Unknown Worms/Parasites - pls help!

[anaerobe]

Hi! today I noticed some worms/parasites slithering around my the glass of both my tanks. I have no idea what they are, and am very worried if they are actually harmful to fish!! Please take a look at the sketch I've made and let me know if you can identify it. (I have a really crappy digicam, tried to take a pic of it but it doesn't even show up properly! There's a pic of it, but I doubt it will be of much help..)
http://www.geocities.com/dollofsilk/worms.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/dollofsilk/sketch.jpg

If they are harmful to fish, how do I get rid of them?

I looked around on the internet and couldn't find a picture of a species that resembles these! My best guess is a trematoda, and I hope they really aren't. I've seen these things before in my betta tank, and the last time I just threw away the tank (it was a 2.5 gallon plastic) and moved the betta into the big tank.

I was hoping they were the harmless Planaria, but they sure don't look like them - not the body shape, and they don't have the visible "cute eyes" on their head part. These look long and slender. Please help!

 

[msjinkzd]

google planaria, see if that fits the description

if so, its caused by an excess of food/mung, increased water changes and decreased feedings will help to remove it. Fish will also eat them.

 

[jm1212]

how often are you doing gravel vacs?

 

[anaerobe]

jm1212, I don't use any gravel and change 1/4 of the water everyday, removing uneaten food with a net. About once every 2 weeks I do use a gravel cleaner to suckup from the bottom.
This is a 5-gallon tank (w/ 4 G of water) and the geriatric betta is the only inhabitant.

about 6 hours ago I've added Aquarium Pharmaceuticals' General Cure (contains metronidazole, copper sulfate, trichlorfon). the worms are still alive and well... if anything it would be stressing out my old betta (he still has a growing lump that was treated with this medication previously, that didn't work).

 

[lovemybarbs]

What you have is more than likely planaria and they are harmless to your fish.
I've had it, most of us have. Actually, the fish will eat them.

Don't put any more medicine in there if it is planaria.

More than likely your glass or the top of your tank has food on it and that is what they are eating.

With a good cleaning, they will go away. Gravel vac a few times this week and you should see a difference.

 

[12 Volt Man]

if you have to remove uneaten food with a net, it means you are overfeeding.

there should not be any uneaten food to remove.

try cutting back a bit, and the planaria population should drop down dramatically.

good luck

 

[fishorama]

Buy & use a gravel vac for 30% or more water changes a week. They cost less than $10.

 

[stezatois]

sooo not nice.... bugs.... ugh

 

[KarlTh]

Parasites like trematodes cannot live free, only on a host. They're harmless. There are about three species of invertebrates you can find in tanks which are harmless out of all the hundreds you may find.