Planaria? nematods?

[BK]

hi,
any idea on what type of worm this is (pic attatched)? planaria? nematods? they appeared a day after some marisa cornuarietis eggs hatched. they are alomost clear, move in a back and forth motion, and are mainly on the glass ecpet for a few blowing around lifelessly in the tank currents.

thanks
BK

[dwf73]

It is tough to see in the picture- Is it a saltwater tank, brackish? The marisa cornuarietis only reproduce in freshwater though, right? So i guess it is freshwater- Without anything else to go on, is it possible that they are the snails, or are the eggs still intact?

[BK]

its a freshwater tank. they are thin and clear/white and maybe a little over a quarter of an inch long. there not snails those are already out and about and growing.

thanks
bk

[kveeti]

The picture looks more like a nematode to me. However, your description, that they are mostly on the glass with some “blowing around lifelessly in the tank currents”, sounds more like planaria.

Nematodes have an S-shaped swimming motion, kind of frantic-looking. There’s really no mistaking a nematode swimming, it looks like a worm on drugs.

[Leopardess]

Looks like it's on the glass? If so, it appears to be a fat planaria or something similar. Granted, it could be a nematode. Either way, you get rid of them the same way:)

As for getting rid of them, if you use the search feature on this site for "planaria" you'll get a bunch of posts.

In short, feed less, gravel vac/water change more. Not harmful to the fish; most free-moving "worms" aren't. Some of your fish will eat them.

EDIT: Here:

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20384&highlight=planaria - there are several links within that thread. I suggest you look:)

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=147935#post147935

[BK]

thanks for the info. i wasn't worried about them hurting the fish just wondering if they were planaria or nematods. i think the snails eggs that didn't hatch (unfertilized?) may have provided them with food.

[BK]

hi,
i turned up the flow on the power head and over the last day most have been blown off the glass and are now swirling around the tank in the current and i think the baby snails are eating some of them.

thanks
BK