I have had my tank established for at least four months now. I'm on my second filter cartridge but the bio wheel stayed put and I believe my tank to still be fully cycled. Ammonia levels are 0, Nitrites are 0, nitrates are 5 ppm, if that. It took about two months to get my tank fully cycled and I have a freshwater master test kit. So I have a 30 gallon tank. Very little substrate, only enough to cover the bottom. I had two mollies, two zebra snails, two platties, and 6 zebra danios. The Danio's were used originally to cycle the tank (only 2, 4 were added later to make a school). I added a bamboo plant after the tank was fully cycled and the platies and Molly's. I purchased the bamboo plant and the platies and mollies at Petsmart. This is my first tank I have ever had and I have done extensive research and kept good husbandry on the tank. I have monitored the water levels consistently if not weekly then on a biweekly basis (more so in the beginning). After about 4 weeks of having the Platys in my tank the female platy laid fry. I didn't realize until I was cleaning the substrate that they were tiny fry in the tank. I actually realized there was a batch of Fry because there was a larger fry, must be from a first brood, when she just got into the tank, since they were separate sizes. Needless to say, everyone was doing well for quite some time. but then I noticed small white hair looking worms when I sucked the substrate. I did research and I deemed that it was planaria. I did see a few on the glass but they seem to not be able to move freely and struggled when they were free floating in water. I try to suck up the substrate every few days to get them out and thought I had a handle on the situation. However about three weeks ago one Danio died. And then the next week another Danio. And then the next week one of my platys. And then the next week my second platy. I am down to one danio, both my mollies and the tiny platy fry. My zebra snails are fine. Are the worms killing my fish? I had stopped feeding them every few days so that the tank would not be overfed I even removed a bunch of substrate so there would be less place for stuff to decompose. My husband wants to add more fish but I do not want to add any more fish until I know what the problem is. I examine my dead fish and there's no streaking there's no bloating they didn't even really act strange before they died. Some just chilled out in the corner on the bottom before they died And weren't very active. Help please!!! TIA!
Help!!! Fish are dying one by one, each week
- Thread starter Danielle Brown
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- fish death planaria worms
Planaria does not harm fish. They are probably dying because you are changing your water too often. How much water do you take out in each water change?
I was doing 30% But only For 2 days in a Row, then back to my once a week or every other week.
You have not done too many water changes. Outside of a few specific situations, that's not a problem (ie, poor source water, OTS, breeding requirement for some species). Cleaner water is a good thing.
What shape are the worms? Planaria have a distinct spade shaped head, visible on even very small animals. They're harmless, and danios will readily eat them. It sounds like one of the later additions may have introduced a parasite. There are a variety of options to treat, but a medicated food, if the fish are still eating, will be more effective for internal parasites. Any way to get a picture? Are the worms still present? I've only had one experience with internal worms, and they killed everything so I just left the tank running for 2 months without fish to let them die off for lack of a host. I'd hate to recommend that method.
What shape are the worms? Planaria have a distinct spade shaped head, visible on even very small animals. They're harmless, and danios will readily eat them. It sounds like one of the later additions may have introduced a parasite. There are a variety of options to treat, but a medicated food, if the fish are still eating, will be more effective for internal parasites. Any way to get a picture? Are the worms still present? I've only had one experience with internal worms, and they killed everything so I just left the tank running for 2 months without fish to let them die off for lack of a host. I'd hate to recommend that method.
Thank you so much! I do still see the worms in the substrate when I clean it. They are so small but I still can't see that pointed head like you were saying. This makes me think it's not planaria. they seem to take refuge in the substrate. I wonder if I took all the substrate out it would give them no place to live? I have pictures and videos of the way they move and look I will try and post them with this. They do still eat. I have raised the Platy from newborn so I'd be devestated to loose him. I also had a brown algae problem which is now gone away.
There is a picture attached I did the best I could to get a close-up and of course some dog hair got into my water. I read on a site that is Planaria and to do 20% water changes every day into the gravel is really clean. I have a video too it wouldn't let me put up. I also read that you will not be able to see parasitic worms in the substrate so I'm now back to thinking it's Planaria even though I can't see the heads. Idk!
Have you checked your fish for these worms? If your fish DO have small worms on their fins and inside the gills, the could possibly be anchor worms. If so, treat by tweezering the worms off.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Thank you, fish have no visible signs of illness or disease. No worms visible unless sucking the substrate.
There are bunches of different kinds of worms that can be in a tank, but what's concerning to me is how they might have been introduced to your setup. There are definitely types of parasitic worms that will be visible to the naked eye--leaches, for example, although those don't look like leeches either. Do you have live plants in there? Have you ever fed live foods?
With some many, I would try adding .5 tsp/gallon of table salt. Pull a half gallon of tank water out, add the salt and stir to dissolve, then add that back to the tank about a half cup at a time over the course of about 10 minutes. That won't be enough salinity to harm or stress your fish or the snails (assuming zebra snails - nerites, which do fine in brackish conditions), but worms are usually less able to deal with the change.
And, unless you see ammonia.nitrite levels other than 0, you can go to a weekly water change without a problem. If there's waste accumulating on the substrate, identify where it's coming from--that number fish really won't produce that much waste. I had something like 40 endlers, some tetras, akysis, and bristlenose in a 30, and the only waste that accumulated was from the bristlenose, because they are poop machines.
With some many, I would try adding .5 tsp/gallon of table salt. Pull a half gallon of tank water out, add the salt and stir to dissolve, then add that back to the tank about a half cup at a time over the course of about 10 minutes. That won't be enough salinity to harm or stress your fish or the snails (assuming zebra snails - nerites, which do fine in brackish conditions), but worms are usually less able to deal with the change.
And, unless you see ammonia.nitrite levels other than 0, you can go to a weekly water change without a problem. If there's waste accumulating on the substrate, identify where it's coming from--that number fish really won't produce that much waste. I had something like 40 endlers, some tetras, akysis, and bristlenose in a 30, and the only waste that accumulated was from the bristlenose, because they are poop machines.
I do have a live bamboo plant and I feed high quality flakes and freeze dried blood worms once weekly. I have a bad feeling they came with the plant that originated in a snail/plant tank at petsmart. :-(
