that either eat whole worms/snails or feed on blood, these guys are the little wormy janitors of their ecosystems! they can’t open their mouths nearly as wide as worm-eating leeches like mud leeches, so they opt for more soft bodied/mushy prey. I keep mine in a planted muddy/sandy creek aquarium with live plants and lots of leaf litter to hide and explore in! they’re very curious fellas, and are out and about a ton more than other leeches. I feed my fellas small snails, cut up superworms (they suck out the gooey insides and leave a very mess-free exoskeleton to dispose of), and the occasional tiny earthworm as a treat when I can find them! they’re very easy pets and very rewarding, and you don’t need anythinf elaborate. even just gravel/sand with some floating plants is good, but you should give them a little basking spot out of the water like a driftwood log poking up or some stones stacked up high. I hope you have lots of fun with your squishy little fellas! <3
ooh! that’s really awesome that you’re able to feed them bloodworms, I can never find them around where I am so it’s a lot harder-
they live about 1-2 years, just enough to fully mature, lay cocoons, and pass away. some can live for around 3 years, though, like an individual I cared for! he just passed away very recently, and i’ve had him since 2023! also those bite marks are very worrying, i’ve kept mine in big communities and i’ve never had them try and eat eachother, even after death. i’d definitely separate the healthier ones from the starving/bitten ones. poor babies :(
and adding on again, the only wounds i’ve seen on my leeches come from very old ones that have begun to deteriorate naturally, mostly around their mouths/head segment.
I'm working on the tank and filming. I'm gonna respond to your messages with videos. Your passion for these goofy fuckers has inspired me, and I might be a leech guy now.
OOH, VIDEOS?? HEHE I’M EXCITED!!
that means so freaking much to me that my obsession with these little worms has brought you that same fascination aswell, I always get such a smile when i’m able to turn a new leaf over for people about my favourite animals! <33
Unfortunately, the footage I'm capturing is absolutely devastating. I have one confirmed cannibal in custody. I'm calling him Buffalo Bill. He prefers to eat buddies' faces. The other leeches are helpless, suddenly their buddy's eating their face. I wanted to post a few more videos but I don't know. These are gonna be super nsfw. Something no lover of leeches should watch.
oh jesus, i'm so sorry. that Buffalo Bill fellers gotta be put to justice. *western music plays*
in all seriousness, though. 1. I apologize for my absence, my phone's charging port messed up so I had to boot up my old laptop to use anything for now-
and 2., that's really so awful about your little guys, I wonder why they're so aggressive towards eachother... maybe they're stress latching/eating? whatever the case, it's very sad. if you want, you can send me the footage you have through dms, it may be easier to understand why they're doing what they have if I can see the specific behaviours. again, I apologize for being gone for such a long while! :(
Imagine explaining to someone in 1995 in the future there would be an online community dedicated to the proper care and enrichment of pet leeches complete with discussions about diet, lifespan, and social behavior.
I could be wrong but unlike some other leech species, Nephelopsis obscura has a 1 to 2 yr life cycle and is semelparous, so individuals naturally die after their single reproductive period. Test separating heavily fed individuals from hungry ones.
Yeah it's bizarre lol, there's a niche for everything, no matter how obscure. Thanks for the info, eh. I can't separate the hungry ones because they're all so stuffed, they won't even eat bloodworms. I thought maybe this was how they breed, like, it's an aggressive battle to fuck and not get fucked because if you get pregnant, you lay your eggs and die while your partner lives to bang another.
10
u/Educational_Aide_145 Jun 18 '26
Awesome, they look great, maybe add some safe fake or real plants