My tank has small worm like things in it!!!

[shannchica]

I have had a tank for 4 months now. 10 gallon, 1 kissing gorami, 3 guppies, and 1 tetra. I know, wierd assortment but they all get along and that took a while to find. I just noticed these tiny, off white looking worms on the glass in the tank. Does anyone know anything about this and what I should do??
I would ask the local pet store but they aren't very helpful. They were nice enough to give me these tiny little snails that mutliplied and took over my tank within 4 weeks. Yeah, if you have ever experienced these snails it is wonderful to try and get rid of them. I used this website for help before and someone helped me save my Gorami-Thank you whoever you were.
Anyways----worms???? Are my babies in danger!!!!?????!!!!!!
Please help

 

[liv2padl]

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/platyhelminthes/dugesiasm.jpg

welcome to the world of planaria. these "Flatworms" are unsegmented and bilaterally symmetrical. they typically appear as small white "worms" seen crawling all over the glass and ornaments, especially at night.

Planaria commonly show up in tanks with an excess of food and most are introduced to an aquarium from other aquaria with live foods like black worms, live plants, or anything else moved from an active aquarium that has them. There is some belief that they can survive in freeze-dried or frozen foods. If a lot of residual food is left in a tank, including dead and dying fish, snails, other animals, and plants, then a few planaria may divide into hundreds very quickly. they usually reproduce by asexual fission.

If a tank is found to have planaria, they can be controlled by a good vacuuming of the gravel and better tank maintenance. to remove planaria from a more heavily infested tank:

1. Set out bait like meat in a mesh bag. remove the bait a few hours after the lights go out on the tank. it should be covered with planaria. throw away and repeat until the population goes down.

2. add planaria eating fish to the tank. such species include the paradise fish, betta, pelvicachromis pulcher and many species of gourami

3. vacuum the gravel very well and do a 50% water change. often, planaria proliferate when the tank is too dirty. this will remove not only some planaria but their food source as well.

4. reduce the foods added to the tank. planaria often proliferate if too much excess food is provided.

incidentally, a kissing gourami grows far too large for a ten gallon tank.

 

[Native American]

I've got them in every tank, and they really aren't much of a problem at all.

For me, they're a pretty good barometer for how much I'm feeding (or overfeeding) my fish. If I see them more than usually, I pare back the feeding amounts a little.

I vacuum the gravel every time I change water, and this is very effective at keeping their numbers down, as well.

v/r, N-A

 

[hurricanejedi]

When I was little I had a tank that got this as well. I actually became afraid of my tank and thus my tank-keeping ended . Now at least I wont' freak out if I see them again! I really really don't like worms. Hence I can't even keep those birchir or related looking things because I think they would give me nightmares.