parasite or harmless nematode?

[cellodaisy]

Before you say it... Yes, I know that nematodes are generally harmless and sign of overfeeding. These just look a little different, so I want to make sure that they aren't parasites of some kind. They're in a tank with some wild-caught plecos, and I want to be sure that I won't transfer something nasty when I move them to the main tank.

I wasn't able to get a good picture, so here's my SUPER AWESOME drawing:



They're a little bigger than the normal white thread-like nematodes I've seen before, and they have a distinct "head" section. They swim and act like the nematodes I've seen before.

I spotted them in my 10g currently housing two wild-caught L204 plecos awaiting relocating to the 30g community tank, and one male endler that I'm not quite sure what to do with. I haven't seen them in any other tanks, but that doesn't mean they aren't there.

Any help IDing these things would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[jm1212]

Maybe leeches? If you are that concerned about it, you could probably get away with giving them some antiparasitic meds

 

[thebrandon]

sperm?

or maybe planaria?

 

[jm1212]

sperm?

or maybe planaria?

I don't really think that "they" are that large... As for planaria, they are not freeswimmers

 

[cellodaisy]

They don't look like leeches or planaria. They really look just like regular nematodes, except a bit bigger and with that head section.

If you are that concerned about it, you could probably get away with giving them some antiparasitic meds

Do you have a recommendation that would be safe for plecos?

sperm?

:lol:

 

[thebrandon]

do they look like this?

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...m-plants-discussions/13774-worms-my-nano.html

 

[cellodaisy]

do they look like this?

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...m-plants-discussions/13774-worms-my-nano.html

No, whatever I have is more threadlike and they're free-swimming, not "crawling."

 

[thebrandon]

Do they wiggle a lot when they are swimming? I'm pretty sure I had the same thing in my 120 before. Not really sure what ever happened to them lol.

 

[cellodaisy]

Do they wiggle a lot when they are swimming? I'm pretty sure I had the same thing in my 120 before. Not really sure what ever happened to them lol.

Yep, they swim like nematodes. Did yours have the distinct head section? The nematodes I've seen before just looked like tiny white threads---no head section.

 

[thebrandon]

yes they did. I had no idea what they were, but I changed the way I fed the fish a bit and I haven't seen any since. I was once guilty of liking to watch my fish eat a bit to much:hi: