What are these worms?! (pictures attached)

ArkyLady

Addict In Training
Nov 27, 2002
564
1
0
58
Arkansas
I hope someone can tell me what the heck this worm thing is. I have done some searching, but it doesn't look like anything I found any pictures of so far(nematodes, planaria).

I discovered that these same worms are also showing up in a tub of drinking water we have outside for the animals, so now I'm freaked out thinking they are in our water somehow!!

The tank they showed up in has nothing in it yet and was just setup a few days ago after being in storage for a few months. So far I haven't seen any in the established tank I have with fish in it, but they would likely be eaten quickly in there I'd assume.

They seem to go back and forth from the gravel, then up to the surface, then back again most of the time. Sometimes they glide along the glass, but not very often. When they swim up and down they kind of "flick" their bodies, then stretch out when they are resting.

Any clues are greatly appreciated! Thanks :)

worm1.jpg worm2.jpg
 
That looks more like some kind of larvae, rather than a worm. I can't tell how big it is from the picture, but it could be mosquito larvae. Usually thats the kind you find outside in stagnant water.
And I'm sure it didn't come from your drinking water supply, so don't worry about that. Stuff like that could never get through all the filters and whatnot, that the water supply uses.
Just net them up, (if you can), so's you wont have adult (whatever) flying around the house. Feed them to your other fish.
Good Luck,
 
Ok, I feel better now. That's definitely what they are. We have well water, so I get kind of freaked out about "things" being in there as it is, plus I'm a tad bit obsessive :D

They must have gotten in there when the tank was put into storage. The gravel was in a bucket and was still wet, so I'm sure that's how they got in. Thanks so much! :)
 
Once you net them out, you can feed them to the fish in your other tank; I used to harvest mosquito larvae for my fish - they go nuts for them! You can also freeze them to feed later, if you feel so inclined :D
 
Will West Nile virus affect fish? I'm not keen on having any wild squitos anywher near my home. It's a big enough job tipping all the flower pots over!
 
AquariaCentral.com