Parasite ID plz

hmt321

AC Members
Nov 21, 2005
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while doing a gravel wash Sunday, I noticed a worm like creature approx 3/8" long and as big around as a paper clip wire. it's head sucked on to the side of the tube before it was sucked down into the drain. It was gone before I had a chance 2 take a pict.

I have several wild fish, I aquired 3 months ago
1-- 5" BlueGill
6-- 2" shiners
1--3" Brushy nose pleco
1--2" Madtom (native american catfish)

my water quality is fine
I do 60% water change every 3-5 days
and i have many plants
and snails ( i dont want those but they are there)

all fish and plants appear healthy

thanks
 
Could have been a flatworm or "fluke" they are pretty common. The leech is another possibility
 
well I have actually had leeches on my person and this was much smaller,
the fish have been in the tank for 3 months but they are "wild" as in taken from a river in Mississippi

not that im any kind of expert but if it is a flat worm or fluke worm should i worry about it?

how would i get rid of such a thing?

I gave the fish a good inspection before putting it in the tank and i am sure there were no visible parasites, so it must be internal.

so what do u think i should do?
 
What makes you think that a chance seen worm-like creature found in the gravel is a parasite? Tanks may have many roundworms, flatworms, flukes, and even leeches which are not parasitic.
 
RTR said:
What makes you think that a chance seen worm-like creature found in the gravel is a parasite? Tanks may have many roundworms, flatworms, flukes, and even leeches which are not parasitic.

well I just assumed that anything like that was a parasite, i certainly did not put the "worm" in intentionaly but if it is not harmfull to my fish I am comfortable with letting well enough alone

the real question is, is it harmfull???
 
I had a white worm come into my tank from inside a ghost shrimp, after the shrimp died it exited the body and went into the tank and was sorta swimming around, luckily I removedit before anythign ate it, and even luckier my Newt did not catch that particular ghost shrimp

I found a link on google by typing in worm and ghost shrimp or parasite and ghost shrimp.
 
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