small, thin, white worm/parasite??

E

evster

AC Members
Oct 12, 2006
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0
San Diego, CA
Hi guys. I was cleaning my 10G tank tonight and when I was done and turned the lights back on I noticed several little organisms swimming around. They ranged from about 1/4 inch to 1 inch in length and they were very thin and had a whitish color. Almost like a micro spaghetti strand. They kind of swam around until they found something to rest on and then stayed put. I saw my zebra danios eat a few of them so I don't think they are dangerous. I researched worms on this forum, but I don't think I found a match for the type of worm this is.

My question is...what are these things? Where did they come from, and should I worry about them?
 
could lead to IP or internal parasites....Keep an eye on them.
 
They sound like a non-parasitic nematode. If you look just above the water line around the rim of the tank (or splash that area with water), you may find a lot more. I've had these to some level in my 5 gallon betta tank for quite a while. The betta eats them if he finds them swimming. They are white and swim in sort of an "S" pattern. I've found these things as large as 1.5". I have no idea what they are eating as the betta only gets 3 pellets a day and no food hits the bottom of the tank.
 
Neamatodes are usually a sign of overfeeding, but they can also develop in the filter media, gravel substrate, or areas of low or no water flow. Fake logs, for example, are usually hollow, and fill with water. The water has no current, bacteria and left over food builds up in the log's hollow spaces, leading to an outbreak of nematodes.

In general, these are harmless, indeed tasty for some fish. However, it should also serve as a red flag that there may be places in your tank that could use cleaning.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. What you are describing webcricket seems dead on for what I saw.

Malefic23 - I think you have a point about them developing in hollow places. I have a log in my tank with a little cave at one end that my bamboo shrimp enjoyed hiding in.

I should have mentioned that when I was cleaning the tank last night I found the bamboo shrimp dead at the bottom of the tank. He had probably been there for at least a day or two, if not more. Perhaps his decaying body let to the litle outbreak.

At any rate, I have not seen any worms so far tonight (and I've been looking plenty hard).
 
Not conducting an expirament (new you would ask)

What do Planaria eat?

I have heard of them eating liver--

I have heard that Planaria are carnivores--

I have heard that they eat protozoans and other basic forms of life that may include algae--


I was hopeing I could keep mine, because I like them. The above questions are my way of asking If:
"if after I have aquired them due to poor water conditions (oops[fixing it]), could I keep them without the poor water conditions needed to 'cause' them, and will they not only 'as in a red flag', but as in 'only themselves' harm my fish" ?


Thanks
 
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Thanks,

did you not read the questions?

If I want to keep them with my fish is there any way to accomplish this?

I am fairly- but not quite sure that they do not eat poor water conditions....
better safe than sorry~ but I relly like them.

:rolleyes:

any ideas?
 
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