Tubifex Worm Infestation

[Dr. Awkward]

I recently got some plants and mopani wood from a fellow fishkeeper and accidentally received some tubifex worms as hitchhikers. I put everything in my QT and treated with a double dose of Aquari-sol. I waited a few days and didn't see anymore worms but I went ahead and kept everything in the QT for the full two weeks.

After two weeks of waiting I was getting ready to move the QT stuff into my tanks when I noticed more tubifex worms. They were twice as big and in bigger numbers than before. I treated with Quick Cure and waited a couple more weeks and didn't see any worms. A few days ago the light burned out on the QT so I just scooted it next to a lamp until I could get to it.

Again last night I went to pull everything out of the QT when I noticed the tubifex worms again. There's a whole colony in there now and it's disgusting. I guess they had been hiding from the light in the wood and now that it's darker they all came out and are hanging out in clumps on my plants. Gross gross gross!

Does anyone know how I can kill them for good? I know lots of people use them for food but I do not trust them and don't want them infesting my other tanks.

Thanks for any help you can throw my way!

 

[rsanz]

I'm surprised that the fish aren't eating them! People INTRODUCE tubifex as food for their fish, don't they?

 

[Dr. Awkward]

It's plants and snails only right now, no fish. I usually go a little overboard on my quarantining and if the tank is open I'll do it for plants, just in case.

 

[AngeloG]

Boil the wood?

 

[nc0gnet0]

PP 20 parts per million, remove the snails first.......

 

[heislertj]

Put fish in your QT and they will be very happy and fat!